News : POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Cannabis commission to meet prematurely

Friday, April 9, 2021

POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Cannabis commission to meet prematurely

Apr 09, 2021

Presented by Uber Driver Stories

Good Friday morning!

You're finally on your way to being able to legally buy weed without a qualifying medical condition. Gov. Murphy yesterday formally appointed the Cannabis Regulatory Commission, which starts the clock on a six-month deadline to come up with rules and regulations for the recreational weed marketplace.

We'll see if they actually manage to meet that deadline. As we've seen in the past, New Jersey government agencies have been known to blow past statutory deadlines.

The commission's first meeting is next week — April 12. And while I understand the need to get moving, especially now that New York has legalized it as well, I kind of wish they had waited just eight more days.

Read more from Sam Sutton here.

WHERE'S MURPHY?: In Atlantic City for a 12:30 p.m. restaurant relief bill signing, then the Atlantic City Convention Center for a 1:45 p.m. vaccination site visit, where he'll be vaccinated 30 minutes later. Media: NPR at 9 a.m., Fox News Radio at 3:05 p.m.

CORONAVIRUS TRACKER: 3,758 newly-reported positive PCR tests or a total of 827,795. 35 more deaths for a total of 22,210 (and 2,573 probable deaths). 2,378 hospitalized, 447 in intensive care. 1,962,866 fully vaccinated, or about 22.1 percent of the population.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Assemblymember Cleopatra Tucker, NJ Chamber of Commerce's Michael Egenton, SJPC's Jonathan Atwood and JMO Strategies' Justin O'Leary, New Brunswick spox Bert Baron , Berkeley Heights Councilmember Stephen Yellin

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "JOIN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY CIVIL WAR!": The tagline on a recent press release by Republican gubernatorial candidate Hirsh Singh.

BONUS QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Jonathan Salant, by the way. I recognized you by your voice. I can't see your mustache. He has a good mustache, for anyone who doesn't know. Go ahead." — White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki

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WHAT TRENTON MADE

IT'S NOT 'SOLITARY CONFINEMENT.' IT'S 'QUALITY TIME WITH YOURSELF' — "Is NJ following law that limits isolated confinement in prisons? Advocates want answers," by The Asbury Park Press' Stacey Barchenger: "The alleged abuse that left one woman inmate with a concussion and another in a wheelchair earlier this year happened inside New Jersey's only prison for women on a unit named 'Restorative Housing.' Advocates for inmates say that unit at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility in Union Township is not restorative, and, in practice, is the very sort of isolated confinement that was supposed to have been limited under a state law that went into effect Aug. 1. Now those advocates — and inmates — are raising questions about compliance amid renewed scrutiny of how well New Jersey oversees its prisons. 'It certainly appears as if every change has been cosmetic,' said Bonnie Kerness, director of the prison watch program of the American Friends Service Committee."

—Hicks says consent decree will bring federal monitors to Edna Mahan prison, by POLITICO's Daniel Han: Embattled state Corrections Commissioner Marcus Hicks said Thursday his department has reached a tentative consent decree agreement with federal authorities that will bring federal monitors to the scandal-plagued Edna Mahan Correctional Facility. Testifying before a joint hearing of the Assembly Judiciary and Women and Children committees, Hicks spoke at length about the Department of Correction's culture, practices and compliance. He said he could not speak to specifics about the federal consent decree with the Department of Justice since it is pending, though he noted it will likely be approved in the coming weeks and that federal monitors will be coming to Edna Mahan, New Jersey's only women's prison. "If you look at how other states have dealt with this issue, federal monitors have always been a part of the discussion and the process," Hicks told lawmakers during the hourslong hearing. "So it was always my expectation that possibility of federal monitors."

THE UNDOCUMENTED — Latino caucus to Murphy: Use executive powers to provide relief to undocumented residents, by Daniel: The New Jersey Legislative Latino Caucus is urging Gov. Phil Murphy to use executive powers to provide direct cash payments and unemployment-like benefits to hundreds of thousands of undocumented residents who have been excluded from federal pandemic relief efforts, according to a letter obtained by POLITICO. Dated April 6, the letter asks Murphy to provide $2,000 in direct cash payments and create a $600-per-week wage replacement program for those excluded from unemployment benefits.

