News: POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Johnson and Huttle and ICE contracts

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Johnson and Huttle and ICE contracts

Mar 17, 2021

Presented by Pre-K Our Way

Good Wednesday morning!

The detention of undocumented immigrants at county jails has been a really uncomfortable controversy for New Jersey Democrats over the last couple years — one that wasn't heavily discussed until the Trump era.

All three county jails that house ICE inmates are in places entirely represented by Democrats. It's a lot of revenue.

But in the 37th District, primary rivals Gordon Johnson and Valerie Vainieri Huttle are now on the same page on it . In December, Johnson introduced a bill to ban all detention facilities in New Jersey — public or private — from contracting with federal immigration authorities. It was probably good politics in terms of appealing to progressives ahead of an expected state Senate run, but it also created an uncomfortable situation. After all, Sheriff Anthony Cureton — whom Johnson will share a ballot line with come June — runs the Bergen County jail, which has one of those contracts.

But it was even more awkward for Johnson's primary opponent, Huttle. Her brother and funeral home business partner, Hudson County Board of Commissioners Chair Anthony Vainieri, is probably the most vocal proponent of these contracts in the state, and he infuriated advocates by reneging on a pledge to phase out Hudson County's ICE contract.

But Huttle — who originally voted for Bergen County's contract as a freeholder nearly 20 years ago — has recently decided to join Johnson's bill as a co-sponsor.

WHERE'S MURPHY?: In Trenton for a 1 p.m. coronavirus press conference, then Newark at 6:30 p.m. for a State Trooper graduation ceremony

CORONAVIRUS TRACKER: 3,141 newly-reported positive PCR tests for a total of 747,561. 41 more deaths for a total of 21,492 (and 2,474 probable deaths). 1,900 hospitalized, 394 in intensive care. 1,021,020 second vaccine doses administered, or about 11.5 percent of the population.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I get that no one likes to be called racist, but sometimes there's just no other way to describe the use of bigoted tropes that for generations threatened Black lives by stoking white fear of African Americans — and Black men in particular." — Sen. Robert Menendez on Sen. Ron Johnson's comments about Jan. 6

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Schaer COS Christian Callegari, NJ Taxpayers Alliance's Jerry Cantrell. Missed yesterday: Weinberg aide Shane Mitchell

A messsage from Pre-K Our Way:

Thanks, Governor and Legislature! Pre-k expansion funding's been in every recent state budget! Working families in 150+ school districts have pre-k expansion – but families in 110+ districts still wait. They're waiting in rural, suburban and suburban communities – from east to west, north to south. Continue substantial pre-k expansion THIS YEAR! Visit prekourway.org

WHAT TRENTON MADE

IMMIGRATION — 'Our state has forgotten us': Immigration groups frustrated with Murphy agenda, by POLITICO's Daniel Han and Katherine Landergan: When Democrat Phil Murphy became governor of New Jersey in 2018, immigrant rights groups were elated. After enduring eight years of Republican Gov. Chris Christie's more conservative stances, immigrant activists had a new administration in Trenton that proclaimed New Jersey as a "sanctuary state," encouraged law enforcement to cooperate less with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and gave financial aid to undocumented college students. Some of that goodwill may be starting to fade. Advocates say they feel increasingly left out of Murphy's agenda, as their calls for pandemic relief assistance for undocumented residents have been largely ignored. And as Murphy embarks on his reelection campaign, they say they are growing more frustrated, leaving some wondering whether he is putting them on the back burner and risks losing support among immigrant communities come November.

