New Jersey’s 56th governor will deliver his final budget address at 3 p.m. in the Assembly Chamber at the Statehouse in Trenton today (Feb. 25). The address and other speeches will be livestreamed on the governor’s YouTube channel, Facebook, and Instagram, and well as on local PBS stations.
Elected New Jersey Governor to serve 2018-22 and reelected again 2022-2026, Gov. Phil Murphy was the first Democrat in 44 years to win two consecutive terms to the state’s highest political office. Aside from the 2026 gubernatorial race, N.J. voters in every legislative district will for candidates to serve two-year terms to the New Jersey General Assembly.
Murphy signed off on a $57 billion 2025 budget in June 2024, the first budget that lawmakers created under Trump’s second term as federal cutbacks, executive orders, and uncertain tariffs continue almost daily. Massive reductions in federal spending are on deck, including to Medicaid, government healthcare, all education, and social services.
Without federal monies, as many as 700,000 of the state’s 1.9 million Medicaid recipients — about 18% of New Jersey’s population — could be left uninsured, per state officials.
With a staff of nearly 8,000 and a budget of approximately $29 billion, The NJHHS serves half of New Jersey’s children and one in four adults, providing healthcare, food and child care assistance, mental health and addiction services, aging and disability services, and more.
Under the leadership of Sarah Adleman, the department now provides universal access to health care for children through the Cover All Kids program, has increased monthly food assistance benefits, and expanded timely access to addiction services including creating the nation’s only year-round free and anonymous naloxone access program. She also chairs the Governor’s Opioid Recovery and Remediation Advisory Council.