News: POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Ciattarelli makes another debate play to Democrats

Tuesday, October 12, 2021

POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Ciattarelli makes another debate play to Democrats

Oct 12, 2021

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By Matt Friedman

Presented by the Consumer Action Network

Good Wednesday morning!

Another debate, another moderate turn from Jack Ciattarelli.

Ciattarelli had a lot of people scratching their heads earlier this summer when he stressed culture war positions on masks and LGBTQ education. It sounded like he was still speaking to the GOP base.

But now, for the second time in two weeks , Ciattarelli has taken a very non-right-wing position. While he still supports a post-20 week abortion ban and speaks favorably of parental notification laws, Ciattarelli said that if the Supreme Court does overturn Roe v. Wade, he would support writing abortion rights into state law. That's the base case the left makes for the Reproductive Freedom Act, which of course does much more than just that.

At the debate two weeks ago, Ciattarelli came out in favor of keeping the state's law allowing undocumented immigrants to get driver's licenses, which he previously said he'd scrap.

Are we once again seeing the Ciattarelli we knew in the Assembly?

Read the debate recap from Katherine Landergan and Daniel Han here.

WHERE'S MURPHY? In Trenton for a 2 p.m. coronavirus press conference

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "In urban areas, you can be anything, just don't be gay … You can be a drug dealer; people will support you." — Trenton council candidate Kadja Manuel, who's openly gay

TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at at mfriedman@politico.com.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Carpenters' Anthony Abrantes, Garwood Councilmember Vincent Kearney , former Assemblymember Jason O'Donnell, former Murphy Chief Counsel Matt Platkin

A message from the Consumer Action Network:

New Jersey families deserve access to health care that works best for them. The state legislature unanimously passed a bill that would allow patients to keep seeing their providers in a way that works best for them. The bill requires that doctors and nurses keep getting paid fairly, just as they have done throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Tell Gov. Phil Murphy: Sign the telehealth bill today. Make your voice heard.

WHAT TRENTON MADE

DIANE ALLEN TAUGHT HIM — Ciattarelli offers his definition of 'white privilege,' by POLITICO's Daniel Han: Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli gave his definition of "white privilege" during Tuesday night's debate, answering a question he had dodged in the past. "Black communities plagued by disinvestment for decades," Ciattarelli said, emphasizing economic development, expanded health care, affordable housing and eradicating "food deserts" to help disadvantaged communities. "Have whites had access to things that people of color have not? Yes, that's a sad fact," Ciattarelli said from the debate stage. "Has the black race been disadvantaged and marginalized? Yes, that's a sad fact. But we need to address it."

— Ciattarelli dings Murphy over appearance at maskless gathering, by POLITICO's Sam Sutton: Gov. Phil Murphy's brief appearance on stage at Garden State Equality's annual fundraising ball in Asbury Park this weekend has created a new line of attack for Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli: Why wasn't anyone wearing a mask? Ciattarelli, who opposes Murphy's executive orders requiring masks at schools and day care facilities, launched into the governor's appearance at the gala during the opening minutes of the second and final gubernatorial debate on Tuesday night. The governor's office has matched guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this summer, strongly recommending individuals wear masks in indoor public settings when there's high levels of transmission.

THIS TERM IS AN INSULT TO DOGS WHO DO NOT DESERVE TO BE TARNISHED BY NJ POLITICS — "New dog whistles in this year's race for NJ governor," by NJ Spotlight's Coleen O'Dea: "This year's race for New Jersey governor features a new vocabulary: 'extreme/extremist,' 'Trump,' 'sodomy,' 'Wall Street,' 'critical race theory.' … For Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, one of his most-used verbal shortcuts is the word 'Trump.' By invoking the name of the former president, Murphy is attempting to tie Republican Jack Ciattarelli to an unpopular president who lost the state by 16 percentage points … Ciattarelli has his own set of shortcuts familiar to audiences well-versed in conservative media. In July, Ciattarelli was talking to a friendly group of supporters, denouncing New Jersey's new inclusive LGBTQ curriculum for public schools. 'We're not teaching gender ID and sexual orientation in kindergarten; we're not teaching sodomy in sixth grade,' Ciattarelli said, during the meeting, a video of which was later shared on social media. … In another example of using campaign language to motivate the party base, Ciattarelli has talked several times about his opposition to teaching critical race theory, 'particularly at the younger ages.'"

