Colleen O'Dea
NJ Spotlight
New Jersey, United States
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Past articles by Colleen:
Closing NJ census gap on undercounted urban areas
Census takers in NJ are pushing to close the gap in undercounted urban areas, a problem that can even affect the way federal COVID-19 funds are distributed. → Read More
Questioning budget cuts for NJ corrections programs
Advocates, lawmakers worry about consequences of $60 million in cuts proposed for New Jersey’s corrections and parole programs. Halfway houses under threat. → Read More
DOC, DOJ Work to Address Sex Abuse at Women's Prison
A federal report alleges a dozen conditions that allowed for sexual assaults at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women. → Read More
Analysis of Rejected Mail-In Ballots in NJ Primary 2020
More than 27% of mail-in ballots rejected for arriving late. Voting rights advocates pin hopes on new laws to ease problems in time for Nov. 3 election. → Read More
NJ Schools Reopen: What Districts Are Remote, In-Person or Hybrid?
Search here to find your school district's plan for Fall reopening and see what's happening across New Jersey. → Read More
Election 2020: How to make sure your vote counts
NJ officials move forward with plans for vote-by-mail election, after lawmakers blunt GOP arguments in legal bid to force traditional in-person balloting. → Read More
Beefing Up Vote by Mail Before 2020 Balloting
A trio of bills intended to protect voting by mail in New Jersey should arrive on governor's desk by Thursday. Murphy indicates he will sign them. → Read More
NJ Lawmakers Push Bills to Strengthen Mail-In Voting
Members of NJ legislative committee advance seven measures to reinforce the state’s vote-by-mail process in time for the November presidential election. → Read More
How Much Has NJ Spent Battling COVID-19? $573 Million and Counting
Tracking down where the money has been spent: on everything from food aid, to PPE, laptops, temporary morgues, field hospitals and much more → Read More
No Official Winners or Losers in NJ Primary Elections
More than a month later, state has yet to certify election results → Read More
Supreme Court Arguments over NJ’s New $9.9B Borrowing Law Focus on What’s a Real Emergency
Republican challenge also questions limits on what state can pay back → Read More
Students Question Why Schools Paying More to Have Police On-Site Rather than Nurses
Protests over funding for officers is part of larger debate on role of policing in minority communities → Read More
Prison Reform Bills Will Offer Early Release, End Mandatory Minimum Sentences
New Jersey lawmakers have passed several bills meant to improve elements of criminal justice system, such as sentencing, incarceration and policing → Read More
NJ Democrats Push Plan to Rewrite Constitution and Keep Their Legislative Map
Voters will have their say in November. Republicans say they’ll work to defeat it, progressives talk legal challenges → Read More
Most People Are Filling Out the Census, Just Not Those NJ Says Most Need To Be Counted
Low response rates in areas with more Blacks, Hispanics, immigrants could mean loss of federal funds → Read More
New Jersey Has Spent Only a Fraction of $2.4B Federal COVID-19 Aid, Legislative Sources Say
It’s difficult to follow the money, but evidence is that Murphy administration has used less than 3% of state’s allotment → Read More
Despite Commitment to Transparency, Murphy Less Than Open About COVID-19 Spending
The state has received more than $5B in federal funds to deal with coronavirus, but it’s taken more than four months for administration to announce a dashboard to follow the money → Read More
Democrats Move Plan to Delay Redistricting of State Legislative Seats
Amid pushback from GOP and progressives, majority party says amendment is needed because of delays in census process stemming from the pandemic → Read More
First Look at Primary Results for NJ’s First Mail-In Election
[Updated: July 8, 2020] No steady flow for mail-in ballots across state, but relatively high returns in pockets. Notable win by Amy Kennedy in 2nd Congressional District → Read More
It’s Primary Day, With a Viral Twist
Amid the pandemic, most ballots will be cast by mail, and the process of tallying the results is likely to be a drawn-out affair → Read More