>> Funding for spotlight news is sponsored by the assurance of news, New Jersey realtors are, the voice Verrilli state in New Jersey.

More information online at rj realtors online.

♪ >> From NJ PBS this is spotlight news for the first time and 57 year history there is 9000 full and part-time educators walking off of the job.

The action comes after a year of bargaining between the University and the three unions representing those workers.

The faculty has been without a contract since last summer.

Union reps say they are fighting for equal pay and job security.

The strike affecting some 67,000 students at the state's flagship school in all three campus locations.

Classes and research canceled, Governor Murphy is getting involved as mediator.

Brenda has been following the picket line all day and has the latest.

Brenda: Faculty and medical staff walked picket lines today lodging an unprecedented strike after months of negotiations over wages and job security came up short of an agreement.

9000 members on campuses across New Jersey walked out.

>> They were pushing us.

They did not fully understand that we are really united in this.

>> Management has been so and transient -- been so transient at the bargaining table and they have not been taking our demands for equal pay or equal work and job security and access to affordable health care seriously.

These are serious demands and they are eminently affordable and we should have had more progress by this point.

Brenda: The group decided to strike, continued professors complained Rutgers Is not offering enough to the part-time and professors and graduate workers.

>> We have made progress on some important issues and that has been gratifying and it is merged as we have built pressure on them but there is some critical issues we have to win.

We can no longer have her adjuncts living on starvation wages were are grad workers.

>> I remember being a part-time lecturer myself and have a new children and struggling to put food on the table.

I do not want that for them.

I am out there to represent our folks as a collective body.

Lee showed that we hold power and that we have to be taken -- we showed that we hold power and we have to be taken seriously.

>> The governor gave his word talks would continue in good faith.

A Rutgers spokesperson said we are hopeful we can quickly come to a resolution of the remaining city issues.

Murphy noted -- >> Our administration is committed to ensuring that Rutgers Educators and staff are able to continue their critical work and importantly that the students, particularly given that we are unable -- on April 10 that those students are able to pursue their education.

>> The union president also welcomed the governor's intervention and what hope it would forestall legal action by the University President.

>> We believe the president has decided not to go to court yet.

We are pleased.

We think the good faith Joint can help us get it done too.

>> They advised the students to work on their assignments and attend classes today.

Many told us that professors had counseled instruction.

>> They told us to not worry about it too much.

We could learn through online ourselves.

>> Both classes today are canceled.

My classes tomorrow are also canceled.

>> What do you think of that?

>> I am proud that teachers are standing up for themselves.

>> We were confused if we had class or not.

The professor did not email us, no messages.

Half of the class showed up and our teacher walked in.

>> A junior did have class today but says she has not sure about classes tomorrow if the strike enters a second day.

This strike impacts 57,000 Rutgers students.

Student unions including the AFL CIO expressed their support including a congressman.

>> I expressed as best I can what your concerns are and what demands are and I will continue to work with the administration to have a fair contract.

>> Union representatives expect talks to continue into the evening and called a members to sign up for picket duty tomorrow.

I am Brenda Flanagan and this is New Jersey Spotlight News.

>> Key abortion and medication hangs in the palace after a federal court rulings were released Friday from judges in two different states.

A district judge in Texas suspended the FDA's approval of mifepristone to end pregnancies.

That is not take effect for seven days.

The Department of Justice appealed asking the Fifth Circuit of Louisiana to freeze the judge's order adding to the chaos an hour after the Texas ruling, a federal court decision was released in Washington state on a case led by 17 Democratic attorney's general ordering the FDA to keep the drug on the market in those 17 states.

The District of Columbia.

New Jersey is not involved.

All of this sets the stage for the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the issue and advocates say it will need to do so quickly.

The two orders are legally incompatible.

Catherine is a partner at the Lowenstein Sandler firm here in New Jersey and part of a network of lawyers advising clients on this case.

She says of this sounds confusing, it is because it is.

She joins me now.

Let me ask you about the Texas ruling first.

How much potential is there in the coming days for that ruling to eliminate access to this medication even in a state like New Jersey?

>> The Texas decision poses a significant risk that mifepristone will become unapproved.

It will no longer be an approved drug by the FDA which would drastically affect its availability throughout the United States.

That will only occur if the Texas decision takes effect which it will do by its own terms on Friday evening unless another court, the Fifth Circuit or the Supreme Court extends the stay.

>> How likely is it an appeals court ruling will come before Friday?

Before the clock ticks on this?

>> I -- I cannot guarantee anything.

I would expect the stay motion has already been filed in different circuit and the FDA has already filed a stay motion today.

I would expect the Fifth Circuit would make a decision about whether to extend this state in connection with sending a briefing schedule -- stay in connection with sending a briefing schedule.

I would expect a decision but that is just me.

>> The timeline of how this will play out.

What are the next legal steps?

It is not just consumers, patients who have questions but also providers who have already written prescriptions, pharmacies who already have the drug in stock.

What are the next legal steps from here?

>> The Fifth Circuit will decide whether to extend the stay or not.

