Now that it appears New Jersey won’t be legalizing marijuana until at least after November 2020, state legislators might move this week to essentially decriminalize possession of small amounts of the drug.

NJ.com reports that a bill to expunge the records of people with cannabis offenses would reduce the penalties for anyone caught with up to two ounces of marijuana to a civil citation carrying a $50 fine.

Other cannabis-related offenses would remain as criminal charges but carry reduced penalties, according to the report.

Legislative committees are expected to consider the plan alongside expansion of the state’s medical marijuana program.

According to the report, provisions of the plan would allow people already convicted of cannabis-related offenses to apply for an expedited expungement of their records. People arrested on cannabis charges after the bill takes effect would also be able to apply for expungement, the report said.

The bill, however, isn’t guaranteed to pass. Senate President Steve Sweeney, who favors legalization of recreational marijuana use, has said he doesn’t favor the lesser step of decriminalization. NJ.com said Sweeney didn’t get back to them when asked for comment on the proposal.

Quote of the Day: “It’s sort of like the Hotel California: You can check out any time you want but you can never leave,” — Former Federal Election Commission Chairman Michael Toner, on the political campaigns that continue functioning long after the candidate they represent has died.

You Can Be Dead and Stay Active in Jersey Politics. Here’s How Politicians Influence Elections From the Great Beyond.

The late Gov. Brendan Byrne famously quipped, “I want to be buried in Hudson County so that I can remain active in politics.”

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Surprise NJ Weed Bill Would Decriminalize Up to 2 Ounces, See Widespread Expungements

When state Senate President Steve Sweeney said this week that state lawmakers would move ahead on a bill to expunge the records of people in New Jersey with cannabis offenses without legalizing recreational marijuana in the state, many people were left asking questions.

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Pension Fights. No Legal Weed. Twisted Sister? Here’s Your Primer to Crazy Time NJ Politics.

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‘Bring It On!’ Murphy Task Force Lawyer Scoffs at Democratic Power Broker’s Lawsuit Threat.

Those being targeted in an ongoing investigation of New Jersey’s controversial tax incentive programs insist that Gov. Phil Murphy’s task force behind the inquiry is itself illegal, and have threatened legal action against the state.

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Lawmakers Embrace Goal of a Fossil Fuel Free NJ by 2050

The state yesterday took a first, if only tentative, step toward phasing out its reliance on fossil fuels—an action that nevertheless drew opposition from business lobbyists and criticism from climate-change activists who argued it does not go far enough in dealing with the global-warming crisis.

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A Meadowlands Monorail? Murphy Eyes It for American Dream

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Three Governors Pledge to Cooperate on Delaware River Basin Environment

The governors of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware promised on Thursday to work together to preserve the natural resources of the Delaware River Basin but said there is only so much they can do without more federal money.

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Students Rally Against Controversial Meadowlands Power Plant Project

A marching protest to “Save Our Lungs” by blocking a controversial power plant proposal in the Meadowlands drew hundreds of protesters to Ridgefield High School on Saturday, who sought to press Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration into rescinding permits granted to the project.

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Moran: Norcross Subsidy for Cooper Hospital Has a Bad Stink to It

George Norcross, the silver-haired political boss of South Jersey, prefers to operate behind the scenes, using his power through surrogates in the Legislature, a faction that is the largest and most powerful by far.

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ICE Arrests 13 in Latest New Jersey Sweep

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested 13 people across New Jersey in a “surge effort” held over four days this week, the federal agency announced Friday.

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How Will Extending Statute of Limitations in Sex Abuse Cases Impact New Jersey?

The ink was still wet on the law signed by Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday extending the statute of limitations for victims of child sexual abuse when it was put into use:

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Pallotta Is Latest GOP Challenger to Take on Gottheimer

A Mahwah township official who was involved in the effort to recall the former mayor and was active in the in a campaign to prove that the Pleasant Brook was polluted with arsenic wants the chance to unseat Rep. Josh Gottheimer, the Democratic congressman from the 5th District, next year.

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Grewal Joins AGs Across US in Battle Over Relaxing Payday Loan Rules

New Jersey’s attorney general is stepping into the ring again with the Trump administration, this time trying to prevent a federal consumer-watchdog agency from rescinding its rule designed to safeguard people from payday and other high-risk loans.

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