JUICIER ORANGES TO SQUEEZE — Christie sitting out New Jersey governor's race. That suits the likely GOP nominee just fine., by POLITICO's Matt Friedman : Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is on the move. On Sunday, he appeared on national television to defend Georgia's new election law. He also recently hosted Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) in a discussion for his nonprofit institute, headlined a fundraiser for a member of Congress from Long Island, had dinner with Puerto Rico's resident commissioner and, back in New Jersey, was featured at a virtual fundraiser for Republican state Sen. Michael Testa. There's one thing Christie — who, after his unsuccessful 2016 run for president was one of the first mainstream Republican endorsers of Donald Trump — hasn't done: Aided the gubernatorial candidacy of Jack Ciattarelli, the frontrunner for the GOP nomination to take on Christie's successor, Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, in November.

THEY TRIED TO RECRUIT DAVID SAMSON BUT HE DIDN'T MEET THE RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT — "The curse of the 38th Is now dead," by New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein: "There used to be something called the Curse of the 38th, a reference to six consecutive senators from the Bergen County district who found themselves tossed from the State Senate against their will. For years, the 38th was one of New Jersey's premier swing districts. It elected three Democrats and three Republicans between 1973 and 2001 and was the site of competitive legislative races for 40 years. But the 38th, which under the current map saw Democratic Assemblyman Tim Eustace (D-Maywood) re-elected by a mere 56 votes in 2013, no Republicans are running for the two State Assembly seats. Nominating petitions for GOP candidates Alfonso Mastrofilipo and Jerry Taylor were rejected by the state Division of Elections this week, leaving incumbents Christopher Tully (D-Bergenfield) and Lisa Swain (D-Fair Lawn) without Republican opposition in the general election."

—Horizon files to reorganize as a mutual after 2020 reserves exceed Christie-imposed cap

—" Why some Republicans are starting to take Phil Rizzo seriously"

—"4 things we learned about N.J.'s schools during COVID"

—" Struggling N.J. arts, cultural venues can get lifeline from new COVID aid plans"

—Ciattarelli plans to sue Murphy administration over Covid-19 records

—Mulshine: " Will Phil Murphy buy re-election with borrowed bucks?"

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BIDEN TIME

HE WENT TO JARED — "I needed a job. He asked if I was proposing marriage," by The Atlantic's Deborah Copaken: "On his last day in office, Donald Trump pardoned Ken Kurson. When I read the news, I cursed. This pardon was neither fair nor just. Kurson was the editor of the Observer when it was owned by his friend Jared Kushner. Last fall, Kurson was arrested and charged with cyberstalking three people and harassing two others … After Kurson's arrest, I kept scanning the news, hoping that Trump would be too busy being a sore loser and inciting insurrection to pardon Kurson. I was wrong. Which meant I would now spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder. From November 2014 to late 2016, Ken Kurson sexually harassed me. I wrote about the degrading experience for this magazine in 2018. I composed the essay in the form of a tongue-in-cheek listicle ('How to Lose Your Job From Sexual Harassment in 33 Easy Steps'), because all too often, as we keep learning (and learning and learning), sexual harassment is not just one event or off-color comment, nor is it just the suggestive emails that followed: 'In another life, I'd be Mr. Copaken'; I love your sloppy seconds'; 'Are you proposing marriage to me?' It's a systematic abuse of power that can deny its victims work, money, and health insurance."

ATTENTION CHRIS SMITH — " Former North Jersey resident charged with conspiring with other Oath Keepers in Capitol riot," by The Times Herald-Record's Chris McKenna: "Roberto Minuta, who has ties to North Jersey, now faces a more serious charge for his alleged role in the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection after being indicted with 11 other members of the Oath Keepers militia group for conspiracy and other offenses. A 25-page indictment filed on Monday in federal court in Washington, D.C., links the 36-year-old tattoo artist with fellow Oath Keepers from six other states as collaborators in the disruption of Congress as it met that day to certify Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election."

