| | | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | Presented by Pre-K Our Way | Good Tuesday morning! Gov. Phil Murphy announced some more easing of coronavirus policies yesterday, including ending the outdoor mask mandate, but really, all the attention is on the indoor mask mandate. Now that our neighboring states are ditching the mandate, Murphy's decision sticks out even further. More from Sam Sutton on this below. I won't be surprised if Murphy starts feeling pressure from within his own party . California Gov. Gavin Newsom just announced that his state will end the indoor mask mandate on June 15. Perhaps Murphy will consult with Brent Spiner and set a date. WHERE'S MURPHY — In Trenton for a 10:15 a.m. groundbreaking ceremony. QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I hope I don't lose her votes." — State Sen. Richard Codey (D-Essex) endorsing Assemblymember BettyLou DeCroce (R-Morris) for reelection. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — State Sen. Vin Gopal, NJ Advance Media's Susan K. Livio, The AP's Josh Lederman, Willingboro Councilmember Darvis Holley CORONAVIRUS TRACKER — 490 newly-reported positive PCR tests for a total of 883,272. 827 hospitalized, 188 in intensive care. 13 more deaths for a total of 25,975. 3,701,800 fully vaccinated, or about 40 percent of the population. BE ON THE LOOKOUT — Monmouth University Polling Institute will release results today on "the public's recollections of Chris Christie's eight years in office and views on a possible second presidential run" as well as periodic ratings of former governors. MARK YOUR CALENDAR — An hour-long tribute to the Politifax editor, "A Look Back at Pasta & Politics with Nick Acocella," will air opn NJ PBS at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 16. | | | | 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 | |
MASKNESS — On masks, New Jersey's Murphy goes it alone, by POLITICO's Sam Sutton : New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is refusing to lift his indoor mask mandate for vaccinated residents, putting the Democrat at odds with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and creating a fresh opening for Republicans looking to knock him off his perch as he campaigns for reelection. With the state's infection rate plummeting and Covid-19 hospitalizations a small fraction of where they stood last spring, New Jersey will soon be one of the only states — and alone among its neighbors in the Northeast — to require face coverings at restaurants, retailers and indoor venues. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Connecticut's Ned Lamont will suspend mask mandates for vaccinated residents on Wednesday, the same day indoor capacity restrictions across the tri-state region are scheduled to be lifted. Pennsylvania has already shifted its guidance to match the CDC's. Even Delaware, a frequent punching bag of New Jersey's official Twitter account, plans to lift both indoor and outdoor mask mandates later this week. Leaders across the region have largely moved in unison on major Covid-19 announcements, and Murphy's delay isolates the self-proclaimed progressive on a critical facet of the reopening as he preps for a reelection campaign that will focus heavily on his management of the pandemic.
MO' MASTROS — "Tax forecasts continue to brighten in New Jersey, by POLITICO's Katherine Landergan: State Treasurer Elizabeth Maher Muoio said Monday her staff is confident New Jersey's revenue forecasts will continue to increase by hundreds of millions of dollars as the economy opens back up. New Jersey is already expecting a sizable surplus of more than $6 billion, and is set to receive $6.4 billion more from the American Rescue Plan that it can spend over several years. Muoio told the Assembly Budget Committee the state's economic outlook is "looking positive and continues to improve." Federal stimulus dollars have been a "game-changer" for residents and businesses, she said. BACK TO SCHOOL — Murphy: New Jersey schools will open for full-time, in-person learning this fall, by POLITICO's Carly Sitrin : New Jersey students will be attending classes in-person, full-time this fall, Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday. Murphy said his executive order, first issued in August 2020, allowing school districts to provide remote instruction will expire at the end of this school year and he will not renew it. As a result, families will not be able to choose a remote option for students in the fall, Murphy said during his regular briefing in Trenton, announcing that, barring any community outbreaks, "buildings will be fully open." Murphy said school districts should anticipate receiving detailed guidance on reopening expectations in June. Camps and educational programming for this summer will not be impacted by Monday's announcement and will still be required to follow relevant health and safety protocols, Murphy said. GEORGE ON MY MIND — "After a bitter turf war, New Jersey Democrats now bask in 'detente'," by The Record's Charles Stile: "It was a mere two years ago that the kingpins of the vaunted South Jersey Democratic machine openly mocked Gov. Phil Murphy as a bumbling, deer-in-the-headlights newcomer. George Norcross III, the architect of the operation, publicly lambasted Murphy as an incompetent liar who sported Pinocchio's ever-extending nose. And state Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, Norcross' childhood friend, blocked Murphy's big-ticket promises. Team Murphy, meanwhile, went on the warpath, fastening a harsh spotlight on Norcross-allied companies