News: POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Cardinale, former weed opponent, wants to let you grow it

Monday, February 1, 2021

POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Cardinale, former weed opponent, wants to let you grow it

Feb 01, 2021

Presented by Pre-K Our Way

Good Monday morning!

It looks like Gov. Murphy's veto threat had an effect, at least in the Assembly, where yet another attempt at marijuana clean-up legislation is moving. And while it hasn't advanced in the Senate, the path to such an attempt doesn't look closed off.

The difference between this bill, which cleared an Assembly committee Friday afternoon, and the clean-up attempt before it? Not very much. The latest version includes a reduction in fines for underage non-minor weed users and the words "stationhouse adjustment" have been removed. The surprising part of this latest setback wasn't that Sens. Rice and Gill made objections — it's how easily other Democrats caved to them.

Meanwhile, one of New Jersey's previously most anti-weed Republican senators, Gerald Cardinale (R-Bergen), has introduced a bill to legalize recreational home growing — something the liberal governor and the legislative leadership remain dead set against. They haven't even made a serious effort at passing legislation to allow growing for medical users, and penalties remain severe.

Cardinale may have been deeply opposed to weed, but he recognizes that two-thirds of New Jerseyans just voted to legalize it.

WHERE'S MURPHY? In Fords for a snow press conference at 11 a.m.

CORONAVIRUS TRACKER : 3,832 newly-reported positive PCR tests for a total of 623,541. 29 more deaths for a total of 19,355 (and 2,129 probable deaths). 2,901 hospitlized, 519 in intensive care. 1,893,607 vaccines administered — 64.5 percent of supply.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Former Judiciary spox Winnie Comfort, realtor Dianne Pennacchio.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "your mom." — The tweet that that brought New Jersey's official Twitter account national attention, garnering more than 473,000 likes. One of the two women who ran the account, Pearl Gabel, just took a job as a director at Kivvit.

A message from Pre-K Our Way:

NJ's pre-k is now in 150+ school districts, with more beginning in early 2021! Despite this remarkable four-year record of achievement, there are 110+ eligible school districts that still wait. Let's reach a total of 200+ districts with NJ's pre-k in 2021. Fund substantial pre-k expansion THIS YEAR! Visit prekourway.org for more info

WHAT TRENTON MADE

GLOUCESTERF**K — "This COVID vaccine mega-site is plagued with problems. Here's what went wrong," by New Jersey Advance Media's Josh Axelrod: "While plenty of blame is flying around, the county maintains it's been running a smooth operation and the state agrees. So, what then is the root cause? Officials point to a clunky, error-prone registration system. 'Any issue that you… see or hear people complaining about, it's not the site, it's not Gloucester county, it's the registration system, pure and simple,' Gloucester County Administrator Chad Bruner told NJ Advance Media on Friday. In a mea culpa at his Friday press conference, Gov. Phil Murphy also blamed a glitchy registration system … Housed at Rowan College of South Jersey, the Gloucester mega-site is alone in using the New Jersey Vaccine Scheduling System (NJVSS), where its counterparts have been using separate hospital-run portals."

NJ TECH: GOOD ON TWITTER, NOT SO MUCH ON UNEMPLOYMENT— "Stuck in the system: 33,000 NJ claimants still unable to receive unemployment extension benefits," by News 12's Walt Kane : "It's been one month since the 11-week federal unemployment extension was enacted, but a Kane In Your Corner investigation finds 33,000 New Jersey claimants are stuck in the system, unable to claim weekly benefits. The problem: their previous benefits expired one day before the extensions took effect. While the extension specifies there should be no lapse in benefits, the New Jersey Department of Labor is struggling to program the change into its 40-year-old computers. 'People are barely surviving on the little income they're getting from unemployment, and then it's just OK to stop paying anything for a month?' says Danny Blazas … Asked why the reprogramming was taking so long, Delli-Santi replied: 'I reject the misleading premise of your question,' adding, 'To my knowledge, no state has begun to pay the extended benefits to this group of claimants. USDOL guidance came through just last week.' …. But the most recent USDOL guidance related to payment of extended benefits was actually released on Jan. 8. Kane In Your Corner also reviewed all 50 states. More than 15 said they were either already paying extended benefits to some claimants who had exhausted their prior benefits on Dec. 26, or that they planned to start doing so this week."

