Phil murphy: school mask mandate will stay in place, even if his authorization expires tomorrow

Phil Murphy: School mask mandate will stay in place, even if his authorization expires tomorrow

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1 min read
January 10, 2022

TRENTON, NJ – New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy today said that he will not allow school children to attend school unmasked, even if the New Jersey legislature doesn’t extend his pandemic emergency powers beyond the end of the day.

“It gives me no joy, but based on the upswing of infections and hospitalizations and deaths of our precious little kids, the mandate is going to have to stay in place for some amount of time longer,” Murphy said.

All of the governor’s emergency executive orders expire Tuesday night if not renewed.

Murphy hinted that he is working with the leadership of the legislature, but did not specifically rule out declaring a new state health emergency declaration if he is not satisfied with the decisions made by the legislature today.

The Governor requested a 90-day extension, but the legislature countered Murphy with a conditional 45-day extension. Murphy said the school mask mandate will stay in place, regardless of what happens today in the Statehouse.

When pressed on the matter, Murphy would not answer another reporter’s questions of “What if” the legislature denies his extension.

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.

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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.

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