News: POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Scutari: Dems went too far outside the mainstream in 2021

Wednesday, April 20, 2022

POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Scutari: Dems went too far outside the mainstream in 2021

Apr 20, 2022

Shortly after the November election, after Democrats lost seven state legislative seats and held onto the governorship by a far narrower-than-expected margin, a debate broke out.

Was this backlash to Gov. Murphy's unabashed progressivism? Was it because Democrats didn't pass enough progressive policies? Or was this just the national red wave crashing down the shore?

Senate President Nick Scutari (D-Union), who owes his job to the former Democratic Senate President Steve Sweeney being caught in the undertow, expressed his opinion on this during a talk at Rowan University the other night. And he's siding with Sweeney's view on this: That the party went too far left.

"I thought that the campaign in New Jersey was almost a primary election that was run instead of the general election. I think that was reflected at the polls. A much closer election than we had anticipated," Scutari said.

But hey, look where it got Scutari. Read more about it here.

DAYS SINCE MURPHY REFUSED TO SAY WHETHER HIS WIFE'S NON-PROFIT SHOULD DISCLOSE DONORS: 64

WHERE'S MURPHY? No public schedule

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "At best for our town, we have a bigot sitting in office that you're all comfortable with. At worst, we have someone engaged in a criminal conspiracy, along with all of you." — Clark resident Michael Shulman to the town council

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Former state Sen. Colin Bell, Kivvit's Chris Donnelly, Assemblymember Bethanne McCarthy Patrick

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

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WHAT TRENTON MADE

WHAT'S UP (AT) DOC? — "High-ranking DOC official under investigation, banned from facilities," by NJ Advance Media's Joe Atmonavage: "Tracey Shimonis-Kaminski, the DOC's deputy commissioner, is the target of a probe by the state Attorney General's Office of Public Integrity & Accountability (OPIA), which investigates public corruption and misconduct. Acting DOC Commissioner Victoria Kuhn told executive staff and union leadership that Shimonis-Kaminski was suspended with pay pending an OPIA investigation during a meeting on March 2, according to notes from the meeting obtained by NJ Advance Media. The notes described Kuhn as 'very tight-lipped' about the nature of the investigation. According to the notes, she said Shimonis-Kaminski's electronics and vehicle were seized as part of the inquiry. NJ Advance Media also obtained a DOC memo signed by Kuhn on Feb. 28 that said Shimonis-Kaminski was temporarily banned from all DOC institutions, satellite facilities and the department's headquarters 'until further notice.'"

SEX ED — Gopal to introduce 'transparency in health and sex ed curriculum' bill to quell 'misinformation,' by POLITICO's Carly Sitrin : Senate Education Chair Vin Gopal, amid a conservative outcry over sex ed, plans to introduce legislation he says "will bring clarity for all parents and guardians regarding their child's health and sex education curriculum." The bill, which Gopal (D-Monmouth) is calling the "Transparency in Health & Sex Education Curriculum Bill of Rights," would adopt portions of legislation already supported by Republicans, including making curriculum plans publicly available and reaffirming and clarifying that parents can opt their children out of sex education lessons if they choose. "Because we have seen professional political operatives and politicians purposely spread misinformation and false claims that cause concern for well-meaning parents, it is important to put the 'Transparency in Health & Sex Education Curriculum Bill of Rights' into law," Gopal said in a statement to POLITICO. "Parents should be empowered with all the information they need to make decisions for their children."

STICKING TO HIS GUNS — " Murphy renews push for even tougher N.J. gun laws after proposals stalled. 'It's outrageous'," by NJ Advance Media's Brent Johnson: "Speaking from the pulpit of a Paterson church, Gov. Phil Murphy on Tuesday renewed his call for state lawmakers to pass a package of bills to further tighten New Jersey's already strict gun-control laws, a few months after the proposals stalled in the state Legislature's last session. 'Day after day, members of our New Jersey family are being shot and killed,' Murphy said during an event at Saint Luke Baptist Church, attending by a number of other Democratic officials. 'It's outrageous their state government in Trenton is not doing everything they can to stem this violence.'"

LESNIAK CAUGHT ON THE WIRE SAYING… ACTUALLY HE WAS JUST SAYING IT OUT LOUD ON TV — "Senator didn't know operative he paid for campaign help had copped to murder scheme," The Record's Ashley Balcerzak and Dustin Racioppi: "The Caddle case has set much of New Jersey's political world on edge, wondering who Caddle talked to while working for the FBI, whether he was wired, and — if so — what the tapes captured. Lesniak has since shut down the super PAC that he had used to pay Caddle's retainer. And Lesniak batted down the suggestion that he could have been a target in the federal investigation. In 'no way, shape or form' did it appear that Caddle was trying to get him on a wire, or that Caddle seemed to be working with the federal government, Lesniak told NorthJersey.com in a recent interview. 'I have not had any weird experiences,' the former state senator said. 'He was always so very focused on making sure that we always follow the law,' Lesniak said of Caddle. Caddle's work in Bayonne with Lesniak after sharing information with federal authorities raises more questions about Caddle's cooperation agreement and why he has been allowed to remain free at home on bail before his December sentencing."