GREEN LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL — Assembly committee clears cannabis clean-up bill; fate in Senate uncertain, by POLITICO's Sam Sutton: The Assembly Community Development and Affairs Committee voted, 4-2, on Friday to advance a new bill that would revise penalties for underage possession of cannabis that are included in legislation that was sent to Gov. Phil Murphy last month. While the bill's quick introduction and approval by the Assembly committee puts New Jersey one step closer to realizing Murphy's 2017 campaign pledge to legalize cannabis, progress in the Senate is moving slower than expected, Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-Union) told POLITICO Friday afternoon.

HOPELESS HICKS — " Prison boss must go. Stop the rapes at Edna Mahan," by The Star-Ledger's Tom Moran: "It's baffling that Commissioner Marcus Hicks wants to keep his job as head of the state prison system after he's failed so miserably so for long that every Democrat in the Senate just signed a letter saying he must go. It's even more baffling that Gov. Phil Murphy is sticking by him, ordering yet another investigation to confirm, one last time, that Hicks has been presiding over a rape camp at the state's only women's prison, the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility."

ICE WOULDN'T HAVE DEMOCRATIC COUNTY CONTRACTS WITHOUT IT — "Will NJ kill the 'county line' on ballots and hobble local political machines?" by The Record's Charles Stile : "A coalition of Garden State progressives are asking a federal court to strike down the procedure as an unconstitutional and anti-Democratic practice wielded by county party machines that stymies competition in primaries. Activists went to court, convinced that legislators — who were beneficiaries of the practice and are indebted to county bosses — have no incentive to reform or dismantle the system through legislation. 'Pigs will fly before (Senate President) Steve Sweeney posts a bill that limits his own power,'' said Sue Altman … The progressives' lawsuit, however, has given rhetorical ammunition to the Morris County Republican Party chairwoman Laura Ali, who, ironically, is seeking to firm up party-line bracketing in the once-indomitable Republican Party stronghold."

NJ TRANSIT — "Academy Bus whistleblower makes new claims about alleged $15M fraud of NJ Transit," by The Record's Colleen Wilson: "Newly available court documents from the former Academy Bus employee-turned-whistleblower claim the Hoboken-based private bus company was doctoring missed bus trip reports since 2003, nine years earlier than the accusations made by the New Jersey Attorney General's Office two months ago. Hector Peralta, who worked for Academy from 2002 until his firing in 2016, would prepare 'truthful' reports indicating when the company failed to service NJ Transit bus routes, but says he was pressured by supervisors to bring down the number of missed trips so the company could avoid costly penalties, according to his amended complaint made public earlier this month."

GUARDIAN OF THE GALANTIC — "GOP former Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian to run for Assembly in 2nd District," by The Press of Atlantic City's Michelle Brunetti Post: "Former Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian, a Republican who dealt with a rash of casino closings and a controversial state takeover of the city while in office, announced Saturday he will run for state Assembly in the 2nd Legislative District. The city's first openly gay mayor, known for wearing bow ties and for his friendly demeanor, will face incumbent Democrats Vince Mazzeo and John Armato if he wins the Republican primary in June. He remains an Atlantic City resident. The 2nd District represents most of Atlantic County. 'I am running for the Assembly because frankly I can't take it anymore,' Guardian said in a statement."

KIVVICS LESSON — "Architect of @NJGov Twitter account joins Kivvit," by New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein: "Pearl Gabel, one of the masterminds behind the hugely successful @NJGov Twitter account that has attracted more than 362,000 followers, is leaving Gov. Phil Murphy's staff to join Kivvit, a major national firm run by New Jersey's Maggie Moran. The Twitter account was jumpstarted in late 2019 when someone tweeted 'Who let New Jersey have a Twitter,' and the account run by Gabel and wunderkind Megan Coyne responded, 'Your Mom.' That exchange received almost 475,000 likes and tremendous attention to the burgeoning Twitter handle. Gabel will serve as director of Brand Strategy and Digital Integration for Kivvit."

ARE WE THERE YET? — Murphy hints at expanding indoor dining, but 'we're not there yet', by POLITICO's Daniel Han: Gov. Phil Murphy hinted Friday that he may expand indoor dining in New Jersey, a potential boon for the state's restaurants which have been among the most economically impacted businesses during the pandemic. "We'd like to get more restaurant capacity. I'd love to see even a modest amount of fans, particularly senior families at sporting events, things like that," Murphy said during his regular press briefing in Trenton, marking the clearest indication since the start of the second wave that steps toward reopening the economy are being considered. "We're not there yet, but the numbers, if they keep going in the right direction — I'm hoping." Murphy said he would consult with state health officials to determine whether data is trending trend in the right direction "to take some steps on the inside" for dining.

