NJ's 24th Legislative District

06/03/2026

Senator Space and Assembly Members Fantasia and Inganamort want to remind New Jerseyans that this Saturday, June 6 is a Free Fishing Day! To learn more, please go to https://dep.nj.gov/njfw/fishing/freshwater/free-fishing-days/

New Jersey DEP Fish and Wildlife offers spring and fall Free Fishing Days.

05/29/2026

Today, with my school closed, I spent hours meeting with parents from Burlington to Sussex regarding their children with special education needs. Children who are non verbal. Children on the Autism spectrum. Children whose safety should be a major priority.

What I heard was INFURIATING.

For TWO YEARS, parents have been pleading for help while NJ’s Office of Special Education remained mute. Governor Murphy left behind more than 3,000 complaints from parents, a culture of non-responsiveness and a flaccid former Commissioner of Education who proved incapable of answering even the most basic questions about what was even happening under his watch.

Now we have a new administration, a new commissioner, and parents tell me they are getting THE SAME THING: silence.

Read more at:

By Dawn Fantasia Today, with my school closed, I spent hours meeting with parents from Burlington to Sussex regarding their children with special education needs. Children who are non verbal. Children on the Autism spectrum. Children whose safety should be a major priority. What I heard was IN

05/19/2026

The General Assembly on Monday approved new penalties to prevent a growing number of unlicensed limo operators from putting New Jersey residents in harm’s way.

The bill (A1552), sponsored by Assemblyman Michael Inganamort, targets the illegal chauffeur industry that relies on online bookings, unwitting customers and busy hubs like airports, sports complexes and entertainment venues.

“Legitimate limo drivers must pass criminal background checks and purchase a $1.5 million insurance policy, but illegal operators are skirting these safety regulations while also bypassing wage and tax laws. They are increasingly undermining professional limo services and endangering unwitting passengers and their drivers,” Inganamort (R-Morris) said. “Currently, limousine law penalties are low compared to the potential profits these illegal operations can rake in, so raising the fines and consequences for violations should help deter some of these bad actors.”

Read more at

The General Assembly on Monday approved new penalties to prevent a growing number of unlicensed limo operators from putting New Jersey residents in harm’s way. 

05/13/2026

Senator Space and Assembly Members Fantasia and Inganamort want to give a shoutout to our friend and constituent Ashley Asdal of Riamede Farm in Chester for her worthy recognition by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture as we celebrate 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer!

2026 is the International Year of the Woman Farmer! The New Jersey Department of Agriculture is proud to highlight women farmers across New Jersey who play an impactful role and continue to shape agriculture in the Garden State.

This spotlight features Ashley Asdal of Riamede Farm, in Chester, New Jersey.

🍎What type of farming operation for you run?
Produce / Fruits / Vegetables
Agritourism

🍎 How many years have you been farming?
5 years

🍎 Briefly describe your farm operation.
Riamede Farm is an old-fashioned apple farm, dedicated to preserving our agricultural heritage, the tradition of the harvest, and the unique charm of our vintage apple trees. We are an integrated agritourism operation growing you-pick apples, pumpkins, peaches, pears and vegetables, as well as you-pick flowers. We host community events, educational series, and school field trips throughout the year. We connect people, food, and agriculture.

🍎 What inspired you to become a farmer?
I served for 15 years in the US Navy before coming back to New Jersey to purchase and run Riamede Farm. It was a big change! Ultimately, I changed career paths because I wanted to feel a deeper connection to my local community, grow healthy and delicious food, and run a terrific local business.

🍎 What advice would you give to other women considering a career in agriculture?
Women across the ag industry are running successful businesses, making hard decisions, and working their tails off! Farming is a terrific career field for people who are willing to work hard, think creatively, and solve problems. There is such a strong community in and around agriculture in New Jersey, from the county boards to the amazing resources of Rutgers Extension, to the state Department of Ag, to all of the non-profit boards and councils that keep this industry connected. The depth of connections and assistance available is really unparalleled - none of us do this alone!

📲 Follow Ashley at Riamede Farm at:
🔗www.riamedefarm.com and on Facebook and Instagram

🌟Interested in being highlighted or know a woman farmer? Submit a spotlight using this form https://forms.gle/dEVMgwhBm2FAjWN26

05/11/2026

Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia’s bill ensuring Medicaid reimbursement rates are the same for providers delivering equal brain injury-related services passed the Assembly Aging and Human Services Committee on Thursday.

