News: POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: The green and the blue

Monday, April 18, 2022

POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: The green and the blue

Apr 18, 2022

Good Monday morning!

With New Jersey's first legal recreational weed sales coming Thursday, Acting Attorney General Matt Platkin last week issued a memo informing New Jersey law enforcement agencies that the state's marijuana legalization law bars them from punishing cops who use legally-obtained cannabis while off-duty.

This created a bit of a stir with several legislators who raised valid points. But Platkin's memo wasn't a police directive. He was telling them what the law says — or at least how his office interprets it, and I haven't heard any different.

Several lawmakers from both parties — Asemblymember Beth Sawyer (R-Gloucestee) and state Sens. Joe Cryan (D-Union) and Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen) have taken an issue with this. Platkin noted that cops, of course, can be punished for being under to be under the influence at work. The question is: How do you know? Cannabis' effects generally last a couple hours after smoking it and several hours after ingesting it, but it can stay in a user's system for weeks. There are physical tests for weed intoxication but there are no state standards yet, so there are lots possible pitfalls and potential legal liabilities. So while I wouldn't be any more alarmed if a cop smoked a joint while off-duty than I would be if they had a few beers, the problem is determining when they were intoxicated.

Unless someone offers a different interpretation of the law, this one seems pretty simple. If lawmakers have a problem with police using weed off duty, they're probably going to need to change the law. Sarlo said as much in a statement Friday.

That would be a revision of the cannabis legalization law that Senate President Nick Scutari (D-Union) spent the last decade or so pushing before he was unexpectedly elevated to lead the upper house. So the question is whether Scutari is down. And so far, he hasn't answered.

DAYS SINCE MURPHY REFUSED TO SAY WHETHER HIS WIFE'S NON-PROFIT SHOULD DISCLOSE DONORS: 62

WHERE'S MURPHY? In Ewing for an 11 a.m. law enforcement announcement.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Students typically begin to develop an understanding of themselves and people around them in elementary school. This is also a time when implicit and explicit messages about gender and identity can become ingrained. For instance, girls may receive messages that math and science are 'boy' subjects, and boys may be taught that arts are for girls. Gendered stereotypes are real and can have negative consequences for children's academic growth, self-worth, and mental health as they get older. These standards are designed to ensure that children understand that everyone has the ability to live their life in the way that suits them, no matter their gender." — A state Department of Educaiton memo explaining the rationale for one of the sex ed curriculum standards for second graders that has become controversial.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Vision Media's Phil Swibinski

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

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WHAT TRENTON MADE

CAN'TABIS — New Jersey senator suggests banning cops from using cannabis off-duty, by POLITICO's Matt Friedman: A high-ranking state senator said Friday that New Jersey should pass a law that would bar off-duty police officers from using recreational cannabis. "I am hopeful we can modify the law to match all the other states that have zero tolerance for use of off-duty cannabis by police," state Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen), who chairs his chamber's budget committee, wrote in a tweet Friday. Context: Sarlo's tweet came after Acting Attorney General Matt Platkin issued a memo to law enforcement officials Wednesday informing them that under New Jersey's 2021 cannabis legalization law, departments 'may not take any adverse action against any officers because they do or do not use cannabis off-duty.'"

MO MASTROS MO MUDDLES — "N.J. tax revenues are shockingly high as we're slammed by inflation. Here's what's behind it all," by NJ Advance Media's Derek Hall: " Gov. Phil Murphy's administration says it expects to collect nearly $47 billion in taxes for the current fiscal year that ends June 30. That is nearly $5 billion above initial estimates last summer and more than $8 billion higher than the pre-pandemic peak in 2019. That follows a remarkable forecast adjustment last year when surging tax revenues transformed a projected shortfall of nearly $6 billion into a $10 billion windfall. At the same time, many of the taxpayers fueling that boom are grappling with rapidly climbing costs on a range of basic goods as the annual rate of inflation in the U.S. rises to a level that hasn't been seen in four decades. The surge in state tax revenues is driven in part by a robust economic recovery, but inflation is one of several factors that should give lawmakers pause as they negotiate a state budget in the coming months, experts say. Their message to Murphy and lawmakers: Proceed with caution, because the good times won't last. 'In general, there are a lot of warning signs,' said Lucy Dadayan, senior research associate with the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. 'The large gap between growth in revenues versus economic activity is an indication that some of this strength is related to temporary factors.'"
— Tax revenues coming in strong for March

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SOMEONE HAS SHREWDLY RECOGNIZED THAT PROPERTY TAXES IN N.J. ARE REALLY HIGH —"New Jersey's property tax crisis," by Jack Ciattarelli or The Record: "There are two crises that are crippling New Jersey's fiscal and economic well-being. Two crises that impact every person and business. Two crises that place us dead last in the country in these categories. Two crises that, if solved, would brighten our future dramatically. We're talking about New Jersey's property tax and business climate crises. Given that Trenton is overflowing in tax revenue, surplus and federal aid, there has never been a better time to solve these historic dilemmas. Sadly, a permanent fix is nowhere to be found in Gov. Phil Murphy's fiscal year 2023 budget proposal."

