| | | | |  | | By Katherine Landergan | Good Wednesday morning! Republican lawmakers are claiming the state's next revenue update will show booming tax collections. The Senate minority office sent a press release saying an impending revenue update will show that tax collections are at least $5 billion higher than what was projected. The governor's office wouldn't comment on the figure. The actual figures won't come out for a few days, but other lawmakers have hinted collections will exceed expectations. Senate Budget Chair Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen) said last week he wants a budget surplus that is $6 billion or higher. Republicans want to see the money spent on tax rebates, including a $1,000 check to New Jersey families. Another bill would give an additional $500 to New Jersey families to counter gas prices and inflation costs. More money is always good for the state, and more money will also inevitably lead to disagreements over what to spend it on. Senate Minority Leader Steve Oroho (R-Sussex) said that once the revenue numbers are out, he wants to see these rebates expand even further. "When New Jersey families are struggling with soaring prices and inflation, we believe Governor Murphy must commit to giving back these overcollections immediately to families that are suffering today," he said in a statement. WHERE'S MURPHY? — Delivering remarks at the New Jersey Conference of Mayors Spring Conference in Atlantic City, and then making a "Reproductive Rights Announcement" in Trenton. DAYS SINCE MURPHY REFUSED TO SAY WHETHER HIS WIFE'S NON-PROFIT SHOULD DISCLOSE DONORS: 85 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 |  | WHAT TRENTON MADE | |
ON PAROLE — Murphy, Platkin condemn ruling granting parole for activist convicted in 1973 killing of state trooper, by POLITICO'S Katherine Landergan: Gov. Phil Murphy and the Attorney General's Office on Tuesday condemned the state Supreme Court's decision to order parole for an activist who was convicted of killing a state trooper nearly a half-century ago in what became one of New Jersey's most infamous cases. In a 3-2 ruling, New Jersey's highest court ordered parole for Sundiata Acoli, a Black Liberation Army activist who was convicted of killing Trooper Werner Foerster during a shootout on the New Jersey Turnpike in 1973. Tuesday's ruling reversed an earlier decision by the New Jersey State Parole Board that Acoli not be released. The court said there was not enough evidence to show Acoli, who is now 85 and suffers from dementia, would be a danger to the public upon his release. Acoli had repeatedly been denied parole since first becoming eligible in 1993.
THE RENT IS TOO DAMN HIGH — "Why it is so hard to find affordable housing in New Jersey," by NorthJersey.com's Ashley Balcerzak: "New Jersey severely lacks affordable housing, especially for those who need it most: For every 100 families earning extremely low incomes, the Garden State has only 31 affordable and available rentals — less than the national average and among the worst ratios in the Northeast, tied only with Delaware. But no state in the country has an adequate supply of homes for those families making below the poverty line or up to 30% of their county's median income. The U.S. needs another 7 million affordable units — and currently offers an average of 36 available homes for every 100 such families, according to the 2022 report 'The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Homes.'" PRESCRIPTION DRUGS — Murphy looks to add another industry player to prescription drug package, by POLITICO's Daniel Han: Gov. Phil Murphy is looking to add another industry player as part of his prescription drug package. In a meeting with lawmakers in late April, representatives from Murphy's office offered proposed amendments, obtained by POLITICO, that would include pharmacy services administrative organizations, which work on behalf of independent pharmacies to negotiate and manage business with pharmacy benefits managers, among other changes. Pharmacy benefits managers, a main target of Murphy's prescription drug package, serve as middlemen in the prescription drug supply chain by negotiating rebates with drug manufacturers. They also play a key role in deciding what drugs are covered by insurers and for how much. Three pharmacy benefits managers — CVS Caremark, Express Scripts and OptumRx — control nearly 80 percent of the industry. THESE SUBVARIANT NAMES ARE GETTING OUT OF HAND — "'Stealth' subvariant driving COVID-19 up in NJ," by NJ Spotlight News' Lilo H. Stainton: "New Jersey's COVID-19 indicators are trending in the wrong direction — upward — due to a highly transmissible variant of the coronavirus and dwindling public health protections here and across the nation. Daily diagnoses and likely COVID-19 cases are at a point not seen in New Jersey since late January. And hospitalizations — a key measure of health care capacity — have been rising for six weeks, state records show. Nine out of 10 cases diagnosed in the past month are tied to the omicron subvariant BA.2, also known as the 'stealth variant,' which spreads even faster than its highly transmissible parent strain. New Jersey is clearly not alone. Nationwide, cases are up 50% in the past two weeks, with the greatest increase in the Northeast. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention community COVID-19 map shows 'high' and 'medium' spread throughout New York state and New England, with the northern two-thirds of New Jersey considered 'medium' while southern counties remain in a 'low' spread zone." LIQUOR REFORM — " Lawmakers hear competing visions for liquor license reform," by the New Jersey Monitor's Nikita Biryukov: "Competing groups pushed Assembly lawmakers to expand the availability of liquor licenses or keep reforms to a minimum as legislators began the state's latest push to loosen New Jersey's liquor laws. Advocates for liquor stores, convenience stores, grocers, and distilleries alternatively urged members of the Assembly's oversight and reform committee to keep alcohol sales to retailers, expand them to new venues, and broaden the availability or affordability of licenses, all while maintaining value for existing license holders. 'New Jersey law has changed gradually over time, but we haven't had a major review of our alcoholic beverage laws, and now's not the time to make piecemeal changes,' said Michael DeLoreto, who testified on behalf of grocer industry group the New Jersey Food Council. 'Now's the time to take a more holistic look at how our laws are structured.'" SWEENEY 4 GUV CAMPAIGN — "Sweeney has $1 million banked, perhaps for rematch with Durr ," by the New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein: "Former Senate President Steve Sweeney has $1,042,928 cash-on-hand for a possible bid to reclaim the 3rd district Senate seat he unexpectedly lost last year to Republican Edward Durr (R-Swedesboro). He has not said if he will in 2023 against Durr but has announced his intention to seek the Democratic nomination for governor in 2025. Sweeney had $593,313 left over after losing to Durr by 2,199 votes, 52%-48%, in one of the most stunning upsets in New Jersey history. Since then, Sweeney has raised $502,816 for his legislative campaign committee and spent $53,201, according to reports filed with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission."