WHEN JERRY SEINFELD WRITES THE HEADLINES — "What's the deal with NJ's unspent COVID-19 relief? " by NJ Spotlight News' John Reitmeyer: "So far, about a third of the more than $6 billion in aid New Jersey has received through the American Rescue Plan Act has been allocated by Gov. Phil Murphy and lawmakers for specific purposes, including rental assistance and financial aid for child care providers. Murphy — a first-term Democrat facing reelection next month — has been holding a series of virtual events to collect input from various groups and individuals for how to use the balance of the federal pandemic aid. Many have called on the governor to show more urgency and address the major issues exposed by the health crisis, such as New Jersey's persistently high rate of unemployment. But Murphy said last week that his administration's primary goal is to ensure the remaining federal dollars are used to 'responsibly and carefully invest in the state.'"

SWEENEY TO ENHANCE PARTICIPATION BY HANDING OUT 'I VOTED' STICKERS FOR EACH BILL VOTED ON — "New Jersey lawmakers routinely skip votes, driving demands for reform," by New Jersey Monitor's Dana DiFillipo: "Voting on bills is one of the most impactful actions a state legislator can take, but dozens of New Jersey lawmakers skipped more than 10,000 votes in the current legislative session, a New Jersey Monitor analysis has found. Twelve of the Legislature's 120 lawmakers failed to vote more than 250 times each, representing almost 40% of the total 10,205 missed votes. On another 1,298 votes, lawmakers refused to support or oppose a bill, officially recording their votes as abstentions. These numbers could climb higher, because lawmakers will return in November for a short lame-duck session, a busy time when dozens of bills could land on their desks for a vote before the current two-year session ends Jan. 11."

VANILLA ICE STORM: TO THE EXTREME — 'We're being dragged along': Extreme weather puts governors to the test, by POLITICO's Ry Rivard and Katherine Landergan : A stunned Gov. Phil Murphy examined the wreckage from a tornado that had plowed through a small New Jersey suburb. Pieces of homes littered the area, along with toppled trees, smashed windows, a toddler's shoe. New Jersey didn't get tornadoes. At least, not ones like this. "It's crushing, especially when you talk with people whose homes have been under water, or I'm sure families that have lost loved ones," Murphy said in the hours after the remnants of Hurricane Ida ushered in tornadoes. "These storms are more frequent and more intense, and that's the world we're living in right now." Now, Murphy and other governors near him are bracing for more — and worse — to come.

— New Jersey gets its first climate change resiliency strategy

NJ LAW OF PHYSICS: WHAT GOES UP MUST GO UP — "Can anyone lower New Jersey's property taxes? What the candidates for governor are saying," by The Record's Dustin Racioppi: "It's the white whale of New Jersey politics: lowering property tax bills. Every four years, candidates for governor typically promise relief to homeowners who are paying, on average, the most in the United States in property taxes and perennially ranking that as their top concern. Yet few leaders who get elected deliver appreciable changes to residents' tax bills — not for lack of trying, necessarily, but largely because the state comprises 565 self-ruling municipalities and even more school districts that rely on taxpayers for programs and services. So can property taxes actually go down in New Jersey? Or is the best property owners can hope for a tax bill that doesn't go up that much? Both candidates in this year's gubernatorial election have said they want to lower property taxes, but neither has offered a novel approach."

MASKDATES — "Governor's race puts mask and vaccines mandates to a political test," by The New York Times Tracey Tully: "New Jersey's contest, which along with Virginia's is one of just two governor's races in the country before next year's midterm elections, is seen by some as an early barometer of voter sentiment. … But New Jersey's election on Nov. 2 also provides one of the first statewide tests of how voters feel about strict coronavirus-related mandates as the health crisis stretches into its 20th month and pandemic fatigue mounts. Voters surveyed in polls continued to give Mr. Murphy some of his highest marks for the way he has responded to the pandemic, and he has said he believed it was one of the most defining issues separating him and Mr. Ciattarelli. … Still, along the Jersey Shore in Ocean County, where Mr. Trump won by nearly 30 points, it remains easy to find anti-mask yard signs that read 'Free the Smiles.' And across the state some local board of education meetings have grown tense with parents opposed to mask wearing in schools clashing with officials who are required to enforce the state mandate. In northern New Jersey, a Republican state senator, Holly Schepisi, said her office was fielding calls from parents 'on both sides of the aisle' expressing concern about the new mask requirement for 2-year-olds, who have gone maskless in day care throughout the pandemic. The executive order, which was issued last month, is impractical, she said."