THE REBUKES OF HAZARD PAY — "New Jersey made questionable payments to veterans agency officials," by The Wall Street Journal's Christopher Weaver : "The state of New Jersey tapped a fund meant for nurses and others working directly with patients to make unauthorized and questionable payments to upper-level managers at its veterans agency, which oversees the nursing homes with the state's highest death count for Covid-19. Among the recipients is Elizabeth Schiff-Heedles, the former chief executive of the agency's Menlo Park Veterans Memorial Home, in Edison, N.J., who received $13,392 in hazard pay to which she wasn't entitled before being fired by Gov. Phil Murphy, a Wall Street Journal review of state payroll records found. Her top deputy and successor after her termination, Scott Mueller, also got $14,290 from the pool, which was funded by the first federal stimulus bill last year, the records show. State officials began examining the payments after receiving questions about them from the Journal and confirmed that Ms. Schiff-Heedles and Mr. Mueller shouldn't have received them."

ARE VACCINE WORTH THE BURNS FROM YOUR FLAMING PANTS? — "Are people in N.J. really lying to get the vaccine before it's their turn?" by NJ Advance Media's Rebecca Everett: "Because the state does not want to put up any roadblocks to vaccine access for the eligible people who need it most, the system relies on people to be honest about whether they qualify. Many vaccination sites ask for identification and a date of birth, which can confirm someone is 65 or older and thus qualifies. But if you are under 65 and tell the vaccination site that you qualify because you have a health condition or are a smoker, no one is demanding a doctor's note or asking to see your pack of smokes. So are people lying about meeting the criteria? The consensus among most in the medical community is yes, some people are probably lying to get vaccinated before their turn. But no one can say how widespread it is, and they're hoping it's minimal. 'Can I tell you that nobody does it? I can't say that. Honestly, I'm sure there are people that out of desperation have tried to get into the queue sooner than they should,' said Deborah Visconi, president and CEO of Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, which is running a vaccination site in Paramus in partnership with Bergen County."

ABORTION — "Why the Catholic Church opposes the Reproductive Freedom Act ," by Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin for The Star-Ledger: "We cannot support provisions of the proposed Reproductive Freedom Act that threaten the life of unborn children or remove existing laws and regulations that are intended to protect the life and health of mothers. ... We believe this would, in certain situations, allow non-physicians such as physician assistants and certified midwives to perform abortions in non-hospital settings any time throughout the nine months of pregnancy. Finally, we cannot support any legislation that would eliminate New Jersey's longstanding legal tradition that protects the freedom of conscience of healthcare workers who do not want to perform or assist with abortions because doing so would violate their most fundamental beliefs as individuals and as healthcare providers."

LABOR — "New Jersey Project Labor Agreements are not for everyone's benefit," by Kevin Barry for The Record: "A piece of legislation is making its way through the New Jersey State Senate that will allow some people to feast while other, hard-working New Jersey union workers are shut out through anti-competitive labor work rules that play favorites. That bill, sponsored by State Senate President Stephen Sweeney, would greatly expand the number of publicly-funded construction projects subject to Project Labor Agreements (PLAs), which restrict, and plays favorites, by picking exactly who has an exclusive on a given public project."

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY — "Tom Barrett's New Jersey Irish American Leaders 2021 List"

—"NJ's water pipe goal: Replace all lead service lines in 10 years"

—" Schepisi endorses DiMaso in Monmouth race"

—Sweeney announces committee changes to fill Cardinale vacancies

—" N.J. gambling revenue flat in February, even with Super Bowl"

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BIDEN TIME

DOWN THE SHORE EVERYTHING'S AWRY — "Inside Interior's response to the Boss' DWI arrest," by E&E News' Kevin Bogardus and Timothy Cama, now part of the POLITICO family : "It's not every day a living rock legend is arrested in his local national park. But that was the conundrum facing National Park Service officials in February when news broke that Bruce Springsteen had been picked up months earlier for driving while intoxicated in the Gateway National Recreation Area, a sprawling 27,000-acre park encompassing sections of northern New Jersey and New York City. Records obtained by E&E News under the Freedom of Information Act show that global media swarmed Gateway staff — followed soon after by an irate public, including many people livid about law enforcement's treatment of the superstar musician. They also help shed light on how top federal officials in Washington jumped in to manage the fallout, ultimately closing down any interaction with reporters on the sensitive subject. Officials would decide several of the records associated with the arrest should be withheld from the public and raised concerns internally about how a celebrity news outlet obtained a police report … the emails also show public anger over the arrest. Public comments poured into Gateway staff's inboxes, several laden with expletives … 'You really have The Boss a DWI for taking a photo with fan and doing a shot of tequila!!!!!!!! You Dicks!!!' said one."