It will also decide -- if it extends this day it is unclear for how long.

There is a lot we do not know yet.

The steps are these, the fifth circuit will make a decision on whether to extend the stay.

The FDA will see if it needs further review of the Supreme Court for this day.

>> Will you talk about what power if any the FDA has in this?

>> The FDA is the defendant and it makes the decisions about whether to seek the stay which already has and whether to appeal the denial of the stay.

It is in control of its litigation.

It has considerable power to decide what steps to take in regard to pursuing its rights.

>> There has been a lot of talk about similar cases being brought against other drugs that fall into the same category as mifepristone.

Is that speculation?

How likely is that?

All of this is after the Dobbs case last year.

>> In the United States at this time there are two drugs used in the abortion regimen.

One is mifepristone which is the drug that is at issue in the cases.

The other and whether there will be other cases aimed at the use of that drug or the approval of it I cannot say.

I think it is possible.

>> Before I have to let you go, how likely is this that this case will go to the Supreme Court in your estimation?

>> Quite likely that these will end up in the Supreme Court.

>> Thank you so much.

Thank you.

>> You are welcome.

>> Will police presence -- police presence will be ramped up during Ramadan after an Imam was stabbed for leaving early morning prayers.

The attacker was 32 years old.

The man is shown standing up while other worshipers kneeled to pray.

He dashes to the front of the room and off-camera stabs 65-year-old Imam of the mask.

-- maque.

The Imam is expected to survive.

The man is charged with attempted murder and weapons charges.

Members of the masque says he has worship with them before but says he has not been a member.

There is no known motive at this time.

Investigations into racism allegations within the town's of Clark's police department have not yielded any real outcomes.

More than a year after the beginning.

Circuit recordings made public revealed the police chief and an internal affairs sergeant and the mayor were using racial slurs including the and word.

-- and the n-word.

Locals are demanding a promised report on the incident from prosecutors.

For more I am joined by Riley Gates, reporter for NJ advanced media who has been covering this story.

>> A lot of folks in the town were expecting some movement at this point.

What have we heard from prosecutors and the Attorney General office?

>> We have heard little.

A year coming out almost three years into this investigation launched and the AG's office has said little other than just the investigation is ongoing.

This promise of one day they will be -- there will be a thorough and unbiased report and its findings, God knows what they are doing.

>> At this point, is there any type of public records request that can be submitted to get a little bit more information through your reporting?

People are still really feeling in the dark there.

>> Me and Sean Sullivan have filed a number of public records requests over this.

Ultimately, how we got this was through the shoe leather report.

Leaked documents.

It does not seem like there is a lot of Avenue there.

Meanwhile it is costing local taxpayers $40,000 a month for these three suspended officers.

>> Break that down for us.

>> There was a $100,000 settlement --$40,000 settlement that gave the whistleblower and his attorney about money and he was allowed to stay on the payroll for two years without working.

That is another $300,000.

We have two officers suspended without pay.

Over the course of this 32 months I believe they have earned about $1.2 million without working.

>> Have there been any other changes within the department that we know about since the investigation began?

Since the recordings were leaked?

>> We know that the County prosecutor's office is in charge of the police department.

There is a County detective who is now the chief.

They have been promoting officers and hiring officers.

The town itself seems to be sidelined in terms of who is coming into the department and running the department.

The PBA that represents the officer has condemned the mayor for these racist comments.

>> Riley Gates from RJ advanced media.

Hopefully we will have more updates soon and we are checking back with you.

Thank you so much.

>> Thank you for your interest in the story.

>> With conviction rising a new program that will give free legal help to tenants at risk of being kicked out.

The plan saw a lot of success in nearby Newark and would be paid for by the commercial developers who advocates say bear some responsibility for pricing them out.

David Cruz has the story.

>> in housing court limos are represented and through percent of tenants are.

>> Almost every tenant who has been to housing court in the city of a thousand people get eviction notices every year -- of a thousand people who get eviction notices every year.

>> Having to access before being represented in court, even legal consultation helps tenants so much with building a case and fighting back against things landlord tried to do.

>> Two ordinances council members will see tonight come as a direct response to the crisis.

Want to counsel for anyone based on income.

You have the right to have an attorney to consult with and represent you in court.

The second is an impact fee on developers, not a tax.

Jake Sullivan is a sponsor and he says making it help makes a world of difference.

>> It keeps thousands of people in their homes.

We know that it works and it will keep thousands of residents here.

It will be paid for the development impact the.

Any new project that is a market rate would pay 1.5% of its value to the city's affordable housing trust fund.

That would spend some of that on the right to counsel program.

>> The fee would ramp up over a period of time and with thousands of units expected to be developed, Solomon says it s impeccably in the millions.

As a past president of the property owners Association, he says he supports a tenant's right to counsel but disputes who should pay for it.

>> Most of the affordable housing in New Jersey your smaller to mid size landlords.

Any additional fees in the development of those projects and the operation of those properties hits home especially if you are dealing with property owners that are using the rents that are collected for this property is to feed their own rent.

