Updated: 10:28 a.m.
Park- and beach-goers in New Jersey beware: You better check to make sure your destination is not owned by the state. Otherwise, you'll be turned away at the entrance by state troopers, due to a partial shutdown of state government operations.
The shutdown is caused by—of all things—a dispute over a health insurance company. Governor Chris Christie wants to take revenues from Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, the state's largest insurer, and use them for state programs intended to treat opioid addiction. Democrats have said doing so would destabilize the health care industry.
But of all things New Jerseyans could be upset about—high property taxes, sub-par mass transit system—Horizon arguably isn't one of them.
And while state beaches remain closed, Christie himself spent the weekend at a state-owned beach house on Island Beach State Park, which is reserved for the governor's use even though the public is shut out of the park itself.
Star-Ledger and NJ.com columnist Tom Moran tells WNYC that up until now, the normal New Jersey resident might not even have noticed the shutdown unless they went to a state beach. But today, and especially Wednesday, he says the "bit will tighten."
Moran spoke with WNYC's David Furst about what he's calling the "Seinfeld Shutdown" (it's over "nothing"), and what to expect as negotiations continue.
And if you were planning to interact with any state-run entities today, here's a list of what's closed:
- All state parks, recreational areas, forests, camping areas, historic sites, and beaches, including Cheesequake and Island Beach, are closed. Municipal parks and beaches, on the other hand, will remain open.
- Motor Vehicle Commission agencies and inspection stations are closed, but online services are still available.
- Travel and tourism welcome centers are closed.
- The Division of Pensions and Benefits will be closed; July 1 pension checks have already been processed and mailed.
- The rest areas on I-295 in Deepwater, Salem County and on I-80 in Knowlton, Warren County, are closed.
- The public will not be able to obtain copies of birth and marriage certificates, or copies of adoptees’ original birth certificates, through the Department of Health.
- Temporary Disability Insurance claims, Wage and Hour claims, and Family Leave Insurance claims may be filed, but they will not be processed.