BACK THE GREEN — Scutari against banning off-duty cops from using recreational cannabis , by POLITICO's Daniel Han: State Senate President Nick Scutari says he opposes barring off-duty law enforcement officers from using recreational cannabis. "You open up this box where you start regulating people's behavior when they're on their own time — I think that's a very dangerous, slippery slope, that I'm not willing to go down," Scutari said Monday evening during an event hosted by Rowan University. Proposals to bar off-duty law enforcement officers from using recreational cannabis has gained traction in recent days. State Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen) said he would favor legislation to stop off-duty police officers from using cannabis, and Gov. Phil Murphy said he would be "open-minded" to signing such legislation.

—Zebrowski: "Officers should be prohibited from smoking marijuana, even off duty"

INSTEAD OF LEGALIZING HOME GROW, NJ WILL MAKE BREWING YOUR OWN BEER A FELONY — " New Jersey's recreational cannabis buzzkill," by InsiderNJ's Jay Lassiter: "The NJ legislature could, of course, vote to legalize home cultivation of cannabis. Even if they're not ready to let everyone do it, surely it's time to permit a few plants for medical cannabis cardholders. That would break Big Weed's cartel-like hold on NJ's cannabis industry while empowering anyone with a green thumb. But thanks to aggressive lobbying by dispensary owners, there's not much appetite in the State House to legalize home cultivation right [now], not even for sick people. But there's a workaround that could get us halfway there. NJ's Acting Attorney General Matthew Platkin could ostensibly decriminalize home cultivation with a memorandum of guidance to New Jersey's 21 county prosecutors instructing them to lay off anyone who runs afoul of NJ's overly punitive anti-home grow laws. That's a half measure, a far cry from our legislature carrying out the will of the people. But it's a heckuva lot better than locking people up for weed. We already know Platkin likes memos."

—Scutari predicts affordability bills will move alongside budget

—"N.J. spent $5M on standardized tests. Some were given to the wrong students, sources say"

—" Many NJ lawmakers make money from local government contracts. Experts say disclosure is key"

—Edelstein: " Legal marijuana sales to start Thursday in New Jersey, and it's about time"

—"Solving N.J.'s judicial vacancy problem would be giant task for Governor Murphy"

—"Should NJ end its inheritance tax?"

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BIDEN TIME

SURELY TRUMP WILL HELP HIM OUT WITH SOME MONEY — "Tax court rebuffs Gilmore appeal to reduce unpaid debt," by New Jersey Globe's Joey Fox: " A U.S. Tax Court judge ruled on April 12 that former Ocean County Republican chairman George Gilmore, who was convicted on tax charges in 2019 before being pardoned by then-President Donald Trump, still has to pay the more than $1 million he owes in unpaid taxes … [A] jury convicted Gilmore on three of six counts, deadlocking on the tax evasion charge. Gilmore was sentenced to a year and a day in prison but remained free on bail until January 20, 2021, when Trump pardoned him as part of a wave of last-day commutations. With his criminal charges gone, Gilmore appealed to the United States Tax Court, arguing that his unpaid tax burden should be reduced. The court disagreed, with Judge David Gustafson writing that the Internal Revenue Service may 'proceed with the collection of [Gilmore's] unpaid income tax liabilities for the years 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2018."

STUDENTS IN LOWER GRADES ARE NOT BEING TAUGHT ABOUT PORNOGRAPHY UNLESS THEY LOOK AT THEIR DADS' BROWSER HISTORIES — "Kean chastises Malinowski, Cceates a 'Parent's Voice Coalition' ," by InsiderNj's Fred Snowflack: "A posting on his Facebook page asks parents to sign up and tell (Phil) Murphy parents deserve a role in their children's education. Kean further explained his point in a Monday appearance on Fox News. He called the health and sex ed standards proposed to take place next fall 'outrageous,' because students in lower grades would be exposed to gender identity and taught about pornography. 'We have to continue this fight,' he said, adding that Murphy is out of touch."