that settled in his home base of Camden after receiving a steady flow of state tax dollars from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. But these days, there is peace in the valley where there was once an unbridgeable divide. The bloodletting, stemming from mutual suspicion and contempt, has been replaced — at least temporarily — with displays of cordiality, even bro-love brio — much to the chagrin of some of Murphy's progressive allies. And the transformation from enemies to allies is stunning … Murphy staged a panel discussion with the White House Coronavirus Task Force at Cooper University Hospital, where Norcross has been chairman of the foundation. During that event, Norcross praised Murphy's leadership. Murphy returned the gushing praise, noting that Norcross "stood tall in this community and with this medical center for decades." GAMBLING INDUSTRY LEAVES NOTHING TO CHANCE — "Atlantic City casinos need 5-year pilot relief, NJ assemblyman says ," by PlayNJ's David Danzis: "State Assemblyman John Armato, D-Atlantic, introduced a bill to alter the 10-year casino payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) law. The legislation would revise the annual amount owed by the casinos for the next five years in light of COVID-19's impact on the industry. The amount Atlantic City casinos pay in annual property taxes is directly tied to gross gambling revenue. The casinos make payments based on total revenue from brick-and-mortar gambling, iGaming, and sports betting. The casino PILOT bill directly ties annual payments to total gambling revenue. If the gambling industry does well, the amount paid out goes up. A rise in revenue from online gambling and sports betting helped offset losses at brick-and-mortar casinos last year. However, much of that revenue does not go to Atlantic City casinos. It goes to third-party operators. As a result, Atlantic City casinos are paying taxes on revenue that does not go to them. Atlantic City casinos believe that is unfair." —"Casino activity surges as COVID pandemic wanes" WHY SO HIRSH? — "Ciattarelli on the attack," by InsiderNJ's Fred Snowflack: "A Ciattarelli mailer offered GOP voters a double feature of sorts. One side of the mailer sharply attacked Hirsh Singh; the other side went after Phil Rizzo, Both Singh and Rizzo are coming at Ciattarelli from the right. In truth, neither appears to be a serious threat. There certainly is a very conservaive element among Republican primary voters, but as recent elections have shown, they're not a majority. And in this case, that vote will be split between two candidates. Now, there was a poll circulated a few weeks ago published by the right-wing Daily Caller that showed Singh and Ciattarelli within the margin of error. Rizzo was in single digits. That poll, which also had a huge bloc of undecided voters, probably needs to be taken with the proverbial grain of salt. Ciattarelli, however, apparently wants to leave nothing to chance." THE MOST IMPORTANT ARTICLE YOU'LL EVER READ — Weinberg, Kean team up on Kangaroo Protection Act of 2021, by POLITICO's Matt Friedman: The majority and minority leaders of the New Jersey state Senate agree on at least one thing: Kangaroos need protection. Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg and Minority Leader Tom Kean Jr. have introduced the Kangaroo Protection Act of 2021, NJ S3774 (20R), that would ban the sale of products, such as shoes, made with kangaroo parts. Violators would face a $1,000 fine and 30 days in jail. "That's one of the largest bipartisan agreements in the State of New Jersey," Weinberg said in a phone interview, jokingly. Weinberg said she got the idea for the bill from former state Sen. Raymond Lesniak, a Democrat from Union County who pushed many animal rights bills during his decades in office. She soon learned Kean was already working on the measure. —"Jersey officials fret over impact of 'congestion pricing' plan" | | | | SUBSCRIBE TO WEST WING PLAYBOOK: Add West Wing Playbook to keep up with the power players, latest policy developments and intriguing whispers percolating inside the West Wing and across the highest levels of the Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | |
| | BIDEN TIME | |
PRO-CHOICE UNLESS IT PUTS ONE SEAT IN THE LEGISLATURE AT RISK — "N.J. should act to protect abortion rights with Supreme Court case looming, advocates say," by NJ Advance Media's Susan K. Livio: "Female lawmakers and pro-choice advocates in New Jersey have warned that abortion rights are under threat since the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg eight months ago and the appointment of conservative jurist Amy Coney Barrett to replace her. On Monday, those concerns intensified after the U.S. Supreme Court announced it would review Mississippi's ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy … Moments after the announcement, activists and a vocal group of Democratic lawmakers renewed their calls for the state Legislature to approve the Reproductive Freedom Act, introduced last year, that would enshrine the right to abortion and other reproductive health care for women under New Jersey law. 'It shouldn't take for our rights to be at such great peril to take action,' said Roxanne Sutocky, director of Community Engagement for the Women's Centers … The bill (S3030) has stalled because the entire Legislature is on the ballot in November. Even in a reliably pro-abortion rights state, Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex, who control the fate of all bills, are reluctant to take on such a volatile issue during an election year."
