| | | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | Presented by Ørsted | Good Monday morning! I recently wrote about a coming ad blitz from Gov. Murphy's reelection campaign, which maxed out the $7.3 million it's allowed to raise in the matching fund program for the primary but has so far not run a single ad. Well, here it comes. The Murphy campaign plans to spend almost $5 million on TV and digital advertising from Tuesday through June 7. The first ad, which the Murphy campaign will release soon, talks about how New Jersey was "tested" during the pandemic and then talks about small business aid, the minimum wage hike, education and reproductive rights. The governor has the luxury of having no primary opponents. "With less than a month to go until the June 8 Democratic primary, we are ramping up a coordinated effort to communicate directly with voters, highlighting Governor Murphy's leadership in building a stronger and fairer post-pandemic economy that works for everyone," Murphy for Governor Campaign Manager Mollie Binotto said in a statement. "Today, we are launching a multi-platform paid media effort, spanning both television and digital, to remind voters that we will keep moving forward under Governor Murphy's leadership." So in case you haven't been tuning into the governor's frequent coronavirus press conferences, you're about to see a lot more of him — whether you want to or not. WHERE'S MURPHY — In Trenton for a 1 p.m. coronavirus press conference. Media: "Ask Governor Murphy" on News 12 at 4:30 p.m. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, Princeton University's Nicole Sutterley Moen, Menendez staffer Jeremy Julis QUOTE OF THE DAY : "It almost felt like a mythical place … There would regularly be some article about Wawa. By the time I got there, I was like, 'It's real!' Walking into a Wawa ultimately felt like … it was kind of an honor, in a funny way, because to me that was the heart of DelCo. So to finally walk through the door of a Wawa … I don't know why I felt like, 'Oh, yes, I'm here, I belong. This is where it's at. Wawa.'" — Kate Winslett CORONAVIRUS TRACKER — 673 newly-reported positive PCR tests for a total of 880,560. 13 more deaths for a total of 25,801. 3,598,660 fully vaccinated, or about 38.7 percent of the population. 1,118 hospitalized, 262 in intensive care. PROGRAMMING NOTE — Katherine Landergan will helm Tuesday's Playbook while I attend to a personal matter. I'll be back in your inbox first thing Wednesday. | | | | A message from Ørsted: Together, we have helped New Jersey progress towards its ambitious renewable energy goals and plant the seeds of green growth. But at Ørsted, we want to go further. With Ocean Wind 2, we can deliver an additional 1,200 MW to power 500,000 New Jersey homes with clean, reliable energy. Building upon our firm roots, we want to grow a healthier Garden State that is sustainable and equitable. Learn more: us.orsted.com/newjersey | | |
|  | WHAT TRENTON MADE | |
4.4 MASTROS — $40M fund to help undocumented immigrants, others in New Jersey excluded from benefits, by POLITICO's Daniel Han: Thousands of undocumented immigrants and other New Jerseyans will soon be eligible for one-time cash benefits of up to $2,000, part of a $40 million fund Gov. Phil Murphy announced Friday to help people who have been excluded from federal relief efforts during the pandemic. The assistance program — part of an overall economic relief package that includes $235 million in state money funding for small businesses — will be funded through executive action with what's left of federal CARES Act money the state received. The one-time benefit will be available to anyone excluded from federal stimulus efforts, regardless of immigration status. Individuals will be eligible for up to $1,000 while households can get up to $2,000. The income limit will be $55,000. It's expected the program will benefit 20,000 to 30,000 people, so many who qualify probably won't receive anything as the money will likely run out. There are nearly half-a-million undocumented immigrants in New Jersey.
