News: POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Goodbye to most traffic stops?

Thursday, March 17, 2022

POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Goodbye to most traffic stops?

Mar 17, 2022

Presented by Anbaric Development Partners

Good Thursday morning!

Some good news: Under a new proposal in the Assembly, cops wouldn't be allowed to pull you over for minor traffic violations.

The bad news: You'd still get a ticket in the mail. And you wouldn't be able to plead with with the cop for a warning.

Assemblymember Shanique Speight (D-Essex), a sheriff's officer, proposed this bill last week. The idea is to crack down on the well-documented racial disparity in who gets pulled over, with Black drivers getting disproportionately stopped. The bill would limit pull-overs to more serious offenses. No more stops for broken tail lights or unbuckled seatbelts. (Though there is an exception written into the bill that I could easily see becoming heavily-used to justify lower-level traffic stops.)

Based on my calls, the reception with both civil rights and police advocates has been lukewarm at best. But I'll give Speight credit for an interesting idea.

Read more about it here.

DAYS SINCE MURPHY REFUSED TO SAY WHETHER HIS WIFE'S NONPROFIT SHOULD DISCLOSE ITS DONORS: 30

WHERE'S MURPHY? — Not available at press time.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "You've got young people in Ukraine dying right now fighting for freedom and democracy. You've got people back home struggling with gas prices. … You've got gun violence in our schools. We've got a climate crisis that is resulting in four feet of water being dumped into the basements of residents. … But there's a whole political movement that is trying to divide us over made-up cultural bullshit because they want power." — Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-7th Dist.) referring to book banning, political rhetoric targeting transgender athletes and the Florida bill that bans discussing sexual orientation or gender identity with young students. The comments have been picked up and criticized on the right.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Assemblymember Beth Sawyer, Sayegh COS Christian Callegari, NJ Taxpayers Alliance's Jerry Cantrell. Missed yesterday: Former judge and redistricting tiebreaker Philip Carchman

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

A message from Anbaric Development Partners:

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WHAT TRENTON MADE

NJ FOLLOWS OREGON'S TRAIL — "Pump your own? A tax holiday? Can politicians tame NJ's rising gasoline prices?" by The Record's Daniel Munoz: "Proponents of allowing motorists to pump their own fuel say it could save New Jerseyans about 15 cents a gallon. … If Oregon is any guide, customers should keep their hopes in check. The Beaver State in 2015 allowed drivers to fill their own tanks between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. in rural areas — counties with 40,000 residents or fewer. In 2018, that was expanded to allow self-service all day. The move had little to do with economics and was instead about convenience in the state's more sparsely populated regions. … Data from GasBuddy, an online service tracking fuel prices, show that gas in both Oregon and New Jersey closely tracked the movement of national average prices over the last decade, even after 2015. Oregon, overall, tended to have higher per-gallon costs than the Garden State."

RATED X — "Murphy awarded his 'equivalent of an Oscar' for supporting film, TV industry," by NJ Advance Media's Matt Arco: "There was a time when Gov. Phil Murphy was in college he thought he'd pursue a career in acting. Well, that never happened. But on Tuesday night, the governor was awarded with what he referred to as his 'equivalent of an Oscar.' Murphy was one of two elected officials to get the Motion Picture Association's Industry Champion Award for supporting the film and TV industry. Murphy's administration has signed off on hundreds of millions of dollars worth of tax credits for the industry since he took office. 'Thomas Edison invented motion pictures in New Jersey. New Jersey was Hollywood even before there was a Hollywood,' Murphy said at the event in Washington D.C. 'Today, New Jersey is back in the spotlight.'"

THE BIGGEST BLOW TO CORRUPT POLITICIANS SINCE NJ BANNED PAPER BAGS — "After decade in limbo, lawmakers may debate bill to criminalize bribery for office seekers," by New Jersey Monitor's Nikita Biryukov: "A bill that would extend the state's bribery laws to candidates for political office is set to be heard by an Assembly committee Thursday after nearly 10 years in stasis. The bill's introduction and its apparent renewal were spurred by bribery charges against two former assemblymen whose cases were dismissed after judges ruled the state's bribery statute does not apply to political candidates who have yet to win public office. 'I just think that's wrong,' said Assemblyman Greg McGuckin (R-Ocean), the bill's prime sponsor. 'You can bribe them before they're sworn in, and that makes it legal? That just seems ludicrous to me.' Both bribery cases targeted Hudson County Democrats."

THE DOCKS: FROM FISH-MONGERING TO FEAR-MONGERING — In fight with New Jersey over Waterfront Commission, New York warns of 'chaos' on the docks, by POLITICO's Ry Rivard : New Jersey's plans to pull out of the Waterfront Commission could endanger the lives of undercover detectives and lead to "clashes" at the East Coast's largest port, New York officials warned this week. The warnings, contained in U.S. Supreme Court filings, were among the many reasons New York Attorney General Tish James asked the high court to intervene in a long-running dispute with New Jersey over the Waterfront Commission. … New York's filings contained some common concerns that organized crime could flourish along the waterfront in the absence of the commission, but also raised more direct and ominous fears about violence.

