News: POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Murphy vetoes red tape commission, swats at Christie

Friday, May 7, 2021

POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Murphy vetoes red tape commission, swats at Christie

May 07, 2021

Presented by Pre-K Our Way

Good Friday morning!

It's pretty clear Gov. Murphy is relishing the attention his predecessor continues to get by appearing on TV and teasing a presidential campaign. Murphy this week nixed a bill that would have essentially re-started and made permanent former Gov. Chris Christie's Red Tape Review Commission, taking a couple big shots at Christie in the process.

"Simply put, there is no need to revitalize a Christie administration-era commission that my predecessor set up to illustrate his commitment to slashing regulatory protections to a national audience," Murphy wrote in his veto message — one of two broadsides against Christie.

Murphy loves going at Christie. He brings up the former pretty frequently, .and the former governor has had plenty to say about Murphy as well.

This isn't new. Christie often brought up his predecessor, Jon Corzine, to favorably compare himself to him.

But there's a key difference between Murphy bringing up Christie and Christie bringing up Corzine. When Corzine left office, he went quiet. We barely heard about him aside from the fallout of his hedge fund's failure. But Christie is still out there. And if Murphy's internal polling showed that Christie's reputation had recovered in New Jerseyans' minds, you can bet he wouldn't bring him up as often. Read more about the veto here.

WHERE'S MURPHY?: In Flemington for a 12:15 p.m. vaccine site visit. Media: Good Day NY at 9 a.m.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Former state Sen. Raymond Lesniak, Brunswick Devco's Christopher Paladino, Sister-in-Law Olivia, Kanye West ballot denier Scott Salmon, Moen staffer Sam Bender. Saturday for LA Times reporter Chris Megerian, Pallone aide Miranda Peterson, lawyer Yale Hauptman, CIG's Sabeen Masih, lobbyist Matt Greller. Sunday for activist Cassandra Gatelein, lawyer Barry Kaufman, Horizon's Tom Wilson

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Depends who's out there. I honestly haven't thought about it." — State Sen. Jim Holzapfel (R-Ocean) after being asked if he'd support Chris Christie for president 2024.

CORONAVIRUS TRACKER: 1,564 newly-reported positive PCR tests for a total of 878,892. 34 more deaths for a total of 25,740. 1,306 hospitalized, 306 in intensive care. 3,278,405 fully vaccinated — about 35.3 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

GOTTA GIVE FOR-PROFIT INDUSTRIES THAT ECONOMIC VACCINE — Lawmakers move to extend Covid-19 liability shield to co-ops, homeowners associations, by POLITICO's Sam Sutton: New Jersey lawmakers are pushing forward with a bill that would extend legal immunity from Covid-19 claims to planned real estate developments, a move that would represent a major legislative victory for housing co-ops, homeowners associations and over-55 communities across the state. The bill, the text of which registers just 167 words, would take those groups off the hook for any illness, injury, death or other damages arising from or related to Covid-19 — excluding any acts or omissions that constitute a crime, actual fraud, actual malice, gross negligence, recklessness or willful misconduct. The bill, NJ S3584 (20R), would take effect immediately once it is signed. The Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee advanced the bill, which is sponsored by state Sens. Linda Greenstein (D-Middlesex), Shirley Turner (D-Mercer) and Nicholas Sacco (D-Hudson), without opposition Thursday morning.

SCHEPISI IS OFF AUTH — "Schepisi takes sides in GOP Assembly primary, backs Azzariti, Kurpis," by New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein: "State Sen. Holly Schepisi (R-River Vale) is endorsing two challengers for State Assembly against incumbents in the June Republican primary. Schepisi is backing Saddle River Councilman John Azzariti and former Saddle River GOP Municipal Chairman Jon Kurpis against Bob Auth (R-Old Tappan) and DeAnne DeFuccio (R-Upper Saddle River). 'Having known Dr. John Azzariti and Jonathan Kurpis for many years, I believe they have the vision and experience we need to win in November and move our state in the right direction,' Schepisi said. Schepisi is unopposed for the GOP Senate nomination."