— Supreme Court will hear direct challenge to Roe v. Wade —"Feds continue to jail alleged Proud Boys member that judge in N.J. decided to free"
| | | | A message from Pre-K Our Way:   | | |
| | LOCAL | |
HE'S OUT TO GET YOU, BETTER LEAVE WHILE YOU CAN — "Paterson Councilman Michael Jackson threatens colleague, says 'I will beat' Luis Velez," by The Record's Joe Malinconico: "Councilman Luis Velez is asking for extra security at Tuesday night's City Council meeting after his colleague, Councilman Michael Jackson, repeatedly threatened to beat him up last week. 'I will (expletive) you up on TV,' Jackson told Velez during a phone conversation last Wednesday morning recorded by Velez. 'I will (expletive) you up right in that council chamber.' At various times in that conversation, Jackson called Velez a variety of profanities and slurs. Velez filed a police report about the threats and said the matter has been referred to the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office .. Jackson, in a Monday interview, said he threatened Velez because he was told that Velez made disparaging comments about his son. During the interview, Jackson restated the threat against Velez. 'If he makes one more attempt to talk about my child, I will beat his (expletive),' Jackson said, then making reference to domestic violence charges filed against Velez in 2019."
CLOSTER-PHOBIA — "School board president's lawsuit alleges board member to blame for election flyer," by The Record's Ricardo Kaulessar : "The president of the Northern Valley Regional High School District Board of Education is suing another board member alleging she was behind the effort to produce an election flyer last year accusing him of being a racist and 'disrespectful' to students, among other things. Closter resident Joseph Argenziano says in his defamation lawsuit ... that Kathy Fable, an Old Tappan resident, worked with other parties in an attempt to damage his reputation 'through libelous campaign literature and emails as well as engaging in slanderous conduct.' The campaign literature he refers to is a mailer that arrived at Closter homes in October when he was running for another term on the school board … The flyer, both back and front, was peppered with charges such as 'NVD Students accuse him of BEING A BULLY AND A RACIST,' 'Many parents, students, elected officials, and residents describe him as RUDE & DISRESPECTFUL at every public meeting,' and he had 'secretly been planning a tax-payer-funded 10 MILLION POOL.'" WAYNE WORLD — "Wayne sued by transgender employee over bullying, hostile work environment," by The Record's Philip DeVcencentis: "When Tori-Ann Corrado confided in her superior at the public works yard that she would be transitioning to a woman, the boss allegedly snickered in her face. According to a new complaint filed in state Superior Court in Paterson, Corrado has since been subjected to overt bullying and harassment on a regular basis at the complex on Dey Road. The abusive conduct has been so bad, Corrado claims in the 13-page lawsuit, that she is now going through counseling. Both the township and her boss, Mark Schwind, are named as defendants." UNFONTOURNATE — " In race for sheriff, primary rival calls for investigation into 5-year-old crash," by NJ Advance Media's Rebecca Panico : "The challenger in the upcoming Democratic primary for Essex County sheriff is calling for an independent investigation into a 2016 crash involving incumbent Sheriff Armando Fontoura in which he struck a pedestrian firefighter. John Arnold, Jr., a former Newark deputy police director and minister, alleges Fontoura left the scene of the Newark crash but wasn't charged. Arnold said it's he was calling for an investigation since it was a matter of public trust … Fontoura, the Essex sheriff for about 30 years, said Arnold 'made up' that he left the scene. The sheriff said he immediately got out of his SUV when he realized his side-view mirror hit the pedestrian and stayed at the scene until a Newark police officer told him he could go … A crash report provided by Arnold's campaign - as well as a civil suit filed in the matter - do not indicate any hit and run either." BACK THE BLUE METH — "Long Branch cop charged with running meth lab from home," by The Asbury Park Press' Amanda Oglesby and Ken Serrano: "A longtime Long Branch police officer was arrested and suspended without pay this weekend after authorities allegedly found a meth lab at his home on West End Avenue. Police were called to the home of officer Christopher Walls, 50, on Saturday night for a domestic disturbance. While