>> A councilman, for the landlord says nobody is trying to stick it to the little guy.

At the most developers who have been in the Jersey City realistic market have done pretty well -- real estate market have done pretty well.

>> They are making money hand over fist and have done so for the past years in Jersey City.

We need a more affordable housing we will look like cities that do not have affordable housing.

They have tent cities now.

That is the alternate reality we face in Jersey City.

We do not want to swing the pendulum back.

>> Members get their first look at the ordinance today and it could be up for a first reading later this week at the regular Council meeting.

After which it is likely to get a tough read from a city Council looking to stem a crisis with help from the group residents most frequently blame for helping to create it.

I am David Cruz, NJ Spotlight News.

>> The governor's's plan to update the outdated laws appears to be headed for trouble with a divided legislature and building ideas over just how to do it.

Proposed legislation rewriting the rules is not getting much support from lawmakers and the controversial issue could remain stalled with all 120 members up for election this year.

Ted has the story.

>> The governor has advocated for New Jersey to overhaul its liquor laws.

A holdover from after prohibition.

The bill he has endorsed his wide-ranging and likely dead on arrival in Trenton.

>> The governor's's to expand liquor licenses does not have a lot of support in the legislature.

>> Pulsar low said that during a budget hearing last week.

The liquor laws allow 3000 liquor licenses in each of his apology.

Some of the licenses sell for more than $1 million.

Business people and politicians worry that cheaper licenses could kneecap restaurants who had to spend a bundle to get booze.

>> It is not their fault and it is an investment and we understand all investments are risks.

They went into the system with the rules they had to follow.

>> A concern for my colleagues on both sides of the aisle after the government introduced his conversation around this topic.

>> He owned common law, an upscale restaurant that does not have a liquor license.

>> They keep using that term investment and I have investments and they are constantly fluctuating.

So should the market.

>> He has seen the bill get splintered into three separate and smaller bills.

Senator Troy Singleton's that would force pocket license holders, to a Celt elsewhere in their county within two years.

Ryan says that will not help smaller restaurants.

>> What the bucket licenses are doing is pumping out the secondary market which is the root of all of this problem.

There only 1400 bucket licenses and there are 20 plus thousand others in the entire state.

It is against the small mom-and-pop restaurants who cannot afford $100,000.

>> We will introduce more into the marketplace which should introduce lower pricing.

We need to make the licenses more less-expensive.

>> It also made changes to prorate regulations, dropping some rules that growers thought were too onerous and cost them money.

>> We needed some tweaks during the legislative process but it was something that honestly had a lot of priorities of hours.

>> He leads the Brewers Guild of New Jersey and he had a ton of complaints about the new prorate rules that took effect last summer which includes limits on how many public events breweries can hold and a new requirement that breweries with doors to first-time customers.

Orlando hopes and bill passes before July 1 when licenses are up for renewal and changes take effect.

>> The other alcohol issues have been around for generations.

This is something of an emergency nature that needs to be handled now.

>>, not were not close immediately if he cannot get a liquor license.

He just says that he is not sure if staying open long-term will be a viable option and he does not know if new restaurants will want to give New Jersey a try if liquor licenses are this difficult and expensive.

>> In our spotlight on business report the fate of the iconic Nabisco factory in North Jersey is being delayed again.

An implosion scheduled for April 15 will be postponed.

There is no new date yet.

According to officials, there were issues with getting permits.

The delay also comes amid growing concerns from locals about contamination to the air, water, and soil around them following the implosion.

Schools announced their notice would be closed over worries about the health and safety of their students and staff.

The demolition of the plant started last fall and ended a 60 year run of the site which was part of the town's identity and the best part of course it filled the air with the scent of fresh baked geese for all of those years.

-- cookies for all of those years.

Here is how stocks closed today.

>> Support for the business report provided by the Chamber of Commerce southern New Jersey.

Working for economic prosperity by uniting business and community leaders for 150 years.

Membership and event information online at chambersnj.com.

♪ >> A couple of important dates are coming up if you plan to vote in the June primary.

Unaffiliated voters who want to use a mail-in ballot have until this Wednesday, April 12 to declare a party affiliation.

If you are not already registered to vote in the state, May 16 is the deadline for that.

A reminder, only registered voters with the party affiliation and participate in the primary election.

That will do it for us tonight.

You can now listen to us anytime via podcast.

Make sure you download it and check us out.

For the entire NJ Spotlight News team, thank you for being with us and have a great evening and we will see you back here tomorrow.

>> The members of the New Jersey education Association, making public schools grade for every child.

Let us be healthy together.

And committed to the creation of a new long-term sustainable, clean energy future for New Jersey.

>> And JM insurance group has been part of New Jersey for a century.

We support New Jersey through the corporate giving program, supporting arts and culture related and nonprofit organizations that serve to improve the lives of children, rebuild communities, and help to create a new generation of safe drivers.

We are proud to be a part of New Jersey.

NJM.

We have New Jersey covered.

♪