All of New Jersey's public employees -- whether they work for the state, towns, colleges or authorities -- would be given two and a half years to move into the state under a bill proposed Tuesday by a state senator.

New Jersey's black bear population has soared to nearly 3,500, a level that can no longer be controlled solely by non-lethal methods, a wildlife biologist said today as the state Fish and Game Council adopted a management policy recommending a six-day hunt in December.

When Somerset County Freeholder Patricia Walsh attended a conference in Washington last year with other elected officials from counties across the nation, many were perplexed by the title on her name tag.

While school districts grit their teeth and wait for state aid numbers from Gov. Chris Christie, school officials around the state say the vast level of uncertainty has compromised their ability to get accurate information out to anxious and confused parents.

MERCER COUNTY, N.J. -- The tug-of-war over disciplinary proceedings involving seven troopers accused of sexual assault continued this week as Attorney General Paula Dow asked the appellate division to reverse a previous order sealing the case from public view.

Calling it an "exquisite pair of handcuffs" as he tries to plug a huge budget gap, Gov. Chris Christie today said he must follow a controversial deal former Gov. Jon Corzine gave unionized state workers last year that calls for a 7 percent pay raise in the upcoming fiscal year and bars him from ordering layoffs before January.

A bit more than a year ago, Christopher J. Christie kicked off his gubernatorial campaign with a stop in Haddon Heights, promising to "make the tough decisions without sticking my finger in the air to see which way the political wind is blowing."

In Michigan, where many enterprises are struggling to survive, the renowned University of Michigan is in the midst of a construction boom and hiring spree. Michigan State University, on the other hand, plans to lay off faculty and cut programs, blaming state funding that is lower than it was a decade ago. Flagship universities in other states are also prospering, while their lesser-known counterparts suffer from vanishing state appropriations. 

So, why not change the arrangement and require big-name universities to take responsibility for their own financing, leaving more state money to support the other state schools? As legislatures face their toughest budget year since the recession began, the idea of giving a few universities autonomy to control their own finances has some appeal.