News: POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Just one GOP gubernatorial debate

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Just one GOP gubernatorial debate

May 25, 2021

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By Matt Friedman

Presented by Pre-K Our Way

Good Tuesday morning!

There will be just one gubernatorial debate: Tonight at 7:00 on NJ 101.5.

GOP gubernatorial candidate Hirsh Singh, running his fourth campaign for office in as many years, demanded NJ PBS hold tomorrow's planned debate in person despite previously agreeing to the format. He also refused to take a COVID test ahead of it. So the network pulled the plug.

Singh in a statement derided NJ PBS as biased — you know, the network that was willing to give him a platform to talk about how much he likes former President Donald Trump.

ELEC Executive Director Jeff Brindel said he was "disappointed."

"Healthy debate between candidates has always been a foundation of the Gubernatorial Public Financing Program and Mr. Singh's reneging on his commitment to participate in the first two debates is a first in the history of the program," Brindle said.

Jack Ciattarelli's campaign called the decision weak and called Singh "a perennial campaign loser who still lives with their parents at 36 years old and doesn't even pay property taxes." But I bet Ciattarelli is more than happy to have one less debate with a candidate who could have dragged him further right than he's already gone.

WHERE'S MURPHY — No public appearances scheduled. Media: MSNBC at 7:30 a.m. and PIX 11 at 8 a.m.

QUOTE OF THE DAY : "Gagnon Securities make all trading decisions in discretionary client accounts, and does so based on publicly available information as well as proprietary analysis that forms our investment strategy for all our clients. All trades referenced by AP that were made in Congressman Malinowski's account in 2020, including all short positions, were made by Gagnon Securities pursuant to its discretionary authority and without Congressman Malinowski's input or prior knowledge." — U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski's stock broker's company's statement

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Hamilton Councilmember Anthony Carabelli

CORONAVIRUS TRACKER — 260 newly-reported positive PCR tests for a total of 885,987. 10 more deaths for a total of 26,100 confirmed or probable deaths. 699 hospitalized, 148 in intensive care. 4,081,114 fully-vaccinated, or about 43.9 percent of the population.

A message 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

BRENT SPINER HAS DETERMINED MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND IS THE DATE — New Jersey lifts mask mandate, social distancing rules in time for Memorial Day, by POLITICO's Sam Sutton: New Jersey is lifting its mask mandate after having been one of the few holdouts in adopting the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday. Murphy's new directive, which takes effect Friday, the start of the Memorial Day weekend, gives New Jersey residents — even those who aren't fully vaccinated — the green light to remove their masks and other face coverings in most cases. Matching the CDC's guidance, the order excludes settings such as health care facilities, jails, schools, child care centers and public transportation networks. Businesses can continue to require customers and employees to wear coverings, Murphy said.

HUTTLE DENOUNCES 'OLD BOYS WITH PERFECTLY-COIFFED WHITE HAIR NETWORK' — "Why is a Camden group involved in a Bergen race? Norcross plays hardball in 37th," by The Record's Charles Stile: "An independent expenditure group with close ties to George E. Norcross III has launched television ads, and mailers to boost the campaign of Assemblyman Gordon Johnson, the former Bergen County sheriff, who is locked in a bitter contest to succeed Sen. Loretta Weinberg, the liberal titan from Teaneck who is retiring … Huttle is hoping to tap progressive disgust with the party machinery and what she says is a coordinated 'old boys network' effort to undermine her candidacy. Now she has a new foil to add to her attacks: Norcross, a businessman and practitioner of the take-no-prisoners school of politics. 'What interests do South Jersey party bosses have in Bergen County?' Huttle asked in an interview last week. 'As I said, this election should be decided by the voters of District 37 and, obviously, South Jersey party bosses should not be trying to influence this election.' The main target of Huttle's ire is the American Democratic Majority, whose officers include William Tambussi, Norcross' lawyer; Assemblywoman Patricia Egan Jones, Camden County's director of outreach for veterans affairs; and consultant Sean Kennedy, who chairs the group."

THE SKY IS FALLING!— Legal weed hasn't changed New Jersey's quality of life, poll finds, by Matt: Cannabis is now legal in New Jersey, and residents have barely noticed. An overwhelming 86 percent of Garden State residents say the recreational cannabis legalization law — passed by voters in November and the Democratic-controlled Legislature in February — has caused "no real change" in the state's qualify of life, according to a Monmouth University poll released Monday. Just 6 percent say it's changed it for the worse and 4 percent for the better. There's one massive caveat to the poll question, however. While possession of less than six ounces of cannabis is now allowed under the law, there are still no legal recreational sellers, and it will be at least several months before any are up and running.

