E. Assata Wright, Author at Jersey City Times

About E. Assata Wright

E. Assata Wright is a freelance journalist who lives in Jersey City and covers New Jersey politics. For six years she covered Hudson County politics and municipal issues as a staff writer for the Hudson Reporter, where she had the Jersey City and Secaucus beats. While there, she received a Local Reporting award from the New Jersey chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists for her coverage of Spectra Energy’s natural gas pipeline. In 2011 she shared a Public Service award from the New Jersey Press Association (NJPA) with fellow staff writers Al Sullivan and Ray Smith for their coverage hospital privatization in Hudson County, and she was part of the editorial staff that received a first place NJPA award for coverage of the 2009 “New Jersey sting” operation.

Entries by E. Assata Wright

Jersey City Native Launches WatchThatNegro.com

September 14, 2020 in header, In Our Midst, Trending Now, Uncategorized /by E. Assata Wright

Jersey City native Quinn Williamson has launched the website WatchThatNegro.com so that “uncomfortable” speech can exist without censorship.

Juneteenth: A Broken Promise?

June 19, 2020 in header, Opinion, Uncategorized /by E. Assata Wright

Juneteenth is sometimes referred to as “Fourth of July for black people.” Reporter and essayist Assata Wright doesn’t view history quite as flatteringly.

News Briefs

Governor Phil Murphy signed the Fiscal Year 2021 Appropriations Act into law today. The budget plan reestablishes the millionaires tax that expired in 2010, instituting the existing 10.75% rate on income over $5 million to income earned over $1 million, which is expected to generate $390 million for the nine-month budget. The budget addresses spending for only the nine-month period from October 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021. The Appropriations Act includes $750 million in revenue derived from new tax policy changes, including:

Restoring the 2.5 percent corporation surtax on corporations with taxable net income in excess of $1 million, which will yield an estimated $210 million during FY 2021; and
Increasing the current annual assessment on net written premiums of HMOs from three percent to five percent, raising an estimated $102.7 million in FY 2021.

The budget also includes a nearly $4.8 billion contribution to bolster the state pension system, which represents the largest percentage of the Actuarially Determined Contribution (ADC) contributed in 25 years. Additionally, it includes $2.5 billion surplus, which represents 6.2 percent of appropriations over the 12-month period. The Appropriations Act also relies on the ability to issue up to $4.5 billion in General Obligation bonds to help address economic fallout created by COVID-19.

New Jersey Human Services Commissioner Carole Johnson announced that applications are now open for the new COVID-19 child care tuition assistance program to help families with child care costs as schools open remotely. The program will provide child care tuition assistance to New Jersey families with incomes up to $75,000 that are in need of either full or part-time child care due to their child’s remote learning schedule. Families can apply for this assistance by completing the online application at www.ChildCareNJ.gov. Those applying will need proof of income and a notice or announcement from their child’s school of a remote learning schedule.

The New Jersey Legislature voted to make New Jersey the first in the country to ban single-use paper bags in supermarkets along with all single-use plastic bags in stores and restaurants. The ban would begin 18 months after the bill goes into effect. A spokesman for Gov. Phil Murphy said that Mr. Murphy intended to sign the bill.

Governor Phil Murphy signed an executive order that extends the Public Health Emergency that was declared on March 9, 2020. Under the Emergency Health Powers Act, a declared public health emergency expires after 30 days unless renewed.

Governor Phil Murphy signed legislation which requires the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to evaluate the environmental and public health impacts of certain facilities on overburdened communities, defined as communities where 35 percent of the households qualify as low-income according to the U.S. Census, 40 percent of households are minority, or 40 percent of households have limited English proficiency.

About E. Assata Wright

Entries by E. Assata Wright

Jersey City Native Launches WatchThatNegro.com

Juneteenth: A Broken Promise?

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