| | | | | |  | | By Katherine Landergan and Daniel Han | Presented by Pre-K Our Way | Good Friday morning! Republican state Sen. Chris Brown is not seeking reelection. Brown, who represents the 2nd Legislative District, made the unexpected announcement via a statement yesterday. Brown was an assemblymember for years before defeating Democratic Sen. Colin Bell in 2017. (Bell was serving the rest of the late Sen. Jim Whelan's term in the upper house.) In a statement, Brown said it's been an honor to serve Atlantic County families and that the last 10 years have gone by "in the blink of an eye." "At a very young age, I learned life goes by much too quickly, and tomorrow is promised to no one," he said in a lengthy statement. "While this chapter of serving as a legislator is coming to an end, I am looking forward to the next chapter which I'm sure will lead to another adventure for my family and me." The 2nd district is very competitive and this election could become expensive. Now, Democratic Assemblyman Vince Mazzeo is expected to run for the Senate, according to The New Jersey Globe . Mazzeo says he hasn't yet made the decision but will soon. WHERE'S MURPHY? At the Trenton War Memorial for his coronavirus briefing at 1 p.m. CORONAVIRUS TRACKER: 2,746 newly-reported positive PCR tests for a total of 675,713. 89 more deaths for a total of 20,432 (and 2,289 probable deaths). 2,327 hospitalized, 474 in intensive care. 436,988 fully vaccinated. QUOTE OF THE DAY: "They make these buildings for millions and take them down 20 years later ... I build dog houses that last for 40 years." — Charlie Sparano, 62, on the Trump building implosion in Atlantic City. | | | | 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 | | HOW IS THIS STILL HAPPENING — Senate revives cleanup bill one day after Scutari pulled the plug on talks, by Sam Sutton: The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a committee meeting for Friday afternoon in a last ditch effort to send legislation to Gov. Phil Murphy that clarifies penalties for underage possession of cannabis, an issue that's kept the governor from signing two bills that would legalize and decriminalize up to six ounces of the drug. The surprise hearing comes a day after Judiciary Committee Chairman Nicholas Scutari, who's led legislative efforts on cannabis legalization, declared that lawmakers had given up on a clean-up bill to resolve disagreements between lawmakers and the Murphy administration. "The Senate president and I are working the caucus and it looks like we're closer to having this support," Scutari (D-Union) said in an interview Thursday afternoon, adding that he still isn't sure if an amended clean-up bill will garner the necessary 21 votes needed for passage in the upper house. VACCINE DISTRIBUTION — Weather issues may delay delivery, distribution of vaccines, Murphy says, by POLITICO's Daniel Han: Vaccine deliveries and distribution are likely to be delayed due to ongoing weather issues across the country, Gov. Phil Murphy said Thursday. "We are working with a conservative expectation that our anticipated deliveries will not arrive as scheduled," Murphy said during a winter weather press briefing Thursday morning. "In this event, we're making preparations to use existing inventory to satisfy current appointments. However, not all sites may be able to do this, and this may result in many appointments needing to be rescheduled." Murphy guaranteed, however, that "everyone who wishes to be vaccinated will be. But with the current national situation, we must be prepared." The Record: "Vaccine shipments to NJ delayed due to winter weather, forcing rescheduled appointments." EDUCATION — Groups urge Murphy to adopt statewide learning loss programs , by POLITICO's Carly Sitrin: Eighteen education advocacy groups, business associations, parents and teachers have signed on to a letter urging Gov. Phil Murphy to adopt statewide programs to alleviate learning loss as a result of the pandemic. The signatories — including representatives from the education nonprofit JerseyCAN, the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the New Jersey Business & Industry Association, New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association, the state Parent Teacher Association and a dozen others — cite a Stanford University CREDO study which found that, on average, New Jersey students lost at least 58 days of learning in reading and more than 174 days of learning in math due to the pandemic. NJ Advance Media: "N.J. unemployment claims reach new low since pandemic began." NJ Advance Media: "N.J. asks judge to force gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson to hand over documents on how it markets firearms." REST IN PEACE — "John K. Rafferty, former assemblyman and first full-time mayor of Hamilton, dead at 82," by NJ Advance Media's Caroline Fassett: "A New Jersey politician who served as both an assemblyman and long-time mayor of Hamilton Township died Wednesday at the age of 82. Funeral services had not been announced as of Thursday afternoon. John K. 'Jack' Rafferty dedicated roughly 30 years of his life to public service in New Jersey, serving six years on the then Hamilton Township Committee (now council) prior to acting as the municipality's first full-time mayor from 1976 to 1999." | | | | GET TRANSITION PLAYBOOK TO 100K: In three months, our scoop-filled Transition Playbook newsletter has grown from zero to more than 90,000 subscribers. Find out what's really happening inside the West Wing, who really has the ear of the president, and what's about to happen, before it occurs. Transition Playbook chronicles the people, policies, and emerging power centers of the Biden administration. Don't miss out, subscribe today. And once you do, we'd be grateful if you could spread the word to your friends and colleagues, or, even better, post about Transition Playbook on Facebook or Twitter using this link: politico.com/newsletters/transition-playbook | | | | |
