The New Jersey senator's support still lingers at 2 percent, while Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren lands in second place, just ahead of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

At a board meeting on Tuesday, the Economic Development Authority approved incentives for four companies under the controversial Grow New Jersey program, which is set to sunset on July 1 without any replacement in place.

The measure would require health education programs in New Jersey schools to include age-appropriate instruction on mental health, including information on substance abuse.

“After two years of feigned concern from state leadership and legislators about unfair arrests and convictions for people with small amount offenses – mostly black and brown, mostly poor New Jerseyans – I refuse to excuse the charade,” Sen. Ronald Rice, chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, said in a statement on Tuesday.

Under the IRS’ new rules, if a taxpayer received a benefit from their local government for state or local taxes, they’d have to reduce the amount claimed for charitable deductions on their tax returns.

The Independent senator from Vermont, Bernie Sanders, showed his support on Twitter, re-posting a tweet by the Communications Workers of America ahead of the organization's planned rally at the statehouse on Thursday to promote its priorities for the state's fiscal year 2020 budget.

Signed into law last summer, the program covers up to 30 percent of expenses for film productions between 2019 and 2023, or 35 percent if they film in South Jersey.

The move comes after Speaker Craig Coughlin cancelled a vote in the state Assembly earlier this week on a measure to expand the state's medicinal cannabis program.

In a meeting with NJBIZ editors and writers, the Senate president also criticized the testimony of Murphy administration staff members before a legislative committee investigating how the governor's office handled rape allegations leveled by a former campaign aide.

“Well then that’s what’ll happen, you saw with the dark money bill ... We were going to override the governor yesterday," Senate President Stephen Sweeney said in an hour-long meeting with NJBIZ on Tuesday, "and there wasn’t a question we had the votes to do it."

Moderated by NJEDA's Tai Cooper, a panel featuring Stephen Jones of the International Code Council Inc.; Steven Kamen of Sills Cummis & Gross; Mark Nicastro of Friedman LLP; and Eduardo Rodriguez of City of Elizabeth offered expertise and insight about the program created by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.