—"N.J. women charged in Capitol riot, one a former jail officer, indicted on multiple charges"

A messsage from Pre-K Our Way:

LOCAL

FOREVER YOUNG — "Activist Steve Young resigns from Atlantic City Planning Board, Citizens Advisory Board," by The Press of Atlantic City's Molly Shelly: "Seven months after activist Steve Young was arrested during a Black Lives Matter march, he has resigned from the city's Planning Board and Citizens Advisory Board. Young, 60, resigned March 4, citing issues with Mayor Marty Small Sr. as his primary reason for leaving. 'Because I spoke up about the Black community and the Black agenda … he (Small) felt the need to get rid of me,' Young said … City officials had been calling on Young to resign since the July 4 protest where Young and six other activists were arrested for stopping traffic on the Atlantic City Expressway … He also accused Small of protecting his wife's cousin Kayan Frazier, 28, who last month pleaded guilty to exploitation of a child."

ANGRY PARENT NEWS — "Judge's ruling will send more kids into classrooms in embattled N.J. district," by NJ Advance Medai's Rob Jennings: "A judge's ruling in the disputed reopening of the South Orange-Maplewood school district has cleared the way for additional students to return to classrooms, starting next week. The ruling by Superior Court Judge Jodi Alper on Tuesday is the latest twist in a battle over COVID-19 protocols, with the K-12 district's officials seeking a full return to in-person instruction and the teachers' union continuing to raise safety concerns. While Alper ordered teachers in the 6th and 9th grades to return to classrooms, which administrators said will happen starting Monday, the ruling did not uphold the district's request for an injunction against teachers' union for exiting classrooms and working remotely from their homes, according to statements on the ruling from the district and the union."

STILL CARRIES A BARNE GAT — "Barnegat police detective at center of excessive force suit has long history of altercations," by NJ Advance Media's Alex Napoliello: "A Barnegat police detective accused of using excessive force against a woman during a 2019 traffic stop has a history of violent encounters spanning 25 years, NJ Advance Media has learned. Richard Nowak, a plainclothes sergeant and the supervisor of Barnegat's Crime Reduction Unit, pulled Victoria Martinez out of her car and threw her to the ground during a traffic stop on March 28, 2019, according to a lawsuit and the criminal complaint.

92 MASTROS — " Jersey City BOE introduces $827M budget as they await clarity on several funding details," by Hudon County View's Daniel Ulloa: "The school district's current spending plan is anticipating a $153 million shortfall, which called for a $100 tax levy: which officials projected will cost households about $1,168 a year or $97 a month in tax increases. "Yes, it seems excessive, but we're making up for what we were doing in the past … There's no time like the present," stated Superintendent of Schools Franklin Walker, who sounded optimistic that additional revenue streams may become available prior to the vote on the final budget in April. As it stands now, the JCPS receive about $255 million in state aid: $71 million less from the prior school year. Although their case against the state over their robust funding cuts is still pending, an outcome is not expected in the immediate future."