POLICE BARRED FROM LOOKING GIFT HORSES IN THE MOUTH — "Weed 'gifting' companies are starting up in N.J. But are they legal?" by NJ Advance Medai's Amanda Hoover: "Licenses to sell legal weed are still months away, but there's a handful of entrepreneurs coming into the scene through a possible legal loophole — 'gifting' cannabis. It's a scheme popular in other states and particularly in Washington, D.C. A company lets you buy cookies, snacks or brownies that come with sticker shock of $50 or more. But when they make the delivery, it comes with a suggested gift: maybe a cannabis edible or an ounce of flower … 'It seems the risks are minimal given the legalization and decriminalization of marijuana in (New Jersey),' Gene Markin, an attorney with Princeton-based Stark and Stark, told NJ Cannabis Insider. That assumes they have less than six ounces at a time. The decriminalization law allows a person to possess six ounces and sell up to one ounce without criminal penalty .. 'That said, perhaps the case could be made that a 'business; engaging in this practice is 'trafficking' marijuana (if you add up all the quantities delivered to customers) and therefore could face serious penalties and criminal charges.'"

WHITE MANVILLE — "A year after George Floyd's murder, how diverse is NJ's police force? No one knows, " by The Record's Nicolas Fernandez, Steve Janoski and Phaedra Trethan: "Want to know how many Blacks, Asians or Latinos are employed by New Jersey's police forces? The answer is no one knows — a year after a new law requiring the state to provide such information went on the books. Not only does the state not have the information — although officials are promising it will be ready by early 2022 — but a public records request made by the USA TODAY Network New Jersey to the state's 540 police departments generated only 53 replies. 'If you're not measuring what you're doing, how are you ever going to improve?' said Jiles Ship, president of the New Jersey chapter of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives. 'We have to really develop a matrix to measure what we're doing.' An analysis of the data from the 53 police departments that responded shows that, by and large, municipalities have more work to do. Forty-one, or 77 percent, have a police force that is more than 75 percent white. For example, in Manville, all 23 officers are white males while about 63 percent of the borough's population is white. Similarly, in Union Beach, the police force is 100 percent white, although the town is 78 percent white."

REVENUE POP SECRET — " What's the secret behind NJ's good fiscal condition during COVID-19 pandemic?" by NJ Spotlight's John Reitmeyer : What exactly happened to bring about this turn in the state's fiscal fortunes, as told by Department of Treasury officials and nonpartisan legislative fiscal analysts during recent budget hearings, involves a number of factors, but decisions that were made in both Trenton and Washington, D.C., in response to the health crisis played a big role. Perhaps the most important factor has been the significant intervention — some would say spending spree — by the federal government over the past year, which has provided stimulus payments and other aid that has helped drive consumer spending here and across the country. That, in turn, has lifted New Jersey sales-tax proceeds throughout much of the pandemic, and the sales tax is already one of the largest sources of revenue for the state budget.

SHOOTING — Murphy: Mass shooting in Cumberland County a 'microcosm' of nation's gun violence, by POLITICO's Katherine Landergan: Saturday night's mass shooting in Cumberland County, in which two people were killed and a dozen others injured, "is a microcosm of the scale of gun violence we see elsewhere in other communities in our state and across the country," Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday. "We are at the point where this kind of horrific scene is almost part of our daily lives. It has become commonplace," Murphy said during a briefing outside the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office in Bridgeton. "If there is one thing we could never normalize it is senseless gun violence."

—"NJEA: Let's spend that extra $3.7B for schools wisely | Opinion"

—"Drivers with autism: NJ license bill aims to avoid miscommunication with cops"

— "NJ Supreme Court chief justice warns NJSBA that judicial vacancies are 'unsustainable'"

—"N.J. reverses decision to house transgender woman in men's prison"

— Rizzo apparently not appealing to state Supreme Court for matching funds

—New Jersey Department of Education releases draft plan for spending ARP fund

—" On the ground, Ciattarelli tackles Murphy's pandemic response"

—"Advocates await action to end immigrant detentions in NJ"

HAPPENING TODAY - A PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW WITH ADAM KINZINGER: From the ousting of Liz Cheney from her leadership position to the looming death of a bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, Donald Trump appears to be winning the internal GOP battle over the party's future. Join Playbook co-authors Rachael Bade and Eugene Daniels for an interview with a leading member of the Trump opposition, Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), to discuss his efforts to change the party's direction -- and whether that is even possible. Register here to watch live.

BIDEN TIME

GATEWAY TO GATEWAY — Gateway environmental impact statement to come out Friday, by POLITICO's Danielle Muoio: After being stuck in limbo for years, officials behind the Gateway Program will soon reach a key milestone in moving the $13 billion rail project forward. The federal government on Friday will release the environmental impact statement for the Gateway Program to repair tunnels under the Hudson River that were damaged by Hurricane Sandy and expand rail capacity between New Jersey and New York. Gateway officials submitted a draft environmental impact statement in February 2018 and have been waiting for federal approval ever since. It was delayed by President Donald Trump's animosity toward current Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer amid negotiations over funding for a wall along the border with Mexico.

—@Redistrict: "The stock scandal surrounding Rep. Tom Malinowski (D) could make it easier for NJ's redistricting commission to throw him under the bus, turning his #NJ07 (left) into a safe GOP seat (right) - which would shore up #NJ05 Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D) & #NJ11 Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D)."

