Good Tuesday morning! A lot of New Jerseyans will be celebrating 4/21 by hitting up the closest dispensary that will sell recreational cannabis for the first time in New Jersey — or at least since New Jersey outlawed it 90 years ago. While Gov. Murphy plans to do something as-yet undetermined to mark the occasion, he will not partake. I asked the governor whether he'd try some legal weed on Thursday. His response: "If we were legalizing Scotch, I would show up with a shopping cart," Murphy said. "[Cannabis] has not been my thing." As for me? Well, I'm looking forward to finally trying this marijuana stuff everyone's talking about. DAYS SINCE MURPHY REFUSED TO SAY WHETHER HIS WIFE'S NON-PROFIT SHOULD DISCLOSE DONORS: 63 WHERE'S MURPHY? In Paterson at 11 a.m. to "renew call for legislature to pass comprehensive gun safety bill package." Media: "Ask Governor Murphy" at 7 p.m. on your local NPR affiliate. QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Not one person has contacted me or my attorney. It's not that hard. We're all over the news. Pick up the phone." — Former Clark Police Lt. Antonio Manata, who recorded the mayor and police brass casually tossing around racial slurs HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Tenor Phil Alongi, Red Bank Councilmember Kate Triggiano, Camden County Surrogate Michelle Gentek-Mayer TIPS? FEEDBACK? HATE MAIL? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com NEED MORE PLAYBOOK? — Sign up here for NJ Playbook PM and get more news in your inbox care of POLITICO's Jonathan Custodio, minus the snarky headlines
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SANTA TO DELAY N.J. PRESENT DELIVERIES TO 12/26 DUE TO LOGISTICAL CHALLENGES — "N.J. misses 4/20 party by a day with recreational weed sales debut. That's by design ," by NJ Advance Media's Amy Kuperinsky: "In the decades since a few '70s teens in San Rafael, California made 4:20 p.m. marijuana o'clock, 4/20 became the day for all things cannabis. So why miss the unofficial weed holiday? Simply put, we couldn't handle the heat ... at least not yet. 'Selecting 4/20 for opening day would have presented unmanageable logistical challenges for patients and other buyers, surrounding communities, and for municipalities,' said Toni-Anne Blake, spokeswoman for the Cannabis Regulatory Commission, which is charged with regulating the nascent industry. 'Regulators and industry representatives agreed that it was not feasible,' Blake told NJ Advance Media." CAN COPS COP? — Murphy open to legislation restricting off-duty police officers' use of cannabis, by POLITICO's Matt Friedman: Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday he would consider signing legislation that would bar police from using cannabis when they're off duty. "Would I be open-minded to a legislative fix that would address this? The answer is yes," Murphy said at a press conference at the Regional Operations Intelligence Center to announce two upcoming state trooper classes to not just replace retiring members but boost the ranks by nearly 100. Context: Acting Attorney General Matt Platkin, who was present for Monday's press conference, last week issued a memo to law enforcement telling them that the state's cannabis legalization law bars all employers — including law enforcement — from punishing workers for using legally-obtained cannabis off-duty. While Platkin stressed in the memo that law enforcement officers are not allowed to be under the influence while on-duty, several state lawmakers pointed out that, unlike alcohol, there's no clear-cut way to determine if someone is under the influence of cannabis at a specific time. While Platkin stressed that a physical sobriety test is part of that process, the state has not yet promulgated standards for such tests. UNEMPLOYMENT — " Senators say Labor Department was unresponsive as they got bombarded by NJ unemployment calls," by The Record's Katie Sobko: "Before the pandemic, legislative offices typically assisted residents with claims by acting as a middleman. Staffers reached out to the Department of Labor to get a status update on a claim or to connect constituents with the proper division. COVID changed that. Legislators said their staffs were forced to conduct phone, virtual and even in-person meetings with constituents to walk them through the claim process because residents and legislative offices did not get responses from Labor Department employees. Diana Rochford, a staffer for Sen. Anthony Bucco, R-Morris, said she has helped at least 1,000 people with unemployment issues, either by phone or in person at the Denville office. 'We used to be able to just email the department to help people, but now there is a new system,' she said. 