New jersey governor vetos bill that seeks to help veterans with insurmountable legal troubles

TRENTON, NJ – New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy today vetoed a bill that could have helped many military veterans and active duty servicemembers navigate their way through complex legal problems.

Bill 1388 would have established a pro bono legal representation program to provide legal representation to active-duty service members and veterans of the military in various areas of civil law, including employment law, estate planning, and family law.

Murphy said the state doesn’t have enough resources to provide the service.

“Military service members often face civil legal issues that create various obstacles to their health and financial stability,” Murphy said. “I fully support ensuring service members are aware of available resources and can readily access them, including legal representation, especially in times of need. I commend the bill’s sponsors for recognizing that our service members should be able to obtain representation from experienced attorneys in a variety of areas of law on a pro bono basis.”

Murphy, who just came under fire for squandering federal COVID-19 relief funds on a new convoy of gas-guzzling Chevy Suburbans for him and his staff, said he couldn’t find a way to fund legal services for those who have fought for our country.

“I am concerned that the bill as currently drafted cannot be implemented effectively,” Murphy said, “DMAVA does not have the capacity to identify attorneys in different areas of the law, as that is not within the Department’s area of expertise. The Department does, though, have the ability to provide information relating to the broad range of pro bono legal services already in existence that are available to assist active-duty service members and veterans.”

Instead, Murphy, who has provided a plethora of free service and assistance programs to other protected classes over the years says veterans will just have to seek help elsewhere. He suggests the state’s capacity ends at recommending veterans to other services available to them to solve their legal troubles.

Phil Stilton Latest posts

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.