MATRONAGE — "Women, minorities and LGBTQ people must get half of seats on state boards under proposed bill," by NJ Advance Media's Susan K. Livio : "New Jersey's most powerful elected officials — the Governor, Senate President and Assembly Speaker — would be required to appoint more women and minorities to public boards and commissions under a bill a state lawmaker said she will sponsor to eliminate the persistent gender imbalance in state government. Assemblywoman Yvonne Lopez, D-Middlesex, told NJ Advance Media she is rewriting legislation she introduced in February that would have made gender and race a primary factor in selecting who should sit on state boards. The new version of her bill will be more 'aggressive' and mandate that women, minorities and LGBTQ people make up at least 50% of boards, commissions and task forces."

WHAT ALBANY MADE — "New York tax officials crack down on remote workers," by The Wall Street Journal's Jimmy Vielkind: "New York state tax officials are scrutinizing refund claims filed by nonresident tax filers who normally commute to jobs in New York but have been working remotely during the Covid-19 pandemic. Tax lawyers said the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance has begun auditing 2020 returns for people whose work habits shifted when their offices closed … More than a dozen states have submitted briefs on the issue. They include New Jersey and Connecticut, which argued that Massachusetts and New York were taking more than their fair share by taxing nonresidents who weren't using public services in New York. In 2018, around 434,000 New Jersey residents paid $3.7 billion in New York income taxes, according to New York state figures."

SWEENEY MOVES HIS OWN BILLS FASTER THAN AMAZON PRIME DELIVERIES — "Warehouse sprawl bill stumbles in first hearing, advances anyway," by NJ 101.5's Michael Simons: "Legislation that seeks to rein in the explosive sprawl of warehouse construction in New Jersey ran into trouble at its first hearing Thursday, unable to gain the endorsement of a committee chaired by one of the bill's sponsors. No matter, as the bill's lead sponsor is Senate President Steve Sweeney, … who simply exercised his authority as the presiding officer and transferred the bill to the Senate budget committee, which probably would have been its next stop anyway … The bill only got two favorable votes on the five-member Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee. Sen. Ronald Rice, D-Essex, Sen. Declan O'Scanlon, R-Monmouth, and Sen. Christopher Connors, R-Ocean voted to abstain, saying there are a lot of concerns and questions still unaddressed."

DON'T SMOKE AC — With Murphy making some generally supportive-sounding but non-commital remarks on making the smoking ban in casinos permanent, Smoke-Free Atlantic City and Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights sent a letter to Murphy encouraging him to commit to their position. "The trend towards smokefree — 23 states, more than 160 Tribal gaming properties and nearly 1,100 casinos nationwide do not permit smoking indoors -— continues to gain momentum. New Jersey risks falling behind the trend if casinos revert back to a pre-pandemic world and allow indoor smoking. It's time to recognize the overwhelming support for smokefree casinos and that customers now have an expectation of health and safety when they visit a public place," it reads.

CHIARAVALOTTA TROUBLE — "Chiaravalloti bill would create criminal penalties for falsified COVID-19 vaccine cards," by Hudson County view's John Heinis : "A bill introduced by Assemblyman Nick Chiaravalloti (D-31) would create criminal penalties for making, selling, or displaying falsified COVID-19 vaccine cards. 'As we begin the slow recovery back to normalcy, we must not allow people to cheat the system at the expense of others. Falsifying medical documents poses a serious risk to those around you, and it must be taken seriously,' Chiaravalloti said in a statement.

A message from Pre-K Our Way:

—"Cost of NJ's green-energy plan remains unknown"

—"A drop in vaccine demand means 'things evolve'"

—Mulshine: "On COVID politics, it's Andrew and Phil against Ron and Declan"

—"Dates set for 2 Republican gubernatorial debates"

—"Murphy expects other N.J. counties to get out of ICE contracts: 'My guess is we'll see more'"

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LOCAL

NEWARK — "Do Newark charter schools worsen segregation? A guide to the debate behind a major court case," by Chalkbeat's Patrick Wall: "A case currently before the state Supreme Court centers on Newark's sprawling set of charter schools — which now enroll more than a third of the city's public school students — and whether they have worsened school segregation. Segregation is one of several issues in the case, which hinges on the state's decision in 2016 to allow several charter schools to enroll more students. But during oral arguments last week, segregation quickly emerged as one of the case's most contentious topics. The court's ruling on the matter carries extra weight because it could preview the outcome of a separate lawsuit, which challenges school segregation across New Jersey. The questions at hand are as thorny as they are weighty. What counts as segregation? What role do charter schools play? And who, if anyone, is obligated to fix it?"

