The day has finally arrived, Governor Phil Murphy was sworn in Tuesday afternoon at noon and Chris Christie is now officially a private citizen. The TV in my office gets turned on twice a year, and this past Tuesday was one of those days. We all watched his swearing in and speech, which was as alarming as expected. He made a point of two items we have been warning you all about for some time: 

1. He is very serious about raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour

2. He plans to enact mandatory paid sick leave for your employees

 For more on Governor Murphy’s policy interests, see the below links:
 Minimum wage likely to be first big issue for Murphy, lawmakers
 Phil Murphy on raising N.J. minimum wage: 'We are done with this us vs. them' attitude
 Phil Murphy: Don't worry, Jersey, I only want higher taxes on millionaires
 Murphy's call for legalizing weed meets opposition -- from fellow Dems in Senate
 
Let the fun begin!
 
On a positive note, on Governor Christie’s last day in office, as one of his last official acts as Governor, he signed into law the amendment that we supported of the Predatory Towing Act. This will exempt calls made for a tow from a police department from being subject to the rules and fees previously set. I want to thank NJGCA members Nick Testa and Rick Malanga for their work on this bill.
 
Another good piece of news before the irritating bits, many of you may remember two years ago when I traveled to Hempstead, Long Island to oppose their municipal government's efforts to require all gas retail locations to provide free air to any person that asked, paying customer or not. They attempted to ban coin-operated air machines that would allow retailers to recapture their costs. Eventually, the fight ended up in a courtroom and our friends at GASDA (our sister association in New York) just last week prevailed with the court ruling in their favor. Coin-operated air machines will continue to be permitted in the town’s gas stations and automotive repair shops. Of course, this is important to us in New Jersey, as all burdensome restrictions and bad ideas that brew in New York eventually find their way here. We congratulate our friends in New York for this victory and were very happy to participate several years ago at the beginning of the process.
 
Now, let's talk about several issues that we are dealing with in New Jersey and throughout the country. One is the proposal to increase the federal gas tax by 25˘ a gallon. The proposal was made by none other than the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. I’m not sure how much momentum this issue will have, but you can depend on us to be monitoring this closely. 
 
Next, here’s what the smart officials in Seattle have done, a tax that is $1.75 per ounce on sugary drinks will bring the total of a $16 case of soda cans to $26! Do you think the people that buy soda at convenience and grocery stores will be doing so in Seattle? Last year, we talked about Philadelphia enacting a similar initiative which only resulted in customers making their sugary beverage purchases outside the city. None of this is good news for those operating convenience stores or supermarkets. Our new governor has already specifically promised to govern as a liberal (and yes, he uses that word!) and raise taxes. Liberals tend to like the idea of running a “nanny state” to tell you what you can and cannot eat and drink, and if they can tax you in the process, it is considered a double victory for them. You can be sure we will be keeping our ears to the ground for any word of similar legislation to be introduced in New Jersey. 
 
On a very serious note, I wanted to touch on the recent news of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids that happened last week in 7-Eleven stores across the country, including two in New Jersey. This could potentially be very consequential and costly for all of you, whether you operate gas pumps, auto repair shops, or convenience stores. It is clear to me that they are targeting businesses that are likely to hire illegal immigrants, as you all have the same problem….that is finding good people to operate your gas pumps, stores, and shops. It is very important that you make sure every one of your employees has filled out the proper paperwork for employment; including the I-9 and all immigration forms. I am expecting that this is only the tip of the iceberg and we will be hearing more of this in the coming months. I don’t know how to help you if you are caught employing workers who are in this country illegally. For more on this, see the following news piece:

UPDATE: ICE targeted two 7-Eleven stores in New Jersey for nationwide sweep

Finally, I mentioned last week that media attention has increased around self serve since Oregon relaxed their ban as of January 1st. Just as I feared, our new governor was forced to weigh in on the issue and although his comments were not positive, I am encouraged by the fact that he chose his words carefully and did not outright state opposition. Rather, he chose to say that the issue is not high in his agenda due to the public’s strong opinion. My phone has been ringing too from reporters around the state.  I have been very selective in taking press calls on this because I do not want reporters with a one-sided view on this issue to report my comments as they will not do so favorably. However, one reporter did a great job last week in her report on the topic; you can find that article with the Press of Atlantic City below:

Luxury or convenience; self-service vs. full-service gas
 

Sal Risalvato
Executive Director