News: POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: 4.6 million New Jerseyans voted last month

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: 4.6 million New Jerseyans voted last month

Dec 08, 2020

Presented by AARP New Jersey

Good Tuesday morning!

Add two Republican lawmakers to the small list of those acknowledging that Joe Biden won the election for president. Well, at least in New Jersey.

Yesterday, the state Board of Canvassers met to certify the state's election results. They assigned the electors for Biden and Kamala Harris on a 4-0 vote, with Democrats Vin Gopal and Verlina Reynolds Jackson joining Republicans Kristin Corrado and Aura Dunn. They all voted "aye" without comment.

It's notable that even though New Jersey had arguably the most famous case of voter fraud this year in Paterson, the people arguing to overturn the election results for "voter integrity" reasons didn't even try to fight in New Jersey, where Biden beat President Trump by about 16 points.

The results show that just over 6.4 million people voted last month. In raw numbers, that's a record. It's 72 percent of registered voters, which is not a record but is the highest since 2008, when it was 73 percent.

66,506 ballots — or 1.4 percent — of ballots were rejected. That's a better rate than the primary, but still roughly twice as high as some other recent general elections. It's also not surprising considering that this was the first general election conducted almost entirely by mail-in ballots.

WHERE'S MURPHY? In Newark for an 11 a.m. "infrastructure announcement," then in cyberspace for a 1 p.m. "virtual SALT talk"

CORONAVIRUS TRACKER: 3,573 newly-reported cases for a total of 371,579. 17 more deaths for a total of 15,500 (and 1,836 probable deaths). 3,346 hospitalized, 637 in intensive care.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "As long as they keep marching in front of my house, I hope they're real proud of trying to terrorize two senior citizens, but as long as they're doing that, we've got nothing to talk about, … In life and in politics, things change, but no one's given us a good reason to cancel the ICE contract. If they think we're going to be bullied into a position we don't agree with, that's not going to happen." — Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise on activists protesting his reversal on the ICE contract

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — BMS' Ethan Hasbrouck

A message from AARP New Jersey:

Too many Garden State residents are forced to choose between filling life-saving prescriptions and paying rent, buying food and meeting other critical needs. In 2017, nearly one in four New Jersey residents stopped taking prescription medication as prescribed due to cost. Tell NJ lawmakers to lower prescription drug costs now ! Drugs don't work if people can't afford them.

WHAT TRENTON MADE

THE TAMING OF THE SHROOM — Assembly panel votes to downgrade shroom possession penalties, by POLITICO's Matt Friedman : The Assembly has taken its first step towards dramatically lowering criminal penalties for possession of psilocybin, better known as "magic mushrooms." The Assembly Judiciary Committee on Monday voted four to one, with one abstention, to approve a bill, NJ A5084 (20R), that would make possession of up to an ounce of mushrooms a disorderly persons offense — New Jersey's equivalent of a misdemeanor — punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and, in some circumstances, prison for up to six months. Mushroom possession is currently a third degree offense, the equivalent of a serious felony, and can be punished with three to five years in prison and a $15,000 fine.

CHILD WELFARE — "N.J. child welfare whistleblower says her co-workers fabricated files just to meet court mandate," by NJ Advance Meda'ls Susan K. Livio: "In 2017 … a frontline caseworker wrote an anonymous letter to the governor and other top officials accusing several of her colleagues of failing to see the children under their supervision, then falsifying reports saying the required visits had taken place. The caseworker, Shanique Mercado, said her identity was revealed and her claims were never investigated. She was soon forced out of a job she loved — and her home when she couldn't find work, according to a whistleblower lawsuit she filed against the state and an interview with NJ Advance Media. 'My job was to protect the vulnerable,' Mercado, 40, said in a telephone interview from her St. Petersburg, Florida home. 'My job was not to be fearful of my agency.'

TOYOTA DRIVERS HAVE CORROLA VIRUS — "30% of N.J.'s MVC agencies closed due to coronavirus cases," by NJ Advance Media's Larry Higgs: "Drivers woke up Monday morning to find 12 state Motor Vehicle Commission agencies closed, the latest being the Freehold agency where an employee tested positive for the coronavirus. The Freehold closure means 30% of the state's MVC 39 agencies are shut down and reflects reported coronavirus cases hitting new highs in the state on Sunday. The Freehold licensing center is scheduled to reopen Dec. 17. The employee who tested positive was last in the agency on Dec. 2. The Freehold Inspection Station is in a separate building and remains open, said William Connolly, an MVC spokesman."