—"JCEA pres. says Jersey City teacher vaccination efforts underwhelming, city says otherwise"

—" Newark begins vaccinating teachers and staff ahead of return to in-person learning"

—"Sparta schools' plan to return to full-day learning derailed by COVID, staff shortage"

—" A 'beautiful' thing: Hundreds of teachers receive COVID vaccines in Paramus"

—"Hudson County worker charged with stealing thousands from welfare recipients"

—" How Asbury Park 'Airbnb law' survived one man's attempt to strike it down"

—"Marlboro schools returning to 5-day in-person instruction April 5"

—" Murphy marks vaccine eligibility expansion, addresses communities of color COVID-19 concerns in Newark"

Did you know that POLITICO Pro has coverage and tools at the state level? All the state legislative and regulatory tracking, budget documents, state agency contact information, and everything else you need to stay ahead of state policy movement integrate into our smart and customizable platform. Learn more and become a Pro today.

EVERYTHING ELSE

JEWISH LINK TO LAKEWOOD BLACKFACE KIDS: 'HOLD MY MANISCHEWITZ' — "NJ paper raises ire with satire about shooting 100,000 Palestinians (with vaccine)," by The Record's Hannan Adely: "The Jewish Link's four-paragraph article, which ran in the Feb. 25 'Purim satire' edition, stated that 100,000 Palestinians were 'shot' by Israeli sharpshooters dispensing the vaccine … Several readers, including two rabbis, wrote to the Jewish Link stating that the article was 'in bad taste.' On Monday, the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations called for a public apology. 'Suggesting the systematic murder of 100,000 people of an oppressed minority will never make for good comedy. Israeli soldiers shooting Palestinians is not a joke,' Selaedin Maksut, executive director of CAIR-NJ, said in a statement."

WHERE'S CANCEL CULTURE WHEN YOU NEED IT? — "Victim says Craig Carton isn't paying enough restitution despite new success," by The AP: "The successful revival of sports radio personality Craig Carton's career just months after being released from prison has not gone unnoticed by at least one victim of his multimillion-dollar fraud. An attorney for Dukal Corp. and its owner, Gerard LoDuka, has asked Carton's sentencing judge that a restitution order be rewritten to reflect 'what is almost surely an extremely lucrative job.' The letter, dated Friday and entered into the court record on Monday, noted that Carton returned to the airwaves in November in a prime afternoon slot on WFAN that has 'achieved dramatic ratings success' and he was reportedly being considered as a daily morning host on an MLB Network show. Yet, the letter signed by attorney John G. Martin maintained, Carton, 52, has not made a single restitution payment since his June release from prison after serving about a year of a 3 1/2 year sentence."

WORLD CULTURE WAR II — "N.J. high school cancels 'South Pacific' after students raise bias concerns, plans concert instead," by NJ Advance Media's Caroline Fasset: "The largest high school district in Hunterdon County recently decided to abandon plans to present 'South Pacific' as its spring musical after students and staff raised concerns about potentially insensitive characters and dialogue within the production. Instead, Hunterdon Central Regional High School will present a full-fledged concert titled 'Some Enchanted Evening: A Celebration of the Music of Rodgers and Hammerstein."

—New Yorker: "Weather Nerds of New Jersey "

—Slow disbursement of federal funds delays Salem Medical's repayment of state's Covid-19 loan

—"NJ Man indicted for throwing explosive device at State Police"

—"'COVID slide' among students of color threatens the future STEM workforce | Opinion"

—"Cat injured in Paterson fire gets some TLC, and a new home with a firefighter"

A messsage from Pre-K Our Way:

Thanks to the Governor and Legislature, there's been pre-k expansion funding in every recent state budget! That's enabled NJ to expand pre-k for working families into 150+ school districts.

However, families in 110+ eligible districts still wait in rural, suburban and urban communities, and from east to west – and north to south.

The proposed FY2022 budget would continue to recognize pre-k expansion as a priority for now, and for our future. We agree with former Governor Tom Kean, "There are a few priority reforms we need to make to improve education in our state. One of our highest priorities should be the availability of quality pre-k programs for all of our children. These programs offer our best hope for future success in school and life."

Let's maintain pre-k expansion as a statewide priority. Continue substantial pre-k expansion in the coming year for New Jersey, and especially for its working families.

Visit prekourway.org