— "More than 170 seek licenses to sell N.J. legal weed as cannabis panel starts taking applications"

— " Explore web of dark money groups linked to NJ operative at center of murder-for-hire plot"

— "Some students will get 50% off tuition at N.J. county colleges under new plan "

SUBSCRIBE TO NATIONAL SECURITY DAILY : Keep up with the latest critical developments from Ukraine and across Europe in our daily newsletter, National Security Daily. The Russian invasion of Ukraine could disrupt the established world order and result in a refugee crisis, increased cyberattacks, rising energy costs and additional disruption to global supply chains. Go inside the top national security and foreign-policymaking shops for insight on the global threats faced by the U.S. and its allies and what actions world leaders are taking to address them. Subscribe today.

BIDEN TIME

THE WORLD WILL KNOW THE NAME 'TAYLOR HAM' — "What might a first-in-the-nation New Jersey presidential primary look like?," by New Jersey Globe's Joey Fox: "The year is 2024. Ron DeSantis orders a 'breakfast sandwich with pork roll' in Mahwah, and his poll numbers in North Jersey immediately drop by 10 points. The driver of Nikki Haley's campaign bus gets in a screaming match with a Cherry Hill gas station attendant for trying to pump their own gas. Pete Buttigieg tells a joke that makes Brian Stack laugh, and finds himself winning Union City by a seemingly impossible 104-point margin. For now, these scenarios are a fantasy. But they may not be for long; with the national Democratic Party rethinking its Iowa-first approach to its presidential nominating process, New Jersey is likely to make a concerted effort to push its presidential primary forward from its current late position in June and increase its stature on the national stage. …

"There are a number of reasons why party leaders may be skeptical, including the high cost of campaigning in New Jersey and their desire to focus on competitive general election states in the nominating process, and New Jersey faces stiff competition from a number of other diverse states around the country. Yet state Democrats have quietly begun lobbying the national party to consider New Jersey in their primary deliberations, and State Sen. and former Gov. Richard Codey (D-Roseland) said that he is planning to introduce legislation to move the primary forward."

— "U.S. Justice Dept. needs to investigate troubled N.J. nursing home, says U.S. Sen. Grassley"

— New report examines how parents use Child Tax Credit

A message from Anbaric Development Partners:

LOCAL

HE'S GOT JIMMY DAVIS LIES — "Contrary to claim, ELEC reports show Davis took $3,500 from Suez; he blames DeMarco," by Hudson County View's John Heinis: "Campaign finance reports show that Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis took money from the Suez Water PAC in 2015 and 2017, contrary to what he said on Monday, and his campaign is placing the blame on a political friend turned foe: Joe DeMarco. ... Filings with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (NJ ELEC) show that the Suez Water Inc. New Jersey PAC donated $1,000 on October 10th, 2015, in a quarter where he raised $26,540, and then $2,500 on April 24th, 2017 – quarter when he raised just $1,600. On Monday, in response to Casais slamming him and Suez over a mailer touting the company's partnership with the city, Davis definitively said he'd never taken money from Suez and never planned to, as HCV first reported. After his campaign was told of the ELEC reports that said otherwise, Davis claimed that he was 'completely unaware' the contributions had been made and blamed them on DeMarco, a former city business administrator and campaign manager for the mayor."

BLOCKED — "Ocean County government shakeup: Administrator Carl W. Block is told he must go ," by The Asbury Park Press' Erik Larsen: "Ocean County Administrator Carl W. Block has been informed that he must retire in June, part of an ongoing shakeup in county government that follows a political realignment on the five-member Board of Commissioners this year … County Commission Director Jack Kelly, who supported Block's reappointment, said a majority of his colleagues on the five-member board believe the time has come for a change. Block, who gave up his elected office of county clerk to take the administrator's job in 2010, is now the longest-serving county administrator in Ocean's history. Kelly said there is no issue with regard to Block's job performance or his conduct. Block has simply become a casualty of internal county politics, Kelly said. Block, 70, of Stafford, is expected to be replaced by Assistant County Administrator Michael J. Fiure, 50, of Toms River, in July."

INZELBUCKS — "NJ Attorney General's Office: Lakewood schools should raise taxes to improve finances," by The Asbury Park Press' Joe Strupp: "In a brief filed in the state Appellate Division, acting Attorney General Matthew Platkin wrote that the district, which still owes more than $125 million in state loans, should first seek to increase revenue and take advantage of other sources, and spending cuts before demanding a state aid realignment. 'Between fiscal years 2015 through 2018, Lakewood raised … nearly $31 million less than it would have had it taxed at' the highest rate possible, Platkin said in the brief, which later noted, 'Lakewood was taxing below the state average and below other districts.'"

