N.J. Admin. Code § Executive Order No. 308 (2022)
Governor Philip D. Murphy
Executive Order No. 308 (2022)
An Order for Flags to Fly at Half-Staff in Honor of Former Governor Jim Florio
Issued: September 26, 2022.
Effective: September 26, 2022.
WHEREAS, Governor Jim Florio was born James Joseph Florio on August 29, 1937, in Brooklyn,
New York; and
WHEREAS, after growing up and graduating from Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn, Governor Florio enlisted in the United States Navy; and
WHEREAS, Governor Florio served in the Navy from 1955 to 1958, and remained in the Naval
Reserve until 1975, eventually ascending to the rank of Lieutenant Commander; and
WHEREAS, during his time in the Navy, Governor Florio also had a distinguished career as an amateur boxer; and
WHEREAS, in 1958, Governor Florio moved to New Jersey to attend Trenton State College, now
The College of New Jersey, and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1962; and
WHEREAS, after completing graduate coursework at Columbia University, Governor Florio enrolled at Rutgers School of Law-Camden and received his Juris Doctor in 1967; and
WHEREAS, Governor Florio began his legal career as an assistant Camden City Solicitor and served as the borough solicitor for other South Jersey towns, including Runnemede, Woodlynne, and Somerdale; and
WHEREAS, Governor Florio first ran for public office in 1969, when he was elected to represent the 3rd Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly; and
WHEREAS, Governor Florio was re-elected to the Assembly in 1971, and then subsequently reelected in 1973 as a representative of the 5th Legislative District; and
WHEREAS, in 1974, Governor Florio was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he would serve for 15 years representing New Jersey's First Congressional District; and
WHEREAS, during his time in Congress, Governor Florio was best-known for authoring the landmark "Superfund" law in 1980, which established a program in the Environmental Protection Agency to investigate and cleanup sites contaminated with hazardous substances; and
WHEREAS, Governor Florio ran for the Democratic nomination for Governor in 1977, and then won the Democratic nomination for Governor four years later in 1981, when he was narrowly defeated by the Republican nominee, Tom Kean, in the closest gubernatorial race in New Jersey history; and
WHEREAS, Governor Florio ran for Governor again in 1989 and this time was elected, securing landslide victories in both the primary and general elections; and
WHEREAS, Governor Florio took office during an economic recession, forcing him to make difficult choices to raise the revenue needed to balance the State budget, increase education aid to school districts, and expand property tax relief; and
WHEREAS, in May 1990, Governor Florio signed the strictest ban on assault weapons in the United States; and
WHEREAS, for the next three years, the National Rifle Association launched an all-out campaign to repeal the assault weapons ban, but Governor Florio repeatedly vetoed efforts to repeal the law and successfully mobilized the residents of New Jersey to sustain his vetoes in the Legislature; and
WHEREAS, for his leadership on this issue in the face of intense opposition, Governor Florio received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award in 1993; and
WHEREAS, during his governorship, Governor Florio also signed legislation expanding Medicaid services for children and pregnant women, amending New Jersey's Law Against Discrimination to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, and strengthening New Jersey's clean water laws; and
WHEREAS, after being narrowly defeated for re-election, Governor Florio remained active in public life, running for the United States Senate in 2000 and serving as the Chair of the New Jersey Pinelands Commission from 2002 to 2005; and
WHEREAS, Governor Florio was a founding partner and of counsel to the law firm of Florio Perrucci Steinhardt Cappelli Tipton & Taylor LLC; and
WHEREAS, Governor Florio also served on the boards of a number of non-profit organizations, including New Jersey Future, the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute, and the Fund for New Jersey; and
WHEREAS, Governor Florio served as a Senior Fellow for Public Policy and Administration at the Edward J. Bloustein Graduate School of Public Policy at Rutgers University, where he educated the next generation of policymakers for over 20 years; and
WHEREAS, Governor Florio had three children, Christopher, Gregory, and Catherine, from his first marriage, and then in 1985 married Lucinda Coleman, who would serve as New Jersey's First Lady, where she focused on issues affecting women and children; and
WHEREAS, during my tenure as Governor, I had the great privilege to get to know Governor Florio, and have always been appreciative for his advice and counsel; and
WHEREAS, Governor Florio leaves behind a legacy as a public servant who stood on principle, doing what he believed was right regardless of the political consequences; and
WHEREAS, the initiatives that Governor Florio launched during his administration made New Jersey a safer, cleaner, and more just State for all of its residents; and
WHEREAS, Governor Florio will be sorely missed by his family, friends, and the people of New Jersey whom he served so well;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, PHILIP D. MURPHY, Governor of the State of New Jersey, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and by the Statutes of this State, do hereby ORDER and DIRECT:
N.J. Admin. Code Executive Order No. 308 (2022)