—" FEC warns Payne of potential legal action over faulty campaign finance filings"

—"A letter from a N.J. 6th grader made Black history a national issue. Meet the student who wrote it"

LOCAL

THE DECEPTICON-SERVATIVES — "'It's deception': Monmouth County commissioners secretly gave themselves raises," by The Asbury Park Press' Susanne Cervenka: "Monmouth County commissioners secretly gave themselves raises in December 2019, with the first pay bumps hitting their take-home checks the following month, according to payroll records the Asbury Park Press obtained in a public records request. Accounting experts who reviewed those records at the Press' request confirmed the payroll increases of up to 28% for four of the five Monmouth County commissioners in their first paychecks issued in January 2020. ... But what's missing, experts say, are records that show Monmouth County commissioners — who at the time were known as freeholders — publicly approved the raises. ...The county board's minutes do not show that they took a public vote ahead of the December 2019 pay increase. The county provided no resolutions — the mechanism required by state law to approve raises for commissioners and most constitutional officers — when the Press asked for them. Monmouth County Attorney Michael Fitzgerald said the raises weren't publicly approved because, based on his legal interpretation, the commissioners didn't need to approve a resolution to do so."

LIFE OF BRIAN —" Police report: Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes fled scene of Princeton accident in 2017," by The Trentonian's Isaac Avilucea: "Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes appears to have misled commissioners about a third incident that he was involved in while behind the wheel of a county-owned car in 2017. Records undercut the Democratic kingmaker's characterization that he provided about the accident during a rare appearance Tuesday night before the Democrat-controlled Board of County Commissioners. 'No harm, no foul,' Hughes said, describing the incident as minor … But an officer who found Hughes at fault for the 2017 crash described the incident far differently. According to the police report obtained by The Trentonian, Hughes was involved in what is commonly known as a hit-and-run. The report detailed that the 'suspect vehicle' struck a 2012 Hyundai Elantra belonging to an employee of the Craft Cleaners and then 'left the scene' before police arrived."

NOT-SO-SUPER MARIO — "Englewood Cliffs councilwoman resigns, blames 'endless' bullying by mayor," by The Record's Katie Sobko : "Councilwoman Deborah Tsabari resigned from her Borough Council seat Thursday afternoon, attributing her departure to personal attacks and bullying by the mayor. Tsabari, a Democrat, had served two years on the governing body. Her resignation was effective immediately. Tsabari submitted her resignation Thursday afternoon and sent a letter to residents saying it had been her 'great honor and privilege to serve' the community. 'My goal in seeking election was to serve the entirety of Englewood Cliffs, striving to ensure transparency, fiscal responsibility and a constructive workforce,' she said. 'Unfortunately, during my time serving on the Council, the personal attacks and bullying by Mayor [Mario] Kranjac have been endless and have dominated all public meetings.'"

FISCAL CLIFTON — "Clifton is asking to borrow $168 million for schools. Here's what it would pay for," by The Record's Matt Fagan: "With two weeks to go before a referendum on $168 million in school spending, officials made their pitch at City Hall in hopes of winning over council members and voters. The school district's central argument revolves around the fact that a successful referendum means the state of New Jersey will finance roughly a third of the cost, or about $55 million dollars. Go it alone and the cost is entirely on the local property tax payer, and projects could take decades to complete, Superintendent of Schools Danny Robertozzi said."

CAMDEN — " Inside Camden's fight to vaccinate the most vulnerable," by The Philadelphia Inquirer's Allison Steele : "On a recent morning in Camden, it took hours to vaccinate just 25 people in a makeshift clinic on the ground floor of an apartment building. To Kevin Emmons of Rutgers University-Camden School of Nursing, who organized the clinic in Mickle Towers, that session was a success. Emmons and his team started hosting pop-up vaccine clinics with the Camden County health department in housing complexes last month. Planning begins long before shots go into arms … Vaccinating hard-to-reach people is a crucial part of the region's — and the nation's — path to conquering the coronavirus, Emmons said. But spend some time doing it, and it's not hard to see why large-scale vaccination sites often get priority over the resource-intensive process of meeting people where they live."