MANY OF THE PEOPLE WHO SAID HE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO HOP INTO THE RACE BELIEVED HIM TO BE A BABY KANGAROO — "Should Joey Torres be allowed to run for Paterson mayor? Residents are ambivalent," by The Paterson Press' Ed Rumley: "[T]he New Jersey attorney general weighed in on Torres' political plans last Friday by charging him with contempt of court, a fourth-degree crime. The state accused him of violating a court order from his 2017 conviction that banned him from pursuing public office. In response to the attorney general's action, Torres said he is fighting for the constitutional rights of people who have been convicted of felonies. Local political figures have been expressing their thoughts on Torres' situation for months. To gauge the mood of potential voters in the May election, Paterson Press interviewed 35 residents during the past several days. The majority — 24 of them — said Torres should be barred from the upcoming election. But 10 people said he should be allowed to run and one woman was undecided."

— "Paterson city attorneys: Joey Torres running for mayor would undermine election's integrity"

— "Police audit says Paterson needs more analysis of cops' use of force"

RAS BARAQUA — " With passion and a length of pipe, Newark's mayor says the state of the city is lead-free and proud," by NJ Advance Media's Steve Strunsky: "Making his 8th state-of-the-city address Tuesday night at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka held a 3-foot length of lead pipe above his head as a crowd of close to 2,000 constituents and other admirers cheered. The state of the city was all but lead-free, and Newark's status as a national model for removing lead service lines was just one of the things Newark's people should be proud of, Baraka told the crowd."

THE VINELAND NOT QUITE DAILY JOURNAL — " The Daily Journal to end Monday print editions, will offer expanded e-Editions," by The Daily Journal's Audrey Harvin : "Responding to continued rapid shifts toward digital news consumption, The Daily Journal will cease home delivery on Mondays effective April 25, but instead will provide subscribers with a full digital replica of the newspaper that day, filled with local news, advertising and features such as comics and puzzles. The new model means subscribers will get newspapers delivered to their home six days a week, with a digital newspaper available every day. Our commitment to local news remains steadfast, but the platforms on which people are consuming news continue to evolve. What was once solely a daily newspaper has transformed to include a digital site, mobile app, social media presence, multimedia and more. Our print newspapers remain a vital and important part of our strategy, but we are making a change this year in response to subscriber and advertising trends."

NOPE MONTCLAIR — "Vote Montclair members quit after founder criticizes school unions for protecting seniority ," by Montclair Local's Louis C. Hochman : "Several people closely associated with Vote Montclair — the group that successfully petitioned for last year's referendum on Montclair's school district type, which in turn made way for Montclair's first-ever school board election this month — are distancing themselves from the group after its founder authored a piece criticizing 'education unions and union-dominated political machines' for promoting seniority and protecting underperforming teachers in the 'twilight of their careers.' … '[Vote Montclair founder] Erik D'Amato does not speak for Phaedra Dunn, Melanie Deysher nor anyone else who was involved with the now defunct Vote Montclair,' Dunn and Deysher wrote in a shared statement. 'Nor do his opinions or views reflect that of anyone that was affiliated with Vote Montclair.' Also leaving the group is Sergio Gonzalez, a former Board of Education member and, until this week, Vote Montclair's co-chair alongside D'Amato."

— "N.J. Republicans win two special elections in towns Biden carried "

— "Atlantic City casino revenue up 43% in February"

— " Burlington City man to sue Trenton police over shooting"

— " [Piscataway] police chief accused of discriminating against gays and other minorities, officers say in lawsuits"

— "Jersey City officials say they can't help soften blow for school district's massive tax hike"

— "Jersey City school district proposes colossal nearly $1 billion school budget for 2022-23"

— " [Hackensack] teacher charged with sexually assaulting a child under age 16, prosecutor says"

— "Council member resigns from Flemington Borough Council "

— "Trenton councilman rampages against candidate Ranallo in bizarre post"

— "Substitute teacher caught touching himself in school twice, police say"

— " 28-story residential and 20-story office buildings planned for Hoboken Rail Yards"

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EVERYTHING ELSE

MARKED WOMAN — "MCCC prez: I resigned because chairman Matzen made my life a 'nightmare,'" by The Trentonian's Isaac Avilucea: "The outgoing president of Mercer County Community College claims Board of Trustees Chairman Mark Matzen made her life a 'nightmare' by pressuring her to hire a friend of Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes' wife and lie about her departure from the school, according to records obtained by The Trentonian. LeadGood Consulting of Pennington has been investigating for months allegations that Dr. Jianping Wang outlined in an October 2021 letter against Matzen, who doubles as political adviser to Democratic kingmaker Hughes. The letter claims Matzen and his cronies led a retaliation campaign that Wang worries will impact her successor if Matzen remains chairman, according to the letter. The college president said she was reprimanded by Matzen and called into 'surprise' meetings with the college's lawyer meant to 'intimidate' her because Matzen believed she worked to oust him as chairman."

— "From medicine to mechanics, N.J.'s vocational schools are offering more job paths to more students"

— "Conservation group says Montclair State mismanaged Stokes State Forest education center"

— " 'We're getting killed': As inflation soars, restaurant owners battle to stay in business"

— "N.J. workers have more diverse interactions at work than nation but discrimination persists, poll finds"

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