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INTERNET ACCESS — "More than 1.5M low-income N.J. residents could get affordable high-speed internet under Biden plan," by NJ Advance Media's Jonathan D. Salant: "An estimated 1.6 million low-income New Jersey residents will be able to afford a high-speed internet connection under a plan rolled out Monday by President Joe Biden. Funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program was included in the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law enacted last year. The White House said at the time that an estimated 1.6 million low-income New Jerseyans would receive subsidized internet access. More than 3 in 10 New Jerseyans did not subscribe to an internet service. Nationally, an estimated 48 million households — around 40% of the country — would be eligible for subsidized internet access, the White House said."
| | LOCAL | |
NEWARK — "Forty Newark students chosen to attend Saint Elizabeth University for free," by the Morristown Daily Record's William Westhoven: "Funded in part by a $1 million grant from the city of Newark, the program will cover all expenses for the 40 students, including tuition, books and room and board. 'With fewer than 16% of Newarkers having a bachelor's degree and the majority of Black and Brown students financing their education through debt, it's critical that more opportunities are created for students to go to college without crippling burdens of student loans," [Mayor Ras] Baraka said. "We are starting with 40 of our at-risk Newark students for this program and we will continue to make it a priority to help close the wealth and education gap.'"
RED BANK — "Former Red Bank Council President charged with stealing thousands from non-profit," by the Asbury Park Press' Nicolas Fernandes: " Former Red Bank Council President Hazim Yassin has been charged with stealing thousands of dollars from a non-profit education foundation, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey said. Yassin, 32, of the Lincroft section of Middletown, has been charged with third-degree theft by unlawful taking, the Prosecutor's Office said. Yassin is accused of stealing from the Red Bank Education Foundation, where he was the treasurer, authorities said. An audit by the foundation found that a series of unauthorized withdrawals had been made from the organization's bank account, including four made in 2020 while the organization was inactive due to the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said."
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NOT COOL — "Years after Hurricane Sandy, 2 contractors admit ripping off 10 homeowners," by NJ Advance Media's Jeff Goldman: "Two former contractors on Friday admitted ripping off 10 homeowners whose residences were damaged in Superstorm Sandy nearly a decade ago. Former New Jersey residents Paul Rueda, 50, and John Bishop, 57, each pleaded guilty to theft by failure to make required disposition, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said in a statement Tuesday. Rueda, now of San Diego, Texas, and Bishop, a Celebration, Florida resident, agreed to pay $542,800 and $178,425, respectively, in restitution to the victims. Prosecutors will recommend Rueda get five years in state prison and Bishop get a four-year term when both are sentenced on July 15."
HOSPITALS — "Hospital safety grades show COVID's impact in NJ as Holy Name, St. Joseph's get low marks," by NorthJersey.com's Lindy Washburn: "Four North Jersey hospitals, including Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck and St. Joseph's two hospitals in Paterson and Wayne, received low marks of 'D' in the semiannual safety grades issued by The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog of hospital quality. The period rated included the pandemic. The four were among nearly 3,000 hospitals nationwide — including 69 in New Jersey — to receive letter grades of A through F based on over 30 measures of patient safety. The spring 2022 grades registered the impact of COVID‐19 on patient safety, with several measures showing a significant decline. Throughout the state, eight hospitals — including Hackensack University Medical Center, flagship of the Hackensack Meridian Health system — received lower grades for safety than last fall, and six received higher grades." OP-ED — "Criminalizing unintended mistakes will make health care less safe," by Cooper University Health Care's Kevin O'Dowd and Anthony Mazzarelli: "Errors in health care can be deadly. Accordingly, our No. 1 priority as leaders in health care is to reduce errors. We believe that the criminalization of health care errors will only work to hamper progress in making the health care system safer for patients. Unfortunately, a recent, well-publicized case, where a nurse was criminally charged for the death of a patient who she accidently gave the wrong medication, may have already done damage to the effort to make health care safer." — NJ Advance Media: " Teacher's aide beat 7-year-old, mom says in $2.5M lawsuit notice" — The Philadelphia Inquirer: "N.J.: 'It is not the state that is evicting Fishheads' "
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