INZELBUCKS — "Lakewood school board OKs budget with $70M NJ loan request. It's 'unsustainable'," by The Asbury Park Press' Joe Strupp : "The Board of Education on Wednesday approved a $217 million budget that includes a request for more than $70 million in state loans. If the borrowing is approved, the financially strapped district's total state debt would reach nearly $200 million, a load district officials say cannot continue. 'I don't think you have to be an economist to realize that is unsustainable,' District Business Administrator Robert Finger said. 'We're not the federal government; we can't keep cranking out money on a printing press.' … The budget includes the same $750,000 for legal services as last year, the majority of which goes to board attorney and spokesman Michael Inzelbuch."

PAYING THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S LAWYER $700K+ HASN'T WORKED? — "These N.J. kids aren't getting a fair education, judge rules. But fix still isn't clear," by NJ Advance Media's Steve Strunsky: "A protracted legal battle to fix a perennial school funding imbalance unique to Lakewood has yielded what some see as a potential victory. An administrative law judge's ruled that the district's overwhelmingly poor, largely Hispanic public school students are not being provided the thorough and efficient education that is the right of every child in New Jersey under the state constitution. But the Lakewood math teacher and part-time lawyer who filed the legal action resulting in the ruling says his ultimate goal of getting the New Jersey Supreme Court to take the judge's decision a step further by declaring the state's school funding formula unconstitutional could be stalled by Lakewood's public school district itself. The district insists that its students are getting a thorough and efficient education, and in response to the judge's March 1 decision has asked the state commissioner of education to reopen the case at the administrative court level, and to elevate the district's standing, allowing it to file motions that would stretch the already 7-year-old case further into the future."

FROM THE TOWN THAT GAVE US SOLOMON DWEK — " Ordinance in Jersey Shore town would further restrict beach parking during summer," by News 12: "Trying to get a parking spot by the beach is already tight at the Jersey Shore, and the town of Deal wants to further restrict parking on five streets by making one side permit-only. Opponents say it's just the latest effort to restrict public beach access and cater to local homeowners. 'So, for the past few years, it seems like every year, it seems like clockwork, Deal tries to restrict parking only on this ocean block near the beach and we fought it back every year,' says John Weber, with the Surfrider Foundation. Weber says the Surfrider Foundation is ready to fight the latest ordinance in Deal."

SCHEISSER — "'He is a danger': Judge orders Sussex County man to remain held on rape charges," by The New Jersey Herald's Lori Comstock: "A Sussex County man whose 2017 sexual assault case sparked a falling-out between two county law enforcement agencies will remain in jail on new charges that he raped and strangled a woman in his Sandyston home, a judge ruled Tuesday. Ian Schweizer, 38, has a history of domestic violence, as evidenced by past harassment and contempt convictions that 'found him to be an abuser,' state Superior Court Judge N. Peter Conforti said during a virtual court hearing. Charges against Schweizer in his widely publicized 2017 case were eventually dismissed. But a judge initially found probable cause to detain him in that incident, and Conforti cited that decision in choosing to keep him jailed on the latest charges. Conforti said he was 'clearly convinced' the 6-foot-7-inch longtime Sussex County resident could pose a danger to the alleged victim."

CUMBERLAND — "Cumberland, jail inmates reach settlement in federal court case over COVID-19," by The Daily Journal's Joseph P. Smith: "Attorneys for Cumberland County and county jail inmates disclosed in federal court here Thursday morning a settlement in a class-action lawsuit over COVID-19 control measures at that facility. The heart of the settlement calls for a 'master' to be appointed, under federal court rules, to review the jail's COVID-19 policies and enforcement. The monitor's findings will be reported to the court for its approval or rejection … The negotiated agreement won immediate praise from an obviously pleased [U.S. District Court Judge Noel] Hillman, who called it a 'win-win.'"