3.5 MASTROS RAISED — Democratic legislative candidates outspending Republicans, 3-1, by POLITICO's Matt Friedman: Democratic state legislative candidates are outspending Republicans three-to-one in this year's election, when all 120 seats in the Legislature are on the ballot. An analysis released Tuesday by the state Election Law Enforcement Commission shows how big the money differences are, with the starkest example being Senate President Steve Sweeney and his Assembly running mates in South Jersey's District 3 spending $1.4 million against three challengers who have reported spending nothing and raising just $100. Democrats hold a 25-14 majority in the Senate and a 52-28 majority in the General Assembly. Candidates for the Legislature have raised $31.8 million over the last two years and spent $12.3 million through Oct. 4, while independent expenditure committees have reported spending $2.3 million so far, according to ELEC's analysis.

—" Jill Biden Will Stump For Murphy In Edison"

— The profane becomes the sacred in New Jersey's gubernatorial election

—"'Momentous day' for NJ Transit commuters with $1.56B contract to replace Portal Bridge

—" NJ legal weed commission to issue new medical marijuana licenses this week"

—"Stalled bills would cut interest on unpaid taxes"

—" LWV debate shows sign of life in LD25"

THE MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE 2021 IS HERE: POLITICO is excited to partner with the Milken Institute to produce a special edition "Global Insider" newsletter featuring exclusive coverage and insights from one of the largest and most influential gatherings of experts reinventing finance, health, technology, philanthropy, industry and media. Don't miss a thing from the 24th annual Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles, from Oct. 17 to 20. Can't make it? We've got you covered. Planning to attend? Enhance your #MIGlobal experience and subscribe today.

BIDEN TIME

PROXY WAR — "Raising money in California this week, Malinowski will vote by proxy," by New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein: "Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-Ringoes) will cast his vote on extending debt ceiling by proxy this week, using emergency rules set in place during the coronavirus pandemic to vote while on a week-long fundraising trip to California. Malinowski has events set up in Los Angeles today and tomorrow, in Santa Barbara on Thursday, Palo Alto on Friday, Berkeley on Saturday and San Francisco on Sunday, according to his campaign finance director, Brooke Zindulka. 'I am unable to physically attend proceedings in the House Chamber due to the ongoing public health emergency,' said Malinowski in a letter to the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. He designated Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-Long Branch), the senior Democrat in the New Jersey delegation, as his proxy."

—Gottheimer: "Gottheimer: Both bills should be passed, but let's get infrastructure first because it's ready"

—" 'We have a 5-alarm fire here.' Higher costs, delayed goods may turn shipping backlog into a holiday nightmare"

—Miles Taylor and Christine Todd Whitman "We are Republicans. There's only one way to save our party from Pro-Trump extremists"

A message from the Consumer Action Network:

LOCAL

DON'T POKE THE BEAR — "They're up! They're down! Where'd the candidates yard signs go? Ask the county," by The Press of Atlantic City's Michelle Brunetti Post: "Political candidates are busy putting up campaign signs in as many yards and other locations as possible in preparation for the Nov. 2 election, and it seems Atlantic County is just as busy removing them, according to one candidate. 'I have written permission from property owners to post my signs … the county illegally spends resources, comes by and picks them up,' said James 'Bear' Pesce, who is running for Egg Harbor Township committee, at an Oct. 5 Atlantic County Commissioners meeting … County Administrator Jerry DelRosso said the county has long had a policy of removing yard signs of any kind — not just political — as a safety measure if they have been placed in an easement on a county road. … DelRosso, however, asked County Counsel Jim Ferguson to investigate if political signs have more of a right to be in an easement area than other signs, based on First Amendment rights, as Pesce asserted."

THREE PERCENTERS — "3% of Paterson city workers had pay docked for violating COVID-19 vaccine mandate," by The Paterson Press' Joe Malinconico: "About 3% of municipal government employees — a total of 43 people — are losing pay this week for not complying with the mayor's order requiring COVID-19 vaccinations or testing, according to a city report. Paterson is part of the first wave of government entities in New Jersey imposing COVID-19 requirements on employees. Gov. Phil Murphy's order covering state workers and local school district employees is scheduled to take effect Oct. 18, and federal government requirements begin Nov. 8. Among those losing pay in Paterson are 13 public works employees, 12 in the Fire Department and eight in the Police Department. … Local officials said some of the 43 individuals who failed to comply with last Friday's deadline already have gone for COVID-19 tests and would resume getting paid later this week. Four Paterson workers who were asymptomatic found out they had COVID-19 because of the city's testing requirements."