EDNA MAHAN — "NJ paying $1.3M to consultant to advise on women's prison," by The AP's Mike Catalini: "New Jersey taxpayers are on the hook for about $1.3 million in fees to a criminal justice consultant to help the Department of Corrections amid a criminal investigation into what the attorney general said was a 'brutal attack' on inmates at the state's only women's prison, according to public documents. The department announced in February that it had hired the Moss Group as a consultant to provide technical support, policy development and other advice at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women. The cost of the agreement wasn't announced at that time, but legislative budget documents show the cost of the two-year deal will tally about $1.3 million." THE GANJA STATE — "What's in a name? New Jersey draws distinction for term cannabis.," by The Press of Atlantic City's Bill Barlow : "In municipal meetings throughout New Jersey, elected officials are learning a new vocabulary as they wrestle with setting local policies on the sale and public use of marijuana. Or, um, cannabis. Sometimes they slip into more colloquial terms such as 'weed' or 'pot.' But most correct themselves, opting for the more formal name. 'We don't allow alcohol. We shouldn't allow marijuana or cannabis or whatever you want to call it,' said Ocean City Councilwoman Karen Bergman during an April meeting as the city formalized an ordinance banning dispensaries anywhere in town. It's more than just semantics. Guidance issued this year to law enforcement officers from state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal draws a distinction between 'regulated cannabis' and 'marijuana and hashish,' with the latter still defined as a controlled dangerous substance, a legal term for illegal drugs … I think that it's kind of weird how they're doing that," said Ed Grimes of the organization Sativa Cross, which advocates for access to medical marijuana. He said he and others in New Jersey voted overwhelmingly to legalize marijuana last November. 'That doesn't seem like real legalization to me. It just seems like it's creating more division.'" LET'S HOPE THERE'S NOT A 'JERSEY COMEBACK' — "New Jersey, one of the hardest hit states last year, is seeing cases decline significantly," by The New York Times' Michael Gold and Dan Levin: "New coronavirus cases have fallen drastically in New Jersey, where at times this spring the virus was spreading faster than anywhere else in the United States. Over the past two weeks, the state has seen its average number of new daily drop by 61 percent, according to a New York Times database. New Jersey's case numbers are dropping along with the rest of the country's. But the state's decline is the steepest in the United States and its rate of new daily cases per person is now just above the national average. 'Clearly vaccinations are playing a role in this,' said Dr. Edward Lifshitz." WILL THERE BE AN IMMUNO COMPROMISE? — New Jersey lawmaker wants to end civil immunity for health care providers, by POLITICO's Sam Sutton: State Sen. Nia Gill is proposing legislation for introduction that would disarm the liability shield granted to health care providers, hospitals and long-term care facilities in the early days of the pandemic. Gill (D-Essex) was one of just three lawmakers to oppose the immunity shield when it was first introduced by lawmakers last spring as Covid-19 case counts were climbing and hospitals in New Jersey's northern counties were running out of staff and critical supplies. "It is crucial that procedures and treatments that are unrelated to COVID-19 should not be given immunity based upon the extension of the state of emergency declaration," Gill said in a statement THE CHRIS CHRISITE CENTER FOR POLITICIANS WHO CAN'T YELL GOOD AND WANNA LEARN TO DO OTHER STUFF GOOD TOO — Christie Institute for Public Policy releases tax filings, by POLITICO's Sam Suttom: Michele Brown, former Gov. Chris Christie's longtime confidante, is earning $90,000 in her new role as head of the Christie Institute for Public Policy, according to recently released tax filings. The 2019 filing, the broad contours of which were previously reported by POLITICO, includes more detail about the inner workings of the institute, which the combative Christie has pitched as a vehicle for bringing civility back to the political discourse. Brown is the nonprofit's lone employee. SALTY SANDERS — On reinstating SALT deduction: "It sends a terrible, terrible message...You can't be on the side of the wealthy and the powerful if you're gonna really fight for working families." —New Jersey might offer cash for getting a vaccine, Murphy says —"Murphy gliding in NJ's primary; GOP wrestling with Trump" —"No N.J. community college has dorms on campus. That could change under new bill" | | | | 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 | |
IMMIGRATION — "ICE detainees and corrections officers clash at Bergen County Jail over contraband search," by The Record's Nicholas Katzban and Monsy Alvarado: "ICE detainees at the Bergen County Jail were placed on lockdown Monday after they clashed with corrections officers who discovered contraband, the Sheriff's Office said Friday. Five detainees were placed on lockdown as a result of the melee and institutionally charged with rioting, refusing orders and possession of unauthorized items. Meanwhile, two others suffered effects from pepper spray, which officers deployed to subdue the crowd, according to a statement from the Sheriff's Office. 'After careful consideration, the incident is under investigation and was forwarded to the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office for further review,' Sheriff Anthony Cureton said."