—"Will Democrats sacrifice Malinowski to assure wins for Gottheimer, Sherrill?"

A message from Pre-K Our Way:

LOCAL

HOW TO ENSURE NO ONE EVER HIRES YOU AGAIN — "Ousted Carlstadt sewerage chairman says porn post was a mistake; he's suing for his job back," by The Record's Kristie Cattafi: "The former head of the borough's sewerage commission is suing to overturn his termination, which happened after he posted a pornographic video in a Facebook group chat where other town employees saw it. Thomas Maloney claims in his lawsuit that his appointed position was protected from removal from office and is seeking relief. Maloney was appointed to a five-year term as chairman, from Feb. 1, 2018, to Jan. 31, 2023. Before his appointment, he had been an employee for the borough since 2002. Cheryl Rivera worked as a clerk in the municipal courts in February 2020 and saw Maloney had posted a pornographic video in a Facebook chat, and she reported it. The video in question was 38 seconds of a naked man defecating onto the face of a woman who is on her knees in a bathroom, according to a description in court documents. It includes vulgar and sexist language. During the hearing, Maloney said the video was mistakenly sent to the group chat and that it was supposed to be sent to one person, according to documents on the investigation. The Facebook group chat included residents and a variety of elected officials."

ANTI-SEMITISM — " Teaneck deputy mayor recounts harrowing antisemitic attack in Florida," by The Record's Katie Sobko: "Teaneck Deputy Mayor Mark Schwartz and Councilwoman Karen Orgen were walking with her family in Bal Harbour, Florida, last week, enjoying some vacation time, when the unthinkable happened. After afternoon synagogue services on Tuesday, Schwartz, Orgen, her husband, Eric, and their daughter intended to walk up Collins Avenue to a jetty 'to wind down the holiday of Shavuot by the ocean before returning to sundown services,' said Schwartz, who was wearing a yarmulke. But during their walk, Eric Orgen said in a social media post, a car pulled up and the men inside yelled antisemitic remarks at the group. They threatened to rape Orgen and her daughter, according to the post. It all unfolded so quickly that Schwartz was still processing what was happening when Eric Orgen stepped in front of the group to provide protection. The men in the car had started to climb out. 'It was just when we realized that a physical attack was imminent, as they were climbing out of their cars and throwing objects at us, did a black Audi pull between us and the attackers and pull a gun on them,' Schwartz said."

CLAYTON — " Retired police chief accused of choking, threatening to kill woman resigns council seat," by NJ Advance Media's Matt Gray: "A retired police chief charged with assaulting a woman during a domestic violence incident has resigned from his post as a Clayton borough councilman. Franklin S. Brown Jr., 53, of Clayton, was charged April 11 after he allegedly choked a woman and threatened to kill her, according to court records. Brown, who retired from his position as chief with the Glassboro Police Department in 2019, was charged on a summons with aggravated assault on a domestic violence victim, simple assault and making terroristic threats. Brown resigned from his post as administrator for the City of Woodbury days after he was charged. He resigned from his position as a Clayton councilman on April 22, according to borough officials."

0.006 MASTROS — "Indicted public works director received $57K settlement after suing township," by NJ Advance Media's Matt Gray: "A municipal public works director in Gloucester County who was indicted on charges that he groped a subordinate and stole from his employer has settled a lawsuit he filed alleging retaliation. Charles M. Bosco received $57,500 in the settlement with Franklin Township last month and agreed to resign from his post. Bosco, 55, was running public works for the township in 2019 when an administrative assistant claimed he repeatedly touched her inappropriately, including an incident in which he allegedly grabbed her by the back of the head and forced her head to his groin, according to court documents."

—"Why is the tax assessor coming after Jersey City's nonprofits?"

—"Atlantic City 1st quarter casino earnings more than triple"

—" Wife of Long Branch cop turned him in for running meth lab inside home: police"

—"DRBA study finds Cape May ferry provides positive economic impact in region"

—" Jersey City mayor makes plea to state legislators to fix payroll tax law"

—"A judge has rejected a request to delay sentencing for ex-Bordentown Township Police Chief Frank Nucera"

—" Wyckoff assistant principal to resign after video incident"

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

WOMEN IN POWER — PSE&G names first woman president in its 118-year history, by POLITICO's Daniel Han: Kim Hanemann, a senior vice president and chief operating officer at PSE&G, will become the utility's new president next month and the first woman to lead the company in its 118-year history. Hanemann will take over as president on June 30, replacing David Daly, who is retiring. Daly served as head of New Jersey's largest utility since October 2017 and worked at PSEG, PSE&G's parent company, for 35 years. "I look forward to building on the strong foundation that Dave Daly has created as we work toward our Clean Energy Future goals of helping customers use energy more efficiently, and providing them with new clean energy options such as electric vehicles and smart meters," Hanemann said in a statement.

—"This N.J. nurse says he was fired for speaking out about safety. He's fighting to reclaim his job"

—"Netflix Martha Stewart documentary to examine her New Jersey roots"

A message 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