—"As Tax Day nears, undocumented immigrants again call for $1 billion in state aid"

—Moran: " NJ finds the most expensive way to fight climate change"

—Mulshine: "Disney and the Democrats get a wake-up call"

—"Bill would require unemployment claims to be processed in two weeks,"

— "When mask mandates end, advocate asks NJ Transit to have a face-covering=only car"

CARTOON BREAK — "New Jersey GOP is mad as hell and they're not gonna take it anymore," by Drew Sheneman

BIDEN TIME

—"This veteran N.J. congressman [Payne] set a fundraising record to fend off primary challenge"

—"De Gregorio posts a $309k quarter for NJ-5 campaign"

LOCAL

NEW TOURISM SLOGAN: 'DO GAYC' — "Atlantic City tries for a gayborhood as the party returns to the Boardwalk town," by The Philadelphia Inquirer's Amy S. Rosenberg: "For its gay community, Atlantic City has been a good, at times great, place to party over the years. So much so that there will soon be a historical marker erected near the Boardwalk at New York Avenue, a place to be forever known as 'Where the Party Began.' … Despite varying efforts by casinos to market to LGBTQ tourists; Atlantic City's distinction as one of the only cities to have had an openly gay mayor, Don Guardian, who flew a rainbow flag over a historically gay beach (repeatedly torn down); the endurance of the Miss'd America drag pageant long after Miss America itself left town; and the town's generally welcoming vibe (not to mention its undervalued Shore real estate), the city has some work to do to revive itself as a destination for gay culture and community. But people are trying … In the Chelsea neighborhood, known for its multicultural restaurants, university district, and stock of old beach homes from the ocean to the bay, there is an effort to market Atlantic City's undervalued real estate to the LGBTQ+ community."

REED IT AND WEEP — " As election nears, still no challengers for Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora," by The Trentonian's Isaac Avilucea: "With all the criticism that Mayor Reed Gusciora has faced the last four years, one would think people would be lining up in droves to challenge him in the upcoming mayor's race. But seven months out from Trenton's municipal races, the incumbent still is faced with an unimpeded path to a second four-year term. He's the first mayor since 2006 to run for re-election in the capital city. As several candidates announce council bids, will anyone gun for Gusciora in 2022? … [W]hile many believe that council president Kathy McBride and West Ward councilwoman Robin Vaughn are likely to enter the mayor's race in the coming months, neither has formally declared their intentions. The woman known as 'Radioactive Robin,'however, has ratcheted up her anti-Reed rhetoric in recent weeks, making some insiders believe she's primed to announce her candidacy."

PUTTING A PINKIN ON THE SCALE — "Lawsuit filed against Pinkin over Middlesex ballot draw," by New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein: "A group of Democrats filed a lawsuit on Thursday alleging that Middlesex County Clerk Nancy Pinkin broke the law by canceling a ballot draw and are asking a judge to order one. A slate of three candidates for Piscataway township council and two for county commissioner say that they were eligible for a head-to-head ballot draw with a ticket endorsed by the Middlesex County Democratic organization, but Pinkin disagreed. Pinkin called off the ballot draw at 11:22 AM, just 24 minutes after her flight from Ireland, where she had been on a junket, landed at Newark Liberty International Airport. A spokesperson for the county told the New Jersey Globe that state election law allows Pinkin discretion to make her determination."

THEY'RE ALL GONNA BE STUFFED INTO MAILBOXES AT ONCE — "Paterson lawsuits delay 11,000 vote-by-mail ballots, scrambling strategy in mayor's race," by The Paterson Press' Joe Malinconico: "Lawsuits have delayed the issuance of about 11,000 vote-by-mail ballots in Paterson's May 10 mayor's election, cutting in half the amount of time people will have to fill out and submit them. The mail-in ballots, commonly called VBMs by election strategists, were supposed to be sent to voters who requested them on March 26, under state law. But that hasn't happened yet because of legal challenges over two candidates' eligibility to run, which produced court orders halting processing for the ballots. One of those cases has been resolved, but the other is scheduled for state appellate court next week. As a result, mail-in voters likely won't be getting ballots until less than three weeks before the election."