PARKS AND LITIGATION — "Woodland Park mayor going to court to demand texts after alleged harassment in Elmwood Park," by The Record's Katie Sobko: "Keith Kazmark, the ex-clerk of Elmwood Park and current mayor and borough administrator in Woodland Park, alleged in a whistleblower suit filed in 2019 that former Elmwood Park Mayor Frank Caramagna and some of his allies on the six-member Borough Council had waged a 'continuing and never-ending' campaign of harassment against Kazmark"

PAY ITS LAWYER MORE, DUH — "How to fix the Lakewood school district? A judge has concerns, wants answers ," by The Asbury Park Press' Joe Strupp: "It's become an annual budget dance for Lakewood Schools during the past five years. District officials tally the revenues and expenses, determine that they can't cover all costs, and ask for millions in loans to make up for what experts contend is a state aid shortfall. Since 2015, the 6,000-student district has accrued some $138 million in state loan debt as of May 2020, with another $68 million possibly being added this year … District education advocates saw some hope in recent weeks after a state administrative law judge ruled that students are not receiving a 'thorough and efficient education' in Lakewood. But what that means is unclear."

RUNNING AFOWL OF THE LAW — "Cresskill homeowner goes to court in bid to keep her pet chickens," by The Record's Ricardo Kaulessar: "A resident who keeps chickens on her property has run afoul of authorities, but is fighting back to keep her pets. Anna Kaplan received two summonses from the borough for 'Keeping or allowing any live fowl in a building or enclosure on premise' after a borough official checked on her property on Nov. 25. The summons issued indicated that she was in violation of the borough's Board of Health Ordinance No. 1, which prohibits the keeping of live fowl on a property within 200 feet of another dwelling without a permit from the Board of Health."

DRUNK ON POWER — "Trenton cop who investigates fatal crashes popped for DUI in Pa.," by The Trentonian's Isaac Avilucea: "Trenton Police Detective Vincent Mistretta was pinched in Pennsylvania in February on drunken-driving charges after he admitted having a few too many cold ones, according to records obtained by The Trentonian. Mistretta, 48, of Ewing, was the detective assigned to investigate the city's most serious driving crimes but was reassigned following his arrest. He was the lead investigator in a case of a Trenton firefighter who fatally struck a woman crossing the road last year while he was allegedly driving drunk."

—" Asbury Park gentrification: Who is making money and who is getting left behind?"

—"Atlantic City police working with officials to create Boardwalk substation"

—" Atlantic County may test early voting equipment on April 20 election"

—"Sentencing of former Bordentown Township police chief postponed again"

—" West Long Branch says 'no' to cannabis businesses, approves ban"

—"Neptune wins appeal on killer cop IA lawsuit, which could head to state Supreme Court"

—" Paterson will pay $50K to settle sexual harassment claim from former court employee"

—"Mahwah man kicks utility workers off his property in latest skirmish over cell tower"

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

BUFFALO MAKES TRENTON TAKES — "MLB plan would relocate Bisons to Trenton to start season," by The Buffalo News' Mike Harrington: "With heavy construction underway at Sahlen Field in advance of another season of Toronto Blue Jays games in Buffalo, Major League Baseball is working on a plan to move the Bisons at least temporarily to Trenton, N.J. Multiple sources in the sport have confirmed the move to The Buffalo News and an announcement could be imminent from MLB, the Blue Jays, and the Herd. The Bisons' temporary home for the 2021 season would be the former Arm & Hammer Park that housed the Double-A Trenton Thunder since 1994. The 6,200-seat facility is currently unnamed. The Thunder were a New York Yankees affiliate since 2003 but the Yankees opted to move their Double-A franchise to Somerset, N.J., for this season and Trenton was left out of affiliated baseball in MLB's reorganization of the minors that took place last fall."

—"N.J. Holocaust survivors celebrate 70th wedding anniversary as Jews commemorate lives lost"

—" Have you seen N.J.'s 'Naked Running Man?' He's helping causes one step at a time"

A message from Uber Driver Stories:

When Olivia was diagnosed with MS in 2017, it became clear to her that having a regular job would no longer be possible.

"I drive with Uber because I love to drive," she says. "It just puts the MS far out of my head. There's no way I could work a regular 9-5."

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