'We have to enter name, claim number, Social Security number and other things, including a description of the issues according to the claimant. Then the department will send a response at some point later on.' … Bucco said he had to reorganize his staff to handle the unemployment calls. At times, all three staff members were focused solely on that for "probably 75 or 80 percent of the day," he said … Bucco said the stress of handling these calls took an emotional toll on his staff. One worker who was dedicated to helping with claims resigned because of the stress of calls, he said." IT'S ALMOST AS IF THOSE WHO COMPLAIN THE LOUDEST ABOUT 'CANCEL CULTURE' JUST WANT TO CANCEL DIFFERENT STUFF — "Some N.J. schools under siege from those trying to get books on race, LGBTQ+ pulled from shelves," by NJ Advance Media's Vashti Harris: "There is a movement across New Jersey to ban books from school libraries. New Jersey Association of School Librarians Legislative Consultant Mary Moyer Stubbs told NJ Advance Media the association has seen a rise in challenges to books, as well as in self-censorship, across the Garden State in recent years. Stubbs said books on LGBTQ+ persons and material that is assumed to be related to Critical Race Theory or the Black Lives Matter movement has been primarily targeted. The association's past president, Beth Thomas, said the organization is aware of four school districts that have faced these challenges in the last two years. However, Thomas said, the exact number of challenges is unknown because some school districts do not have policies in place to deal with complaints about books, and therefore do not report challenges to the association." SENATORIAL DISCOURTESY — "The N.J. Supreme Court might have three vacancies by July. Does anyone care?" by New Jersey Globe's Joey Fox: "With New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Barry Albin set to hit the mandatory retirement age of 70 on July 7, it's possible that the state's highest court will soon have only four permanent members, down from seven. Yet despite the far-reaching implications of the court's membership, there has been essentially no movement by the state's leaders to bring the court back to a full complement. The parade of vacancies began in March 2021, when Justice Jaynee LaVecchia voluntarily announced her retirement and presented an unexpected opportunity for Gov. Phil Murphy to put his mark on the Supreme Court … Pressure from the legislature has also been lacking. Neither Senate President Nicholas Scutari (D-Linden) nor his predecessor Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford) strongly pushed for Wainer Apter's confirmation, at least not publicly, and the state Supreme Court wasn't even close to being a real campaign issue in last November's legislative elections. Schepisi, for her part, has said for months that she's still making up her mind, and the New Jersey Globe learned today that she remains undecided about how she intends to proceed." ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, YOU GET TO GO TO THE WALTER RAND TRANSPORTATION CENTER — " Public wants answers after NJ Transit changes bus service to Philly, adds Camden transfer," by Gannett's Colleen Wilson: "NJ Transit board members and the public are seeking answers and better solutions after the agency announced six bus routes would no longer terminate in Philadelphia, forcing riders to transfer in Camden. NJ Transit officials said Greyhound reconfigured its lanes, exits and boarding areas at the Philadelphia station in a way that made the conditions unsafe, prompting the agency to end service at that terminal. This decision, however, inconveniences riders who now have to switch to a different bus at the Walter Rand Transportation Center in Camden in order to get to Philadelphia. Board member Cedrick Fulton asked NJ Transit President and CEO Kevin Corbett to consult with his staff about the concerns." THIS INDUSTRY HAS SELFLESSLY PARTED PEOPLE FROM THEIR MONEY FOR 45 YEARS AND GIVEN THEM NOTHING IN RETURN. IS THIS REALLY HOW WE'RE GOING TO THANK THEM? – "Atlantic City casino workers still labor under a cloud of smoke. But change is in the air," by The Record's Charles Stile: "If history served as any guide, the well-intentioned activist-workers would have been given a sympathetic ear and polite smiles but would ultimately be shown the door. The casino lobby, which fought for the special exemption and argues that it's essential to the industry's survival, would be deemed too powerful in the halls of the Statehouse. Not this time. Legislation to scrap the exemption is gathering steam and has surprising bipartisan support. It now includes backing from a new crop of South Jersey lawmakers who would traditionally be counted on to do the casino industry's bidding in Trenton. Among them are pro-business Republican lawmakers, including the newly minted Sen. Vince Polistina, R-Atlantic, and Assemblyman Don Guardian, the former Atlantic City mayor. The new Assembly Republican leader, John DiMaio, R-Warren, has also signed on as a co-sponsor. 