there, a resident in the home told police that Walls was involved in 'suspicious narcotics activity,' according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office. The New Jersey State Police Hazmat Unit responded to the home and found chemicals, material and instruments commonly used in methamphetamine laboratories in Walls' basement and in a shed on the property, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni said in a news release. The hazmat unit also found methamphetamine residue in chemistry-related glassware on the property, the prosecutor said. Walls also had books related to making methamphetamine, explosives and poison, he said." HE WILL NOT BE TREAD ON — "Former Jersey City Ward B Councilman Chris Gadsden announces bid for at-large seat," by Hudson County View's John Heinis: "Former Jersey City Ward B Councilman Chris Gadsden has announced that he'll be on the ballot again this fall, this time seeking a seat at-large. 'I decided to give it a shot again because even if the opposition has the money, there's a need for that authentic, community-minded leadership. People know the body of work I've had in the past 27 years or so,' he said in a phone interview … Gadsden is no stranger to being on the ballot in Jersey City: coming up short in 2013, when Khemraj "Chico" Ramchal was victorious before eventually winning the seat in a 2016 special election. Ramchal was forced to resign after a drunk driving incident and Gadsden defeated John Hallanan, who was briefly appointed to the post. However Gadsden, the Lincoln High School principal, lost to current incumbent Mira Prinz-Arey in the December 2017 runoff." —"Bodycam footage shows Trenton cops taunting, manhandling 64-year-old grandfather who later died" —" Bass River State Forest wildfire creates haze over Ocean County" —"South Orange-Maplewood teacher sued a year after pleading guilty to sex abuse of students" —" Suspended Essex County detective indicted by grand jury for official misconduct"
| | | | JOIN WEDNESDAY - "THE RECAST" LIVE CONVERSATION: Earlier this year, we launched "The Recast" newsletter breaking down the changing power dynamics in America and how race and identity shape politics, policy and power. We are recasting how we report on this crucial intersection by bringing you fresh insights, scoops, dispatches from across the country and new voices that challenge "business as usual." Join Brakkton Booker, "The Recast" newsletter author and national political correspondent at POLITICO, for a live conversation with Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.); Malika Redmond, co-founder, president and CEO of Women Engaged; Sonal Shah, founding president, The Asian American Foundation; and Lauren Williams, co-founder, CEO and editor in chief of Capital B, about redefining power in America. REGISTER HERE. | | | | |
| | EVERYTHING ELSE | |
HIGHER ED — Stockton faculty 'insulted' president gave bonuses to administrators, furloughed employees, by Carly: Faculty at New Jersey's Stockton University say they felt "betrayed" and "insulted" after discovering the school's president approved bonus payments for administrators during the height of the pandemic while other employees took unpaid furloughs. Documents obtained by POLITICO through an Open Public Records Request reveal five high-level administrators at the university received supplemental payments of $6,000 to $7,000 each for "performing extra duties and 24/7 service to the University during the COVID-19 pandemic" in June 2020. The payments came as faculty and staff were told they'd have to take furloughs to save the university from a worsening financial crisis. "A common feeling was a sense of betrayal," Christine Tartaro, a professor of criminal justice said in an interview. "In the summer when we were negotiating the furloughs we were told time and time again that the financial situation was dire. They were going to start to lay off people but if we all collectively sacrificed they could save jobs."
—"Stockton University is requiring incoming students to take courses on race. Will other colleges follow?" —"N.J. restaurants can't find staff to hire. Ex-employees tell us why" —"'Still in a tough place': What NJ restaurant owners want you to know" —"Krispy Kreme New Jersey announces $15 minimum wage for employees" —"Chilling Facebook message renews N.J. woman's fight for justice: 'So I raped you'" —"A pizzeria owner who wants to reinvent local farming—and still sling a tasty pie" | | | | 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.
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