The New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development this week uploaded all written public comments regarding its controversial rule proposal that would drastically reduce the number of independent contractors.
Following the pattern of NJDOL’s in-person testimony on June 23, an overwhelming majority of the 11,688 pages of comments, represented by a wide array of worker and business interests, strongly opposed the proposal. Additionally, the minority of supporters were mostly labor groups.
Here are just some of the more noteworthy comments and items found within the 161 MB file, which can be downloaded here under the Rule Proposal and 2025 Notices of Proposal tabs.
Inside Job
One letter opposing the NJDOL rule proposal had Gov. Phil Murphy’s name and the New Jersey State Seal on the letterhead.
It was filed by New Jersey Office of the Public Defender First Defender Robyn Veasey, which cited that the office “relies heavily on the services of ‘pool attorneys,’ highly qualified independent contractors who provide constitutionally required legal representation to indigent clients throughout the state.’
Veasey wrote that many independent professional attorneys could be misclassified as state employees and the rules “risk undermining access to justice.”
“If pool attorneys must be reclassified, OPD’s ability to maintain an adequate defense capacity will be compromised,” Veasey wrote. “Court calendars will be delayed, clients will wait longer for representation, and...
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