SCHEPISI MEANS CARDINALE CAN'T SLEEP EASY — Schepisi taking formal step to challenge Cardinale for state Senate, by POLITICO's Matt Friedman: Assemblymember Holly Schepisi is taking her first formal step toward challenging longtime state Sen. Gerald Cardinale for his seat in the upper house. Schepisi told POLITICO in a text message Friday that she will submit a letter of intent to Republicans in the 39th District that she plans to seek party support for the Senate seat Cardinale has held for almost 40 years. Schepisi, 49, and Cardinale, 86, (both R-Bergen) have been running mates since 2011, when Schepisi first ran for Assembly. Cardinale was first elected to the Assembly in 1979 and to the Senate in 1981.

—"COVID disrupts lives of school bus drivers and cafeteria workers, from erratic schedules to pay cuts and health concerns"

—"These N.J. school workers continue to go into the classrooms everyday during the COVID pandemic"

—"New Jersey's 6 vaccination megasites closing due snowstorm"

—"NJ Transit suspending buses, train service as snowstorm hits state"

—Video: " Sen. Loretta Weinberg discusses tenure as legislator, retirement"

—Video: "First Muslim woman to become Mayor in the US Sadaf Jaffer of Montgomery Twp, NJ"

CARTOON BREAK — " Legal weed is taking forever," by Drew Shenaman

TUNE IN TO NEW EPISODE OF GLOBAL TRANSLATIONS: Our Global Translations podcast, presented by Citi, examines the long-term costs of the short-term thinking that drives many political and business decisions. The world has long been beset by big problems that defy political boundaries, and these issues have exploded over the past year amid a global pandemic. This podcast helps to identify and understand the impediments to smart policymaking. Subscribe for Season Two, available now.

BIDEN TIME

OPERATION BURP SPEED — 'It's a mess': Biden's first 10 days dominated by vaccine mysteries, by POLITICO's Tyler Pager, Adam Cancryn and Joanne Kenen: Joe Biden promised he'd bring in a competent, tested team to run the pandemic response, set ambitious vaccination targets and impose strict public health guidelines. His team arrived at the White House with a 200-page response plan ready to roll out. But instead, they have spent much of the last week trying to wrap their hands around the mushrooming crisis — a process officials acknowledge has been humbling, and triggered a concerted effort to temper expectations about how quickly they might get the nation back to normal. After a week on the job, Biden's team is still trying to locate upwards of 20 million vaccine doses that have been sent to states — a mystery that has hampered plans to speed up the national vaccination effort. They're searching for new ways to boost production of a vaccine stockpile that they've discovered is mostly empty.

—"Maybe Republicans will be just fine | Opinion"

LOCAL

THE CARTERET KRAKEN — "Former Republican mayoral candidate in NJ charged with voter fraud," by MyCentralJersey's Suzanne Russell: "A former [Carteret] Republican mayoral candidate has been charged with voting twice in the November election by using two different names. Frederick Gattuso, 43, was arrested without incident and charged with one count of third-degree fraudulent voting, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone announced Thursday. Gattuso was charged after an investigation by the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office determined Gattuso allegedly voted twice in the 2020 election as different people with similar names."

ELIZABETH — " Fired N.J. school board attorney, cleared at trial, will get more than $300K in lost wages, interest," by NJ Advance Media's Rob Jennings: "A former Elizabeth school board attorney acquitted on all charges in a case involving the district's school lunch program will receive more than $300,000 in lost wages and interest, the New Jersey Appellate Division has ruled. Kirk C. Nelson was fired by the school board in December 2013 upon being indicted on six counts, including conspiracy and official misconduct, in connection with a fraud investigation that led to the conviction of the school board's former president … In a 25-page decision published Tuesday, the appeals court upheld a lower-court ruling that the school board had no basis to fire Nelson. The three-judge panel affirmed the decision awarding Nelson $260,026 in lost wages and also ordered the board to pay interest, which Nelson's attorney estimated would be at least $50,000 … In 2015, in the months leading up to his acquittal, Nelson finally got a job cleaning ventilation hoods and grease traps. He was paid $13 per hour."