THAT WAS PROBABLY INADVISABLE — "Homesick NJ Army recruit hijacks school bus full of kids at gunpoint," by NJ 101.5's Dan Alexander: "A New Jersey man three weeks into his Army basic training hijacked a bus in an attempt to return home from South Carolina on Thursday morning, according to the base's public affairs office. Pvt. Jovan Collazo, armed with an Army-issued M-4 carbine rifle without ammunition, hijacked the bus in Richland County and ordered the driver at gunpoint to take him to the next town. The public affairs office said the 23-year-old from Plainfield, New Jersey, left Fort Jackson while his unit was cleaning up after unit physical training before breakfast." — 'The last thing we need is an oil spill': Pallone says ban Atlantic offshore drilling" —"Group hitting N.J. Dems over bill to cut drug prices got millions from pharm industry" —" [Malinowski] criticized after U.S. intelligence contradicts statements on Russian bounties" —"If we don't fill judicial vacancies now, justice will suffer when we return to normal | Opinion" —Steinberg: " Murphy's handling of the pandemic: The worst news for the Republicans from the Monmouth poll" | | | | A message from Ørsted:   | | | | | LOCAL | |
A COUPLE OF GUYS WHO WERE UP TO NO GOOD, STARTED MAKING TROUBLE IN THE COLLINGSWOOD — Proxy war: Dark money group led by Norcross friend dominates small town election, by POLITICO's Matt Friedman: Collingswood, the sole Camden County town where progressive opponents of the South Jersey Democratic machine have gained a foothold, is being papered with flyers from a dark money group run by a friend of power broker George Norcross in support of the mayor and his running mates in an ostensibly nonpartisan election. The flyers from the nonprofit group Committee for Responsible Governance largely tout the thriving Philadelphia suburb's success under the leadership of Jim Maley, who's served as a borough commissioner for 32 years and as mayor for 24 years. They also accuse Kate Delany, a Norcross critic who is running for commissioner, of trying to "tear our community apart." The group is run by Dennis Culnan Sr., a friend of Norcross who runs a public affairs firm and is a former reporter for the Courier-Post newspaper. Meanwhile, the New Jersey Working Families Alliance, an advocacy group that's been at political war with the South Jersey Democratic machine and is run by a Delany ally, is mailing flyers of its own in support of Delany and others challenging Maley and his two running mates.
VICARI PROPOSES USING STIMULUS FUNDS TO DEVELOP JEDI MIND TRICK POWERS — " Ocean County Commissioner Joe Vicari says he never said what everyone heard him say," by The Asbury Park Press' Erik Larsen: "Ocean County Commissioner Joseph H. Vicari on Wednesday denied he made public comments that he wanted to start up a county-owned newspaper with federal COVID-19 aid, despite the fact his statements were captured on video and recorded in official minutes of the meeting. Vicari, 74, of Toms River, said therefore there was no truth to an Asbury Park Press report about his statement at the April 21 meeting of the Board of Commissioners, which was part of a larger diatribe about how he was not getting enough media coverage. Two weeks ago, Vicari said in public remarks from the dais of the Board of Commissioners: '(The Division of) Public Information is trying to get a count of how many people in Ocean County purchase the newspapers. … Going back about four months ago, I suggested, perhaps with the CARES Act money, that we can do a local paper paid for by that funding. Therefore, we can give (residents) the public information that is so necessary … Two weeks later, Vicari now says those comments never happened. 'Absolutely not true,' Vicari said Wednesday about the Press article, during his public remarks at the most recent commission session. 'There was never, never anything issued by this board or anyone on the governing body, that I have ever heard, about starting our own newspaper.'" ( Video) WHO NEEDS A HOUSE OUT IN HACKENSACK? IS THAT ALL YOU GET FOR YOUR MONEY? — "Hackensack council race comes amid housing construction boom," by The Record's Terrence T. McDonald and Katie Sobko: "As a residential building boom promises to transform Hackensack, voters on Tuesday will decide whether to continue with city leadership that has touted the changes or choose candidates who pledge to move Hackensack in a new direction. All five City Council seats are up for grabs in the quadrennial election, which pits a team headed by two-term Mayor John Labrosse against one slate of progressive challengers led by Leila Amirhamzeh and another ticket headed by Deputy Mayor David Sims, a former Labrosse ally. Hackensack municipal races are nonpartisan. Voters here traditionally elect an entire slate in a sweep, with only two exceptions in the last 36 years … The building boom has emerged as a chief issue in this campaign. The city estimates 3,500 new apartments will be added to its downtown area by the end of this year, part of $1 billion in new real estate citywide. For Labrosse and his allies, the boom is evidence of the success of their policies, which they argue have made Hackensack a destination on par with Hoboken and Jersey City." WE MUST NOT EXPOSE THEM TO DANGEROUS NY IDEAS — "School board nixes plans to