Advocates, including the Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey, have been sounding the alarm on how brain injury programs run by the state’s Department of Human Services reimburse providers differently for the same services.

“Survivors of brain injuries, who are also Medicaid recipients, are among our state’s most vulnerable patients because they rely on state-managed programs to live full and independent lives. Unfortunately, the vital continuity of care these patients deserve is jeopardized by disparities in provider reimbursement rates. It is harder to retain high-quality providers when the rates differ so widely,” Fantasia explained (R-Sussex).

Fantasia’s bill (A4485) increases the Medicaid rate for long-term brain injury services to $9.89 from $3.65 for every 15 minutes of care. The higher rate corresponds with the reimbursement rate for day habilitation services for individuals with developmental disabilities.

“Even with the increase, it is more affordable for the state to provide services in the home and in the community, as opposed to a nursing facility,” Fantasia said. “Not only would many patients prefer be at home, but it also makes economic sense to preserve those services.”

Read more at:

Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia’s bill ensuring Medicaid reimbursement rates are the same for providers delivering equal brain injury-related services passed the Assembly Aging and Human Services Committee on Thursday. 

05/07/2026

‼️WE SHOULD HAUL YOU IN UNDER SUBPOENA
Governor Mikie Sherrill's new Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Education & Office of Special Ed “declined the invitation” issued by the Chair of the Assembly Ed Committee to testify regarding the trainwreck parents, teachers, advocates & districts across NJ have been reporting for YEARS.
The level of disrespect shown to the Chair Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson and to Speaker Craig J. Coughlin and Assemblyman John DiMaio is outrageous.
Are you not accountable to the Legislature? To the people of NJ? You oversee a statewide system impacting vulnerable kids, refuse to testify before the people’s elected representatives & act like answers are OPTIONAL?
QUESTIONS YOU HID FROM:
1️⃣ How many full-time employees currently work in the Office of Special Ed handling complaints, investigations, compliance & monitoring?
2️⃣ How many investigators specifically handle parent complaints?
3️⃣ What is the average caseload per investigator?
4️⃣ Of the nearly 3K requests referenced in NJ Spotlight, how many became formal investigations?
5️⃣ Was the Dept. contacted by the Governor's Office following the 3K requests for assistance?
6️⃣ What happens AFTER a district is found noncompliant? Walk us through the actual enforcement process step by step.
7️⃣ How does the Dept. verify corrective action was actually implemented instead of just promised on paper?
8️⃣ How many districts have been repeat offenders over the last five years?
9️⃣ At what point does repeated noncompliance trigger a systemic review instead of endless case-by-case handling?
🔟 Does the Office conduct targeted audits or intervention reviews for districts with recurring violations?
1️⃣1️⃣ Why are parents forced to file OPRA requests to view materials submitted by their own district in their own complaint cases?
1️⃣2️⃣ How have the recent OPRA changes impacted parents seeking records tied to special ed disputes?
1️⃣3️⃣ Does the Dept. acknowledge that weakening OPRA creates additional barriers for families already struggling to advocate for their children?
1️⃣4️⃣ Why can’t parents automatically receive all submissions and evidence related to their complaint with proper redactions where necessary?
1️⃣5️⃣ If a parent files a complaint against the Office of Special Ed itself, why is that complaint often handled internally instead of by an independent entity?
1️⃣6️⃣ Has the Dept. requested additional staffing, funding, or statutory authority from the Legislature to address workload concerns?
1️⃣7️⃣ If not, why not?
1️⃣8️⃣ How does the Dept. measure whether a child was actually made whole after violations occurred?
1️⃣9️⃣ How often are compensatory services ordered with specific enforceable parameters instead of vague directives?
2️⃣0️⃣ What percentage of corrective action plans are later re-checked for compliance?
2️⃣1️⃣ How many families proceed to litigation after first attempting to resolve issues through the state complaint process?
2️⃣2️⃣ Does the Dept. track whether families abandon complaints because they lack money, legal representation, transportation, or time?
2️⃣3️⃣ What accommodations exist for parents with limited language proficiency, disabilities, or limited legal knowledge?
2️⃣4️⃣ Does the Dept. believe families with financial means currently have a greater ability to secure services through litigation?
2️⃣5️⃣ Is the state concerned that enforcement is effectively becoming dependent on how aggressive, educated, connected, or wealthy a parent is?
We're not talking about a handful of isolated incidents here! We're talking serious, structural failures. NJ found districts noncompliant in more than HALF of investigated cases this past year.
Parents are describing a process where they're exhausted, ignored, forced into court, hire lawyers they can't afford, be left financially drained or left teaching themselves special ed law while trying to take care of their kids with serious needs.
This level of dysfunction is a new low.
NJ Assembly GOP

Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia reacts after learning the Murphy administration declined to appear before the Assembly Education Committee to answer questions on...

05/01/2026

"Assemblyman Mike Inganamort (R-Chester Township) is a consultant and was first elected to represent the 24th legislative district in 2023. He was a member of the Chester Township Council from 2018 to 2023 and was the town’s mayor from 2023 to 2024.

"He is a member of the Budget, Environment and Solid Waste, and Transportation and Independent Authorities committees.

". . .part of a philosophy I’ve brought to the Assembly — it’s actually something that compelled me to run for the Assembly in the first place. Small towns like the one where I live are having a tough time staying afloat, and the primary driver is state mandates. When I was serving in local government in Chester Township, not a week went by that my administrator wouldn’t say, 'We have a new state mandate we have to comply with.' There are the big and obvious ones, like mandated developments and the school funding formula to a certain extent, but there are also the less obvious ones, like what we just discussed around public notice, like requiring every town in this state to adopt a fee ordinance for tree removal. Tell that to a family living on five acres in Long Valley: that they need permission from town hall to cut down a tree in their backyard.

"My perspective is that the state of New Jersey has a punishing attitude toward small towns and the property taxpayers who foot the bill. So, whether it is modernizing our public notice laws, repealing this onerous model tree ordinance, I pulled together 20 bills intended to get the state of New Jersey off the backs of small towns, and I’m calling it the Small Town Rescue Plan, and that’s been the core of my emphasis in my first term."

Read the entire interview at

The New Jersey Globe is continuing its series of legislator Q&As this week with Mike Inganamort. Prior installments include Luanne Peterpaul, Dave

04/24/2026

Please read this important message from the Vernon Police about another scam.

**********. Fraud Alert **********

If you receive this letter, kindly ignore it. This incident has been reported to the Vernon Police Department. We remind our residents to exercise caution and not provide any personal or banking details.

04/24/2026

📚 The Highlands communities are being squeezed by a state-imposed system that restricts their ability to grow economically. This reality must be reflected in the school aid formula so local schools aren’t shortchanged in state funding.

That’s why Senator Parker Space (R-Sussex, Morris, Warren) has signed onto our critical legislation to restore fairness and ensure our districts finally receive the funding they deserve.

04/24/2026

"Republican members of the Senate and Assembly Budget Committees are calling for joint hearings with the NYNJ FIFA 2026 Host Committee to get answer about taxpayer costs, financial risks and planning tied to the upcoming World Cup matches this summer at MetLife Stadium.

"In a letter sent Thursday to Senate Budget Chairman Paul A. Sarlo (D-36) and Assembly Budget Chairwoman Eliana Pintor Marin (D-29), GOP lawmakers said the Legislature and public still lack clear answers about the state's financial commitments despite years of planning.

'With New Jersey set to host one of the largest sporting events in the world, it is imperative that the Legislature and the public have a clear and complete understanding of the commitments made on behalf of taxpayers,' the GOP lawmakers wrote. 'While the event presents an opportunity to showcase our state, it also raises significant and unanswered questions about costs, risks and transparency.'

"The letter was signed by Senators Declan J. O'Scanlon Jr. (R-13), Carmen Amato Jr. (R-40), Douglas Steinhard(t) (R-26), and Michael Testa (R-1); and Assembly members Brian Rumpf (R-9), Al Barlas (R-40), Michael Inganamort (R-24) and Gerry Scharfenberger (R-13)."

Read more at:

Republican members of the Senate and Assembly Budget Committees are calling for joint hearings with the NYNJ FIFA 2026 Host Committee to get answer about