WE DON'T NEED NO EDUCATION ADMINISTRATORS — "Two Wall School District principals placed on leave with no explanation from school board," by The Asbury Park Press' Juan Carlos Castillo : "Wall High School Principal Rosaleen Sirchio and Wall Intermediate School Principal Erin Embon were both placed on an administrative leave this week, according to a notification sent to parents by school district Superintendent Tracy Handerhan, but the school district has offered no explanation for either leave. Both principals' offices are now under the direction of their respective assistant principals, Tiffany Steiner, at the intermediate school, and Kevin Davis, at the high school. On Tuesday the district's School Board held a budget workshop, but board members did not mention anything regarding the leaves, despite being asked about them during the public comment period."

—"N.J. voters to decide 13 school board races in quiet election day Tuesday"

—" Paterson mayoral candidates lay out economic development plans ahead of May election"

—"Belleville suspends planning board as it checks whether members were improperly appointed"

—"Ex-Morristown Dem chairman switching parties"

—" Detective gets $730K in settlement after accusing [Voorhees], police chief of discrimination"

—"Ewing cop wants head-stomping case tossed over 'prosecutorial misconduct' "

—"Man charged with killing fellow inmate at Monmouth County jail"

EVERYTHING ELSE

MBA: DON'T TRUST THE SYSTEM — "The MBA program at Rutgers is ranked highly. But amid 2 lawsuits, what do college rankings mean?" by NJ Advance Media's Ted Sherman: "Just this past week, meanwhile, a whistleblower alleged that Rutgers Business School used a temp agency to fill sham jobs with its MBA graduates to boost its U.S. News & World Report ratings — a claim that was quickly followed with a federal class action lawsuit by a student who accused the school of fraud. By faking its employment data, the graduate student claimed the university 'created an impression that post-graduation employment was virtually guaranteed.' Rutgers officials have denied the allegations. 'We are confident in our process and procedures to accurately report to rankings publications,' a spokesman said in a statement. Critics of the ratings themselves, though, say the focus by universities on college rankings is misguided. They argue such ratings are essentially meaningless because of the dependence on unaudited, self-reported data. "The best college rankings are just garbage. They really are," said Colin Diver, who details the problems and abuses involved in rankings in a new book published by Johns Hopkins Press this past week: 'Breaking Ranks: How the Rankings Industry Rules Higher Education and What to Do About It.'"

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BUSINESSES DON'T LIKE THE WAY THE STATE WORKS IT. THEY'VE GOT TO BAG IT UP — "'The last thing we need.' Why some N.J. restaurants are dreading plastic bag ban," by NJ Advance Media's Jeremy Schneider: "Jarrett Seltzer isn't exactly looking forward to New Jersey's upcoming ban of single-use plastic bags. The owner of Bagels by Jarrett, a West Orange shop that offers only takeout and delivery service, doesn't know what to do with the $500 stack of plastic bags he uses for catering orders … Seltzer is one of thousands of New Jersey restaurant owners whose day-to-day operations will change drastically on May 4, when the Garden State's plastic bag ban — the strictest in the nation — goes into effect. Many restaurants said they are embracing the challenges that come with being more eco-friendly. But others argued the timing is wrong for an industry still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, as they battle inflation, supply chain issues and more takeout and delivery orders than ever .. The plastic bag law, signed by Gov. Phil Murphy in late 2020, dictates restaurants may provide single-use paper bags, must serve or deliver food in plastic, paper or aluminum containers — no styrofoam — and can provide plastic straws only when requested. Doing away with styrofoam containers is manageable, many said, but shifting away from plastic bags entirely is a little trickier. Most of restaurants NJ Advance Media spoke to supported the law's Earth-friendly motivation, and many are already in compliance … Plastic bags are indeed cheaper; as low as 7 cents each, while paper can run as much as 29 cents per bag. The numbers may seem small, but they add up — especially in an industry with razor-thin margins.'

TO WEE, OR NOT TO WEE? — "Meet the unlikely mascot for keeping Jersey Shore beaches clean - Hamlette the mini-pig," by NJ Advance Media's Jackie Roman: "Among the participants at Saturday's spring Beach Sweeps event in Toms River, there was a most unusual volunteer collecting debris with the crew — an 85-pound mini-pig named Hamlette. No, the Jersey Shore does not have its own Pig Beach like the Bahamas and Hamlette is no wild animal. He's the beloved pet and companion of Crystal DeCaro, a long-time 'Beach Captain' volunteer with Clean Ocean Action for their biannual Beach Sweeps each year. And he's a real stickler for litter."

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