—"Trenton councilman George Muschal 'out' once third term expires"

—"Woodland Park veterinarian with 'heart of gold' needs a kidney donor. You can help"

—"Mayor Soriano kicks off re-election campaign in Parsippany"

—" Municipalities grapple with best practices for public meetings during pandemic and beyond"

—"Jersey City school district is preparing for a reopening. When can it happen? That's the question"

R.I.P. — " Reverend Monsignor Mark Giordani, Paterson's 'motorcycle priest,' dies at 78"

R.I.P. — "Pompton Lakes High School teacher found dead at school Friday night"

JOIN TUESDAY - THE FUTURE OF AMERICAN ENERGY: President Joe Biden is pushing for an ambitious agenda to tackle the climate crisis amid a gridlocked Washington. Biden's signature plan "Build Back Better" includes a $400B investment in clean energy research, establishing a new agency to focus on climate, among other initiatives. Join POLITICO for a virtual conversation to explore policy proposals and practices to help communities with economies that rely on fossil fuels to navigate the energy transition. REGISTER HERE.

EVERYTHING ELSE

FOR WHOM THE RING TONES — "Bell Labs Holmdel site, home of first Big Bang evidence, sold by Nokia," by The Asbury Park Press' Michael L. Diamond : "Nokia has sold its historic Bell Labs building for about $3.6 million to a local executive who once worked for the research and development company when it was operated by Lucent Technologies Inc. Rakesh Antala has yet to submit to the town his plans for the property. But his real estate broker said he plans to keep the Horn Antenna, which famously helped astrophysicists confirm the Big Bang theory to explain the creation of the universe. 'It's not going to be industrial. It's not going to be retail,' said Douglas Twyman of Colliers International. Beyond that, 'no one is committed to anything yet.'"

PREHISTORIC PRESERVATION — "N.J.'s horseshoe crabs are vital to vaccine rollout. A battle for their survival rages on," by NJ Advance Media's Michael Sol Warren: "The animals are critical to the work of pharmaceutical companies, especially during this pivotal mass distribution of the coronavirus vaccine. The crabs' milky blue blood has been used for decades to detect harmful pathogens in medicines, allowing drugmakers to ensure their products are pure before being shipped out and injected into human arms. But harvesting the skeletal sea-dwellers isn't without consequences, especially along the Delaware Bayshore in South Jersey where a long-fought battle between industry and conservation groups rages on."

IT'S CHESTERFIELD BUT IT'S NOT TOBACCO — "Landlord's request led investigators to marijuana-growing operation, police say," by The Courier-Post's Jim Walsh: "A request for a tax break here led to drug charges against a New York City man. Weiming Liu, 57, of Brooklyn is accused of operating a 'large-scale marijuana growing operation' at a Chesterfield farm, according to the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office … An investigation began when Liu's landlord, whose name was not released, requested a property-tax reduction under the state's Farmland Assessment Act, the prosecutor's office said in a statement."

NOBODY EXAMINES DINOSAUR POOP BETTER — " Laura Dern stars in Jona Frank's new photo memoir about a suffocating Cherry Hill childhood," by The Philadelphia Inquirer's Amy S. Rosenberg: "No, Laura Dern did not grow up in Cherry Hill. But the actor inhabits the pages of her L.A. mom friend Jona Frank's photographic memoir, Cherry Hill: A Childhood Reimagined, playing the role of Frank's depressed, but still pie- and pizza-making, mom."

EXTREME MAKEOVER — Rich Derose, an Iraq veteran and former BPU staffer during the Christie administration who now works government affairs for South Jersey Industries, was featured in a show called Military Makeover.

—"Black bear population, complaints double in New Jersey. Here's where most were reported"

—"Isaias power outages: JCP&L still slammed six months later"

A message from Pre-K Our Way:

In four years, there has been statewide, bipartisan support for funding pre-k expansion. NJ's pre-k is now in 150+ school districts, with more beginning in early 2021! Despite this remarkable record of achievement, there are 110+ eligible school districts that still wait.

There are eligible districts in every county. They're in rural, suburban and urban communities, and they're located across New Jersey, from east to west – and north to south. You either live in an eligible school district or you live near at least one. There are 3- and 4-year-olds still waiting for NJ's pre-k in each of these 110+ communities.

Substantial funding for NJ's pre-k will provide a strong start to a lifetime of learning for more of our children – and immediate support for their working families.

Let's reach a total of 200+ districts with NJ's pre-k – there are 110+ communities waiting. Fund substantial pre-k expansion THIS YEAR!

Visit prekourway.org for more info