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The ballot system is one of the most obvious examples of how Murphy has taken positions that threaten to alienate the progressives who have supported him.
by Todd DeFeo, The Center Square | May 25, 2021 09:30 AM Print this article
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed an executive order to lift the indoor mask mandate and end the six-foot social distancing requirement both inside and outside, saying the numbers allow him to move forward with such actions.
Under Executive Order No. 242, both the indoor mask mandate and social distancing requirements will end on Friday, May 28. The order extends to the prohibition on dance floors at bars and restaurants and the prohibition on ordering, eating and drinking while standing in a bar or restaurant.
Additionally, Murphy is eliminating indoor gathering and capacity limits effective June 4. That includes the current general indoor gathering limit of 50 people and the 30% capacity limit for indoor venues with a fixed-seating capacity of more than 1,000.
The governor ‘opened an avenue for Republican critics to renew and ratchet up their accusations that he was enamored with governing by fiat’
Carl Golden
For the past 15 months, Gov. Phil Murphy has led the state’s response to halt the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, wielding the authority granted him to declare a public health emergency and implement unprecedented restrictions on businesses, schools and social life.
In the process, he earned and, for the most part, maintained majority public support by framing his actions in the context of protecting the public from an unknown, highly contagious and deadly pathogen until a vaccine was developed for widespread use.