—"Booker joins overseas congressional trip as war rages in Ukraine"

—" The State Of New Jersey's Congressional Primaries"

LOCAL

GREEDIES FROM ASBURY PARK, N.J. — "'Devastated:' $2M low-cost housing program funded a $20K Airbnb, left tenants homeless," by The Asbury Park Press' Kayla Canne: "$2 million rental aid program for the poor was so bungled through mismanagement that city officials paid to remodel houses for several landlords — who then raised rents and kicked out struggling tenants or, in one case, offered a taxpayer-refurbished home to tourists as an opulent $20,000-a-month seaside getaway, an Asbury Park Press investigation found. The city's neglect of its affordable housing program, just one from a $200 million statewide initiative known as Regional Contribution Agreements, is a key example of how no one in New Jersey kept track of the money. Worse yet, the government seems not to care. The state agency in charge of local government oversight said it couldn't monitor the RCAs because towns inconsistently reported details about how tens of millions of dollars were spent. The Press found that RCA program rules in Asbury Park were routinely ignored, recordkeeping was haphazard and accountability was almost nonexistent."

—"Asbury Park's $2M affordable housing mismanagement: How did it happen? "

CARL LEWIS WOULD LIKE A WORD — "Ex-Paterson police chief fights residency law that may keep him off Passaic County ballot," by The Record's David M. Zimmer: "The candidacy of Troy Oswald, the Passaic County Republicans' choice to run for sheriff, is in limbo after Democrats challenged his ballot petition because he does not meet the three-year residency requirement for the position. The retired police chief is not challenging the claim made by county Democrats but is saying the residency requirement for New Jersey sheriffs is unconstitutional. Oswald, a county native who now lives in Clifton, claimed residency in Kinnelon when he registered to vote in neighboring Morris County in August 2020, records show. State election law requires candidates for sheriff to be residents of that county for the three years before a November election … Oswald and his attorney, Matthew Moench, are challenging the law. Oral arguments are expected on Thursday, April 21, before Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark's U.S. District Court, Moench said. The confirmation and printing of the county primary ballot are consequently on hold through at least Thursday afternoon ... Many elected positions in New Jersey have a one-year residency requirement for that voting district. County clerk and county surrogate have no such requirement. 'Enforcement of a three-year restriction on candidates to run for sheriff violates residents' right to vote and select their representation,' Moench said."

PLAN B — "Pinkin draws Column A for off-the-line challengers in Middlesex," by New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein : "It's been a tough week for embattled Middlesex County Clerk Nancy Pinkin, who returned from an ill-timed junket to Ireland and canceled the primary election ballot draw last Thursday, only to be ordered by a Superior Court judge to conduct one today. Pinkin was unable to do what county clerks have done for generations: coincidentally draw the Middlesex County Democratic Organization, of which she is a member, for the top ballot position. She drew Column A for a rival 'Democrats for Transparency and Fairness' slate that included two county commissioner candidates and three off-the-line contenders for seats on the Piscataway Township Council. The organization slate, with Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-Long Branch) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing), will run on Column B."

—"[Jersey City] welcomes children from the war in Ukraine"

—" Who is Paterson mayor backing in City Council race? He says no one, despite donation"

—" ELEC: Davis vastly outraises Ashe-Nadrowski, but super PAC spending still colors the race"

—"New cannabis restrictions expected to be approved in Bayonne Wednesday"

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EVERYTHING ELSE

IT MUST'VE BEEN BECAUSE OF THAT PRO-LGBTQ CURRICULUM THOSE CHURCH SCHOOLS ARE KNOWN FOR — "Diocese of Camden agrees to $87.5M deal to settle sex abuse suits," by AP's Mike Catalini: "A New Jersey Catholic diocese has agreed to pay $87.5 million to settle claims involving clergy sex abuse with some 300 alleged victims in one of the largest cash settlements involving the Catholic church in the United States. The agreement between the Diocese of Camden, which encompasses six counties in southern New Jersey on the outskirts of Philadelphia, and plaintiffs was filed with U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Camden on Tuesday. The settlement must still go before a U.S. bankruptcy judge. If approved, the settlement would exceed the nearly $85 million settlement in 2003 in the clergy abuse scandal in Boston, although it's less than other settlements in California and Oregon."

IZZOUT — "Leader who steered PSEG toward green energy will step down this year," by The Record's Daniel Munoz: "The longtime chief executive for Public Service Enterprise Group, Ralph Izzo, will retire from the power company by the end of 2022, the company announced Tuesday. Izzo's planned departure from the role of chairman, president and chief executive officer marks the end of a 15-year tenure at the helm of PSEG, where he began in 2007. Izzo's focus on green energy and away from fossil fuels made PSEG a national outlier as climate change increasingly entered the public discourse."

—" N.J. restaurant goes viral for berating, threatening customer over delivery dispute"

— "N.J. Hall of Fame noms: Anthony Bourdain, George Clinton, Paul Rudd, Michael B. Jordan, Bebe Neuwirth"

— "Another North Jersey Dunkin' named in a lawsuit over burns from coffee, this one in Bergen"

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