| | BIDEN TIME | | IMMIGRATION — Biden's immigration bill lands on the Hill facing bleak odds, by POLITICO's Laura Barrón-López, Heather Caygle and Anita Kumar: Congressional Democrats unveiled President Joe Biden's expansive immigration reform bill Thursday. The measure would provide an eight-year pathway to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants, but already faces dim prospects for becoming law with such narrow Democratic majorities in both chambers. The bill, introduced by Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.), would create an expedited pathway for so-called Dreamers and other select undocumented immigrants. It also would increase the number of available diversity visas, and directs more funding to immigration courts and technology. "We have an economic and moral imperative to pass big, bold and inclusive immigration reform that leaves no one behind, not our Dreamers and [Temporary Protective Status] holders, not our farm workers and meat packers, not our essential workers and not our parents, friends and neighbors," Menendez said on a call with reporters Thursday. IT'S UP ONE SPRINGSTEEN BLOOD ALCOHOL PERCENT — Garden State GOP sees tiny registration uptick after Trump impeachment, by NJ Spotlight News' Colleen O'Dea: "Republicans across the country reportedly fled the party in the days following the riot at the U.S. Capitol that led to the second impeachment of former President Donald Trump. Not so in New Jersey, according to voter registration statistics and county officials. In fact, the number of registered Republicans in the Garden State actually crept up by 355, or 0.02% between Jan. 1 and Feb. 1. While hardly a boom, it is noteworthy because the number of registered Democrats and total voters both declined, Democrats by close to 1,000 and all registrants by more than 12,000. The increase in GOP registrations in New Jersey also is noteworthy because of published reports that thousands of Republicans across the country left the GOP after the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol by Trump supporters, white nationalists, followers of the QAnon conspiracy theory and others." TRUMP WORLD — "Trump holds sway over national GOP but it's not so clear in NJ," by NJ Spotlight News' David Cruz: "The fallout continues from the nation's first-ever second impeachment trial of a president, with Democrats peddling the idea that the Republican Party is in chaos, fractured beyond repair. But many members of the GOP argue the situation is quite the opposite. Without a former reality-star-turned-political-leader grabbing all the headlines, Republicans in New Jersey suggest it might just clear the way for their agenda." REPARATIONS — " Let's study 'harmful and painful legacy' of slavery and look at reparations, Booker says," by NJ Advance Media's Jonathan D. Salant: "Should the U.S. compensate Black Americans for generations of slavery and discrimination? That was the subject of a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing Wednesday of a bill introduced by Democrats U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas to form a commission to investigate the history of slavery and the ongoing discrimination against Blacks. 'An important step towards addressing systemic racism and white supremacy is to examine the harmful and painful legacy of the institution of slavery,' Booker said… The idea of such a study drew support from President Joe Biden on Wednesday. 'He certainly would support a study of reparations, and we understand that we don't need a study to take action, right now, on systemic racism,' White House press secretary Jen Psaki said during her daily briefing. 'So he wants to take actions within his own government in the meantime.'" | | | |   | | |
| | LOCAL | | BERGEN COUNTY — "Bergen County spent more than half a million on TV ads telling residents to mask up, get tested," by The Record's Terrence T. McDonald: "If Bergen County residents kept their TV tuned to CNN, Fox News or Bravo for a full day in August, they would have seen 30 coronavirus-related public service announcements between 6 a.m. and midnight. The television spots cost the county more than half a million dollars. Seven coronavirus-related television ads by the county ran last year and in January on about 20 channels urging viewers to wear masks, adhere to social distancing guidelines, apply for emergency loans, get tested and get vaccinated. Invoices and other records obtained by NorthJersey.com show Bergen County shelled out $541,000 to produce the ads and buy air time. County Executive Jim Tedesco appeared in all of them, and County Commissioner Mary Amoroso was in three." JERSEY CITY — "Jake Hudnut, Jersey City's municipal prosecutor, to run for downtown council seat on Fulop slate," by The Jersey Journal's Joshua Rosario: "Jersey City Chief Municipal Prosecutor Jake Hudnut will challenge Ward E Councilman James Solomon for the downtown Jersey City council seat in November as a member of Mayor Steve Fulop's slate of candidates. Hudnut, 37, has served as chief municipal prosecutor since 2018 and heads the city's Quality of Life Task Force, a unit that responds to a variety of community concerns and various code violations." | | | | NEW – "THE RECAST" NEWSLETTER: Power dynamics are changing. "Influence" is changing. More people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that all politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. "The Recast" is our new twice-weekly newsletter that breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics, policy, and power in America. And POLITICO is recasting how we report on this crucial intersection, bringing you fresh insights, scoops, dispatches from across the country, and new voices that challenge "business as usual." Don't miss out on this important new newsletter, SUBSCRIBE NOW. | | | | |
| | EVERYTHING ELSE | | THE POWER YOU'RE SUPPLYIN' SHOULD BE ELECTRIFYIN,' GROUPS SAY — "Health, medical groups call on Congress to electrify transportation sector," by POLITICO's Samantha Maldonado: A group of health and medical organizations on Thursday joined the call for the federal government to electrify the transportation sector. In a letter to U.S. House and Senate staffers, 17 groups, including the American Lung Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, and Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, made the case for supporting "transportation policies that reduce both harmful air pollution and climate pollution" and investments in zero-emissions vehicles and public transit. Details: "While air pollution and climate change are public health threats, our organizations also see them as public health opportunities," states the letter, which outlines how a nationwide switch to zero-emissions vehicles would save lives, prevent asthma attacks and avoid lost workdays. — POLITICO: Atlantic Shores enters training agreement with 6 New Jersey unions | | | | 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!
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