send kids to N.Y. high school ," by NJ Advance Media's Rob Jennings: "It was the only school district in New Jersey where students attended high school in New York, and the arrangement lasted for 85 years. Now a plan to resume sending students from Montague to Port Jervis High School has collapsed, seven years after the rural K-8 district in New Jersey's northwestern corner switched to High Point Regional High School in Wantage. The Montague school board has rescinded a request to the New Jersey education commissioner, unanimously approved by the same board under different membership in October 2019, and will keep sending students to High Point. It is the latest and perhaps final twist in a debate that has endured for decades in Montague, the only New Jersey municipality bordering both New York and Pennsylvania. Supporters of Port Jervis cited the promise of reduced costs and the incentive of qualifying for reduced, in-person college tuition rates in both New York and New Jersey, while advocates for High Point said they preferred keeping students in their home state." R.I.P. — "Ben Simmermon, longtime Salem freeholder, dies at 80" —"Dover residents hold solidarity march amid deadly protests in Colombia" —"Englewood Cliffs fills seat of councilwoman who resigned after complaining of bullying" —" Here's how Edgewater spent $1.6 million fighting one waterfront development" —"Edison rivals have contrasting reactions to language at mayoral forum" —" Dougherty rejoices in establishment support" —"'We will not let him die in vain': Hasani Best's birthday brings calls for police reform" —Moran: " Newark charter schools hit for serving too many Black students. That's nuts" | | | | JOIN THURSDAY FOR A CONVERSATION ON TRANSGENDER POLITICIANS: More transgender people got elected to office at all levels across the country in 2020, in both blue and red states – and that number is likely to continue to grow. During the last year, constituents across America elected six transgender candidates at the state level as transgender rights gain more attention across the country. Join POLITICO Nightly: Daytime Edition for a conversation featuring transgender elected officials as they discuss their experiences running for and serving in public office. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | EVERYTHING ELSE | |
NEWSIES — "Staffers at The Record, 2 other NJ news sites vote to unionize," by The Record's Brian Sharp: "Staffers at three New Jersey newspapers owned by Gannett voted Friday to jointly unionize. The Record Guild – part of the NewsGuild of New York – represents editorial staff at The Record, the Daily Record and New Jersey Herald. They organized over demands for better pay and health benefits, diverse hiring practices as well as a transparent and standardized system for promotion and pay raises. Friday's vote was 59-4, in an election run by the National Labor Relations Board. 'It is just a great day for our Guild, and I am proud of our members,' said Katie Sobko, a reporter for The Record the past 10 years who is one of the union organizers. 'But our work doesn't stop here.' The union will represent 82 staffers across the three newsrooms. It went public in February, asking Gannett to recognize the union voluntarily. When the company declined, organizers filed for an election with the federal labor board."
ADULT BECOMES VIOLENT DURING GAME PLAYED BY CHILDREN — "N.J. lacrosse coach fired after hitting rival player in on-field altercation," by NJ Advance Media's Mike Kinney: "An assistant boys lacrosse coach at top-ranked Don Bosco Prep has been dismissed from his post following a shoving incident against a player from St. Joseph Regional during their NJILL-Gibbs Division game Saturday afternoon in Ramsey … According to a spectator who asked not to be identified, an exchange of words between two opposing players developed into a brief scuffle. Coaches from both teams entered the field to address the fracas. Soon after, the Don Bosco coach confronted a St. Joseph player and forcefully pushed him to the ground with two hands to the youngster's chest." —"New Jersey may never reach herd immunity from COVID. Here's what that means" —Mulshine: "At Rutgers Law School, the wannabe lawyers need to research First Amendment law" —Kelly: "What are the limits of free speech now?" —"Cannabis company opens its flagship dispensary in N.J. It's the 17th in the state" — "N.J.-based company makes a point with COVID syringes" | | | | A message from Ørsted: From building the world's first offshore wind farm to becoming the global leader, offshore wind is what we do. It's what brought Ørsted and New Jersey together.
With Ocean Wind 2, we can continue to help New Jersey deliver on its goal of powering more than 3.2 million homes with offshore wind by 2035 - building a hub for this new American industry, while mitigating the effects of climate change.
By bringing an additional $1 billion of in-state spending through Ocean Wind 2, we will invest in new facilities, harness homegrown talent, and further support local communities and businesses. Ørsted is committed to growing a Garden State that is green all the way to its roots – that values equity, creates new opportunities and embraces diversity.
Learn more: us.orsted.com/newjersey | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment