Senator Steven Oroho said Governor Phil Murphy should start listening to the concerns and recommendations of the New Jersey business community as it attempts to drive the state’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Since the start of the pandemic, we’ve joined the business community in urging Governor Murphy to be transparent about his decision-making process to make it possible for the small businesses, Main Street shops, and industries that employ millions of New Jerseyans to lead our economic recovery,” said Oroho (R-24). “If New Jersey is to minimize the amount of harm to our working families as we head towards reopening, the governor needs to start listening to the serious concerns raised by their employers.”

Yesterday, the New Jersey Business Coalition wrote to Governor Murphy calling for:

• a comprehensive reopening plan with specific benchmarks and dates to provide transparency and predictability;
• the revisiting of prior executive orders to rescind outdated requirements and make compliance easier for businesses; and
• a comprehensive plan to train displaced workers and upskill all workers to prepare for the jobs that will emerge in a post-pandemic economy.

Some concerns raised by the coalition, which is comprised of more than 100 statewide business associations that represent tens of thousands of employers and millions of workers, echo those of Senate Republicans over the past year.

In a letter to Governor Murphy last May, Senate Republicans wrote:

“We have heard repeatedly from our constituents that the manner in which reopenings have been announced appears to be arbitrary and inconsistent, with no clear communication regarding the metrics or benchmarks that must be met for executive orders to be loosened or lifted.”

“In the absence of specific benchmarks for reopening from your administration, we urge you to review the many thoughtful reopening plans that have been submitted to you by counties, trade groups, and chambers of commerce. If those plans meet CDC guidelines, you should authorize them to be enacted immediately.”

The legislators noted that other states, including New York, Pennsylvania, and Florida, had issued guidance pegging data against clear benchmarks that could be used to gauge timelines for reopening.

“We’re more than a year into the pandemic and Governor Murphy still hasn’t set benchmarks for reopening, released a clear recovery plan, or acknowledged or acted upon the detailed plans put forward by the New Jersey Business Coalition and others,” said Oroho. “Until he addresses the specific concerns raised by legislators and the state’s business community, the governor will continue to stand in the way of the full economic recovery that’s possible in New Jersey.”