Murphy Wants a New Tax on Phone Lines to Fund 988 Crisis Hotline

April 10, 2025 | njspotlightnews.org

Gov. Phil Murphy has now proposed a new tax on telephone lines, including landlines and mobile phone lines, to support New Jersey’s 988 hotline for the fiscal year that begins July 1. But that new tax is one of many, totaling more than $1 billion, that Murphy wants lawmakers to pass in an election year where New Jersey’s high cost of living and high taxes are already key issues.

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NJ SEED: The governor’s proposed 988 phone line tax is projected to raise over $61 million in its first year to support the 988 hotline and “other related mental health services”. A worthy cause but, those last five words – “other related …. services” - are the most dangerous in any tax law.