MALONEY LAWSUIT RULED BALONEY — "Judge dismisses lawsuit by wrestling official in controversial South Jersey dreadlocks case," by The Philadelphia Inquirer's Melanie Burney: "A judge has dismissed a lawsuit by a suspended high school referee who gave a South Jersey wrestler only seconds to choose between having his dreadlocks cut or forfeiting his match in 2018. In a decision Tuesday, Superior Court Judge John Porto rejected defamation and other claims by veteran officiant Alan Maloney that the Buena Regional High School District in Atlantic County breached its duty to him by suspending him. Porto's decision on the lawsuit filed by Maloney last year against the district, its wrestling coach, and athletic director followed a motion by the district in March to dismiss the case."

—New Jerseyans still giving Murphy high marks for his handling of the pandemic, poll finds

—"Hoboken ordinance to ban officials hitting 'block' on social media fails while Monarch items pass"

—"Supply outstrips demand for COVID-19 vaccine in Newark"

—"Judge narrows Seidle children's suit against Monmouth prosecutor in mom's killing by dad"

—" Manville alleges malpractice in lawsuit against ex-borough attorney"

—"Developer withdraws from Wayne's affordable housing case, abandons plan for new apartments"

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EVERYTHING ELSE

STUDENTS SAVE MONEY TO USE FOR SHOTS AND BEERS — Rowan University requiring students to get vaccinated — and offering incentives, by POLITICO's Carly Sitrin: New Jersey's Rowan University will require students to get vaccinated before returning to campus in the fall and is offering $500 credits to those who get the shot. According to an announcement Thursday, full-time students at the South Jersey school who show proof of vaccination before July 31, 2021, will receive a $500 credit that will be applied to their fall 2021 course registration bill. Students living on campus will receive an additional $500 credit to their housing bill.

1,889 FEWER MASTROS SPENT — " NJ saw 29M fewer tourists last year, $17B less in spending thanks to COVID," by NJBIZ's Daniel J. Munoz: "Tourism visitation plunged 27% between 2019 and 2020 thanks to the pandemic, while spending in the local economy by tourists dropped 37%, according to a report released May 6 by the New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism. There were 86.4 million visitors to New Jersey in 2020, compared to a 'record-breaking' 116 million tourists in 2019, according to the report compiled by the Pennsylvania-based Tourism Economics and released by the NJTT. And while tourists spent $46.4 billion in the state in 2019, that dropped to $29.4 billion in 2020, breaking a decade of growth that began in 2009 following the Great Recession."

THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE — "It's no conspiracy. Legacy of late-night radio legend Art Bell is at stake in NJ lawsuit," by The Record's Tom Nobile: "What's unfolding in a New Jersey court might confound even the late-night radio legend and king of conspiracies Art Bell. In one corner is David Rubini, a fast-talking on-air talent with a Texas twang, who styles himself a former protégé of Bell's and his disciple on the radio mic. Rubini's nemesis, Michael Marshalek of Hoboken, is a conspiracy-radio fan turned anti-face mask crusader. Of late, he faces charges for allegedly holding his 5-year-old son captive during a police standoff over COVID restrictions. At stake is a piece of Bell's legacy — a collection of the Radio Hall of Famer's final shows before he passed away in 2018. Rubini claims that Marshalek invested in his online radio venture and then stole Bell's archives. He aims to get them back. Is it a shadowy conspiracy? An alien plot? Longtime listeners of Bell might suspect so. From the JFK assassination and Area 51 to the Loch Ness monster, ghosts and chupacabras, any mystery — no matter how far-fetched — could sound plausible over the mystical midnight airwaves that Bell dominated for years. Only this dispute is no conspiracy. It's a lawsuit."

—" N.J. Catholic hospital exploring sale to Capital Health"

—"800 baby turtles rescued from storm drains in 3 Jersey Shore towns"

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