TYRANNY: MUTING SOMEONE'S MIC FOR INTERRUPTING. NOT TYRANNY: ATTEMPTING TO OVERTHROW AN ELECTION. — "'Mute his microphone': Ruiz and Doherty clash over diversity bill," by InsiderNJ's Max Pizarro: "Under the bill, the Commissioner of Education will provide school districts with sample learning activities and resources designed to promote diversity and inclusion. Opponents of the bill said they detect an effort by the forces of secular humanism to undermine Christianity. Senator M. Teresa Ruiz (D-29) was not an opponent, and on the heels of a statement by Senator Mike Doherty (R-23) opposing the bill, said,'"I want to thank [Senator Codey] for joining us today and consider adding me as a third sponsor on the bill.' Doherty made a comment toward the tail end of Ruiz's remarks prompting the chair to tell staff, 'Mute his microphone.' That provoked one of the bill's opponents to call out, 'We just experienced tyranny.' … Ruiz said she had respected Doherty when he made his comments. 'I would at bare minimum expect that same respect in return,' Ruiz said.

WEEDMAN IS ALREADY SELLING AT THE JOINT — "NJ Weedman says voters 'hoodwinked' by legal pot ballot question," by NJ 101.5's Dan Alexander: "Just as New Jersey's legislative leaders appear to have cleared another hurdle toward legalizing the sale of adult use marijuana, Ed "NJ Weedman" Forchion says he plans to start selling at his city restaurant on January 1, whether or not the state has regulations in place. Forchion, a longtime activist for the legalization of marijuana, says NJ voters were misled about what they were actually voting for, regarding Ballot Question 1 in November. He has filed a lawsuit against Gov. Phil Murphy, which says what was really approved was 'corporatization' of marijuana."

CROSSING OUT THE LINE — "Progressives launch campaign to eliminate organizational lines," by New Jersey Globe's Nikita Biryukov: "A swath of progressive and good government groups launched another campaign seeking to do away with organizational lines Saturday. In New Jersey, county political parties have the power to award candidates with a favored ballot position — the party line — by bracketing them with other endorsed candidates up and down the ticket. Better Ballots NJ, a campaign launched by the Good Government Coalition of New Jersey to align the state's ballots with those of the rest of the country, wants them stripped of that power."

EDUCATION — Senate panel advances bill to quantify Covid-related learning loss, but questions remain, by POLITICO's Carly Sitrin : New Jersey lawmakers and education advocates agree the state needs data to quantify how seriously the pandemic is impacting students' learning, but nine months into the public health crisis, there's still no consensus on how to gather that information. On Monday, the Senate Education Committee advanced a bill, NJ S3214, spearheaded by Sen. Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex) that would require the state Department of Education to collect data on student academic outcomes from all schools in New Jersey. But even Ruiz, the committee chair, doesn't think her measure is a perfect solution. "Hopefully, this bill doesn't get to the Senate floor because DOE will take action of its own," Ruiz said at Monday's remote hearing.

HORIZON — "Back to business as usual: will the sun ever set on Horizon's bid to reorganize?" by Bob Hennelly for InsiderNJ: "Rest assured, not even a once in a century global public health crisis that's already killed thousands of New Jersey residents disproportionately poor people of color and thrust the country into a second Great Depression, our legislature will not be dissuaded from doing what they've always done … Of course, it's always cast as being in the public interest and they all get a pension when they retire. And thanks to the pandemic there's no need to even press the flesh. It can all be done virtually over a zoom call … Case in point would be their push to enable Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, to reinvent itself from being a non-profit health services corporation into being a mutual holding company."

—"Majority of New Jersey voters support increasing access to ballot box, poll says"

—74 percent not cooperating with contact tracers, Murphy says

—Senate committee advances angioplasty licensure bill

—"No one knows how many N.J. medical workers have COVID-19. That needs to change, nurses union says"

— Bill requiring health care workers to report Covid-19 outbreaks advances

—"Murphy indicates he could make info on COVID outbreaks among hospital staff public"

—" NYC will open only elementary schools for in-person learning. Should NJ follow its lead?"

—"N.J. bear hunt starts up again, for maybe the last time in a while"

—Egea: " To keep Nabisco, others in N.J. we can't continue business as usual"

—Senate panel advances bill to quantify Covid-related learning loss, but questions remain

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TRUMP ERA

THE APPEL FALLS FAR FROM THE CONSPIRA-TREE — "He did breakthrough work on hacking voting machines. Now he's beloved by conspiracy trolls," by NJ Spotlight's John Pillets: "For right-wing commentators and conspiracy theorists challenging the 2020 election, it looked like the perfect get: a Princeton University professor who can hack a voting machine in seven minutes flat and flip an election without leaving a trace. The extraordinary research of computer scientist Andrew Appel helped fuel a wave of new laws that brought safer voting machines to states across the country … But it is Appel's exposing the ability to hack paperless voting machines — identical to those still in use across New Jersey — that gets all the attention. In an interview with NJ Spotlight News, the bespectacled and soft-spoken academic appeared more amused than angry when asked about his scholarly work propping up the fantasies of Trump supporters. 'Anyone is free to cite my work,' Appel said in an interview. 'The research stands for itself.' But Hannity and others have been sloppy in citing the research, quoting him out of context and drawing false conclusions, Appel said."

