NJ Paid $250K to Change One Word in Agency Name

New Jersey spent $250,000 to replace a single word in a state agency's name, and Assemblyman Gerry Scharfenberger wants voters to know exactly what that bought. The state's Juvenile Justice Commission dropped "Juvenile" from its title last year, rebranded as the Youth Justice Commission after lawmakers decided the old word carried too much stigma for an agency focused on rehabilitating kids. Simple enough idea. Except the swap triggered a cascade of real costs: new email addresses, domain names, vehicle wraps, office supplies, and fresh uniforms for the commission's 300 officers, according to Michael Symons, a spokesman for the Attorney General's Office. Former Gov. Phil Murphy put $250,000 into the state budget to cover it.