'I have to tell you, as a former bartender myself, I don't think it's fair for a bartender in the casino industry to have to deal with someone blowing smoke in the face,' said Sen. Michael Testa" THE SHERIDANS — WNYC's Nancy Solomon is tackling one of New Jersey's most notorious cold cases: Who killed John and Joyce Sheridan. And true to WNYC style, it's a podcast. The station plans to announce the show, "DEAD END: A New Jersey Political Murder Mystery," today. From the press release: "The couple were prominent Republican donors who had relationships with some of the most powerful people in the state, including former Governor Chris Christie. Both suffered multiple stab wounds and their house was set on fire. Although authorities initially declared it a murder-suicide, the Sheridans' eldest son, Mark, is consumed with questions and doubt, and takes it upon himself to search for the truth — but encounters roadblocks at every turn. Solomon — who has been covering New Jersey politics for over two decades — takes up Mark's inquiry. Through interviews with former governors, attorneys general, police detectives and a prosecutor who took down the New Jersey mob, "DEAD END" examines how the deaths of such a politically-connected couple could be ignored by top law enforcement agencies and left unresolved." If there's not already, there should be a YouTube trailer available at this link soon. —" N.J. to add more State Police troopers to its force with help from federal aid" —"NJ sport bets over $1B again; casinos lag pre-pandemic level" —Moran: "With regrets, say no to retired public workers" —" As judge mulls school segregation case, lawmakers look at potential solutions" —"Green light for state fund that will invest in NJ startups"
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SALT IN THE WOUND — "N.J. challenge to reduced property tax breaks under Trump tax law turned away by Supreme Court," by NJ Advance Media's Jonathan D. Salant: "The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday turned away a challenge by New Jersey and three other states seeking to overturn the Republican tax law's $10,000 cap on deducting state and local taxes. The states, which also included New York, Maryland, and Connecticut, were among those hardest hit by the deduction cap imposed by the tax law, which the Tax Policy Center said gave 52% of the benefits to the richest 10% of taxpayers. The 2nd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, upholding a lower court decision, ruled in October that Congress had the power to cap the federal deduction, part of the original income tax law. The Supreme Court gave no comment." —"'We are trapped in Afghanistan': Rumson man, Andy Kim rescued father and son from Taliban" —Gianficaro: " Congressional candidate Ian Smith's DUIs shows he wants to make laws, not follow them" ELECTION STUFF — Ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, we predicted how every single midterm race will go — and things are looking good for the GOP. Want to see how New Jersey is looking? Use our Election Forecastto see which races you need to watch this year — and who we think will win each one. GOOD LIEUTENANT — "Clark whistleblower: 'I was put through hell' after exposing racist recordings ," by NJ Advance Media's S.P. Sulivan: "Former Clark Lt. Antonio Manata insists he was never seeking a payday. He has heard the criticism that he extorted the township of more than $400,000 by threatening to expose its mayor and police brass as racists. That he cared more about the money than the racial slurs he had secretly recorded. But in a lengthy interview last week with NJ Advance Media, Manata said he was only trying to do the right thing when he came forward to the township in November 2019 with his explosive tapes. Instead, what followed was a two-year ordeal in which, he said, he has repeatedly been punished for blowing the whistle — not only by township officials who made clear his law enforcement career was over, but also by a county prosecutor's office that Manata maintained showed no interest in holding those officials accountable. 'I had evidence, undisputed evidence — not 'he said, she said' — evidence of civil rights violations,' Manata said. 'And look what happened to me: My career was cut short. I was put through hell. I was harassed. I was retaliated against. And the one agency that had the power to change it covered it up.'" — " 3 board seats and $1.2B budget up for vote in Newark school election Tuesday —"Lift suspension and don't merge Hudson branches, Jersey City NAACP urges national leadership" —"'Significant hardship': Sussex County unhappy with NJDOT's detour plan for Rt. 206 closure" —" Lawsuit alleging sex misconduct by South Plainfield police chief to proceed" —" From living in motels to facing racism, Camden girls share stories in new book" —Snowflack: "The plummeting of Pinkin" —"Colonia residents worried about possible brain tumor cluster. Murphy says 'we absolutely have concerns'" |
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