—"N.J. ballots being hand-checked in mandatory audit. How the results could shape future elections"

AT LEAST NO ONE'S SMOKING ON AIRPLANES — "Frank Lautenberg's key measure kept guns from wrong hands. It's not being enforced," by The Record's Charles Stile: "A federal law barring gun ownership to people convicted of a domestic violence offense, including misdemeanors, was enacted 24 years ago at the stubborn and fiery insistence of the late New Jersey Sen. Frank Lautenberg. But a recent audit at President Donald Trump's Department of Homeland Security found that the "Lautenberg amendment" as it was known, was not properly enforced within law enforcement ranks of the sprawling DHS bureaucracy. The department's Office of Inspector General last month found that employees at the agencies under Trump's watch failed to follow agency directives designed to comply with the 1996 law."

—Snowflack "Christie and Palatucci have Georgia on their minds"

LOCAL

THE INZELBUCH NEVER STOPS ANYWHERE — "Shore school buses in 2019-20 stopped running when COVID hit. Owners still want to get paid," by The Asbury Park Press' Alex N. Gecan: "Three Shore-area bus companies are suing school districts they serve, claiming they are owed millions of dollars in payments for the full 2019-20 term, even though the pandemic shutdown closed schools and idled buses in March. The companies seek to recoup nearly $2.4 million from the districts, including the nonprofit consortium that serves Jersey Shore districts, as well as Red Bank and Howell schools, even though the pandemic shuttered schools months early. Lakewood attorney Michael I. Inzelbuch, who is also the board attorney for Lakewood's public schools and a special education attorney, represents all three companies seeking the payments. The bus companies "will be unable to fulfill their fiscal responsibilities," including rent, insurance and payroll, Inzelbuch wrote in each complaint."

THE TOXIC REMEMBERER – "A Covid memorial will rise from a former toxic waste site in New Jersey," by The New York Times' Kevin Armstrong and Tracey Tully : "Of all the toxic dumps in New Jersey, perhaps none was more infamous than PJP Landfill, which sat at the edge of the Hackensack River in Jersey City and was polluted by hazardous chemicals. For more than a decade there, underground fires erupted spontaneously, belching acrid smoke so thick it could snarl traffic on an adjacent bridge, the Pulaski Skyway, a key link for commuters heading to and from New York City. Now the site, which was designated a Superfund priority by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1983, is being converted into a public park with one of the nation's first memorials to victims of Covid-19."

—"Deputy attorney general suggests limited recount in Atlantic's at-large freeholder race"

—"Neptune's top cop cries racial discrimination in latest lawsuit against township"

—"What's your emergency? In Toms River, it's the system to summon police and fire"

—"Company suing NJ, claims new Wayne MVC site was 'doomed from the start'"

—" COVID speakeasies in Paterson? Police bust two illegal bars"

—"Disgraced former Jersey City Police Chief Zacche loses appeal to get pension back"

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EVERYTHING ELSE

BAD NEWS FOR JAMEL HOLLEY'S GUBERNATORIAL PROSPECTS — "60 percent of New Jersey voters say they'd get free coronavirus vaccine," by POLITICO's Matt Friedman: Sixty percent of New Jersey voters say they'll get the coronavirus vaccination if an FDA-approved vaccine is available to them at no cost, according to a poll released Tuesday. There are political and demographic differences among those willing to take the vaccine, however. For instance, 80 percent of Democrats say they'll take the vaccine, while 60 percent of Republicans and 53 percent of independents say they won't. White and Black voters are slightly more willing to getting vaccinated — 63 percent and 61 percent, respectively — than Hispanic voters, 55 percent of whom said they would take the vaccine. The online poll of 958 voters was conducted by the firm Change Research for the Newark-based nonprofit Project Ready.

THE TRUE MEANING OF BAIL REFORM IS SO THE GRINCH CAN GET BACK OUT ON THE STREET HELPING LIBERALS IN THE WAR AGAINST CHRISTMAS — "Christmas is saved! NJ police department captures The Grinch," by The Asbury Park Press' Tamara Walker: "He's tall, green, mean and wants to ruin your Christmas dreams! But on Friday, December 4th, the culprit known as 'The Grinch' was captured by the Stafford Township Police Department and his plot to steal Christmas came to an end. Around 2:30 p.m. a tip was called in about a suspect stealing Christmas trees at Reynolds Garden Shop & Floral Market. Officer Woodring pulled up just in time and caught the Grinch red-handed."

A message from AARP New Jersey:

In New Jersey, a large majority of registered voters are impacted by high prescription drug prices, with 79% reporting they or someone in their household have taken prescription drugs in the past two years. Three in five report they are concerned about the price of their medications, according an AARP study . And now, New Jerseyans are facing the one-two punch of skyrocketing drug prices and the pandemic. Our elected officials can no longer stand by as prescription drug prices continue to rise. People of all ages depend on their prescriptions, and outrageous prices are putting their medicines out of reach. Tell NJ lawmakers to lower prescription drug costs now! Drugs don't work if people can't afford them.