TOO FAR VAUGHN — "Usual suspects continue dreadful interactions in Trenton government," by The Trentonian's L.A. Parker : "The usual suspects shared another fiasco last week as Councilwoman Robin Vaughn attracted acrimony for this statement made to Business Administrator Adam Cruz. Apparently, frustrated by a verbal interaction with the BA, Vaughn offered, 'Do you not understand English?' Cruz responded, 'Just for the record, I speak three languages — English, Italian and Spanish.' Of course, seeing an opportunity to continue a war with Vaughn, Mayor Reed Gusciora, Gov. Phil Murphy and East Ward Councilman Joseph Harrison produced another Gang of Three attack on their adversary … 'We will not let hate go unchallenged in New Jersey. These xenophobic comments are an affront to our core values of diversity and inclusion, and I condemn them in the strongest possible terms,' Murphy wrote Friday on his Facebook page. Negro, please. This is the same governor who dropped U.S. flags to half staff for a Cape May Caucasian teen lifeguard who died while on duty last summer but said nothing about a African American teen lifeguard who had his life taken by an assailant."

FIRE HOUSE TAKES ITSELF TOO LITERALLY — "N.J. fire house damaged by blaze, officials say ," by NJ Advance Media's Chris Sheldon: "A blaze broke out Tuesday afternoon at the Dunellen Defender Fire Company No. 1, officials said. A post from the company did not provide specifics on what was damaged but photos from the scene showed that at least two fire trucks were damaged as well as the front of the firehouse. 'We are still assessing the damage and the cause is being investigated by the Middlesex County Fire Marshal's Office,' the post stated. 'There were no reported injuries and we are still assessing the damage."'

—" Milltown voters will decide if marijuana shops will be allowed in town"

—"How much have Atlantic City's casinos recently spent on renovations?"

—" Social media mob falsely accuses NJ teacher of attack on Muslim girl, attorney says"

—"Preakness Healthcare, Passaic County sued by three women employees over sexual harassment"

—" State files lawsuit against chronic offender Jersey City glass recycling plant"

—"Democratic socialist seeking Jersey City council seat"

—Snowflack: " Sometimes politics isn't local"

—"Team Fulop $1.57M amasses cash on hand, Brooks leads Jersey City challengers with $34k"

"A FOREIGN POLICY BUILT FOR WOMEN" – JOIN US THURSDAY FOR A WOMEN RULE CONVERSATION: Building a foreign policy agenda with women at the center has shown that it can advance broader social, economic and political goals. It also requires having women in influential decision-making positions. Join POLITICO Magazine senior editor Usha Sahay for a joint conversation with Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, the State Department's chief diversity and inclusion officer, and Ambassador Bonnie Denise Jenkins, undersecretary for arms control and international security, focused on the roadblocks preventing more women from rising through the ranks of diplomacy and why closing the foreign policy gender gap matters. REGISTER HERE.

EVERYTHING ELSE

AN OFFER YOU CAN REFUSE — "Camden Diocese makes new offer to sex abuse survivors. Their lawyers call it an 'insult'" by The Philadelphia Inquirer's William Bender and Marina Affo : "The bankrupt Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden says it is willing to put more money on the table for survivors of clergy sex abuse. But attorneys for the victims are balking, describing the offer as 'paltry' and 'inappropriate,' and planning to fight it in court. Amid mounting legal bills and an ongoing impasse with a victims committee, the Diocese on Tuesday will ask a federal judge to approve a bankruptcy reorganization plan that would create a $26 million fund for about 320 survivors."

A message from the Consumer Action Network:

The COVID-19 pandemic proved that expanding access to care is critical for reaching medically underserved communities and making sure overburdened health systems can meet the needs of New Jersey families. That includes telehealth visits for low-income individuals, people of color, and others who have difficulty getting to a physical facility for their care. It's clear that New Jersey families deserve to have access to health care that works best for them. The state legislature has already unanimously passed a bill that would make this a reality, it's time for Gov. Phil Murphy to sign the bill into law. No state has vetoed a bill supporting expanded access to telehealth services since the pandemic began. New Jersey should not be the first. Tell Gov. Murphy: Sign the telehealth bill today. Make your voice heard.