News: POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Goodbye, Senator Rice

Monday, August 22, 2022

POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Goodbye, Senator Rice

Aug 22, 2022

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By Matt Friedman

Presented by NextEra Energy Transmission

Good Monday morning!

On Friday, we learned that state Sen. Ronald Rice will retire at the end of the month after serving for 36 years.

While not a surprise — Rice has been in poor health and has not recently been in the Senate chambers —the Senate's going to be a lot less interesting. Rice is one of the most passionate, independent and colorful lawmakers I've ever known.

Rice was the leading voice among New Jersey's Black lawmakers, heading the Legislative Black Caucus for 18 years. And when it came to his passion for civil rights issues, he took on causes that weren't always politically popular. Recently, for example, he pushed to restore the right to vote for people on parole and probation, and after accomplishing that kept pushing to extend the right to inmates. Of course, people are complicated. So the senator's longtime opposition to gay marriage, and some of his comments on the issue a decade ago, appear incongruous with his other work on civil rights.

But what I'll remember Rice the most for is being highly critical of the state's political boss system. Very few lawmakers are willing to actually say things like this, and even fewer do so consistently.

DAYS SINCE MURPHY REFUSED TO SAY WHETHER HIS WIFE'S NON-PROFIT SHOULD DISCLOSE DONORS: 185

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

WHERE'S MURPHY? Coming back from Colorado after attending a DGA conference.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Rowan's Sean Kennedy, NJWEC's Drew Tompkins, former PoliticsNJ reporter Steve Kornacki

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "It ignores the cost of ripping out and replacing appliances, heaters, boilers, you name it, that's outrageous, we waited 3 years for this, a pile of garbage." — State Sen. Declan O'Scanlon on the BPU's Ratepayer Impact Study

PROGRAMMING NOTE — NJ Playbook will be off next week. I'll return to your inbox on Tuesday, Sept. 6

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WHAT TRENTON MADE

WHEN MURPHY PROMISED A 'FULL ACCOUNTING DID HE JUST MEANT OF STATE COFFERS? — "State to pay out nearly $16M to families over COVID deaths in N.J. veteran's homes, admits no wrongdoing ," by NJ Advance Media's Ted Sherman: "New Jersey has agreed to pay another $15.9 million to those who lost loved ones in the state-run veteran's homes in the early days of the pandemic, according to the terms of an agreement obtained by NJ Advance Media. The out-of-court settlement, confirmed by a Murphy administration official, resolves an additional 71 claims alleging that the state's negligence and incompetence were largely to blame for the deadly COVID-19 outbreak that raged out of control for months through New Jersey's three veteran's homes in early 2020.The state admitted no wrongdoing. Two of the veteran's homes — one in Menlo Park and a second in Paramus — reported some of the highest COVID-related death tolls in the nation. A third facility is in Vineland.The agreement marks the second major settlement of wrongful death claims involving the vulnerable long-term care facilities. The state in December agreed to pay nearly $53 million to the families of 119 residents whose deaths were attributed to the coronavirus between March and May of 2020."

MURPHY'S HAIR GROWTH EXPLANATION DOESN'T CUT IT — " President Murphy? N.J. governor could run for White House if Biden doesn't," by NJ Advance Media's Brent Johnson: "'He's a sitting governor, he's term-limited, he's not ready to retire. If you look around nationally, why not said former state Senate President Stephen Sweeney, a fellow Democrat who often clashed with Murphy. Murphy's actions in recent months — from having dinner with famed strategist James Carville to becoming an even more vocal proponent of gun control and abortion rights — suggest someone who is testing the White House waters. Maybe you've heard him put more of a national spin on his speeches, declaring the American Dream is 'alive and well' in New Jersey. Maybe you've seen him in TV ads touting his record, even though he was already re-elected last year. Or you may have noticed he just made his fourth trip to Israel — a must-visit for presidential wannabes. And some Statehouse super-speculators claim they can prove a possible Murphy bid is as plain as the hair on his head. The governor emerged this summer with frizzed-out follicles atop his thinned-out dome, eschewing his usual near-buzz cut for a longer and shaggier 'do that looks less Michael Keaton and more Ed Sheeran. Appearances, after all, draw more eyes on a national stage — though the governor credits his hairdresser for telling him: 'You have little hair left, so let it grow.'"

PUTIN IT OFF — "N.J. vowed to cut pension ties to Russia nearly 6 months ago. It hasn't happened yet., by NJ Advance Media's Derek Hall : "When Russian President Vladimir Putin marched troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, Gov. Phil Murphy and state lawmakers in New Jersey quickly responded, enacting several measures within two weeks of the invasion, all aimed at severing financial ties with Russia and its ally Belarus. Murphy, along with state leaders from both parties, said it was important to move swiftly in a show of solidarity with Ukraine.But the Murphy administration has struggled to make headway, and very little has changed nearly six months later."

—" Gov. Murphy heading to Colorado for political event"

—"Lawmakers, drivers say N.J. should ditch front license plates on cars "

—Gopal: "New bill will ease restrictions on New Jersey's breweries"

STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president's ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.

BIDEN TIME

TOO MODERATE IN THEIR ZEAL TO GET THIS DONE — "Both sides ask judge to take fusion voting case off the fast track," by New Jersey Monitor's Nikita Biryukov: "A push to legalize fusion voting in New Jersey is expected to be taken off an accelerated court track after attorneys for both sides acknowledged in court filings that the case is unlikely to be resolved in time for November's midterm elections. This development means Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-07) will likely not be able to use fusion voting to boost his reelection chances against Republican former state Sen. Tom Kean Jr. in November. Fusion voting, a practice that allows a single candidate to appear on a ballot multiple times under separate party banners, is currently banned in New Jersey. The fledgling Moderate Party, a group of Republican and unaffiliated voters that has endorsed Malinowski, took the New Jersey Secretary of State to court as a way to reinstate the practice, but lawyers for the state and the Moderate Party say in new court filings that judges should not consider the case on an expedited basis."

—"Here's how much your N.J. members of Congress are worth, from poorest to richest"

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LOCAL

THE MINISTRY OR TRADITIONAL EXECUTION — Hamilton School Board candidate Nichola Ferrara said Saturday he had dropped his candidacy after I highlighted a few of the dozens of horrific and unhinged statements the QAnon adherent made on Gab, many of which place Jews at the center of some kind of satanic worldwide conspiracy, and some of which call for executing them. He went as far as to say that Hitler "caught wind of the fake jew/Zionist plans and decided to do something about it" but that "he cast his net too large and lost God's favor because innocents were getting thrown in with the evil Lucifereans." His posts are also full of anti-gay slurs and some really disgusting imagery, and show disturbing parallels between the QAnon conspiracy theory and blood libel.

When Ferrara ran for the Republican nomination to Congress in the 3rd District this year, I mostly ignored his candidacy. This was on purpose. He just seemed off. For all the spectacle someone like that can provide, I don't think it does much good for the public or the candidate himself to give that kind of candidate a publicity boost. But then he chose to run for Hamilton school board. These are usually little-watched, low-turnout elections that are more likely to allow candidates like this to slip by. So when a source pointed out Ferrara's conspiracy-laden anti-Semitic rantings on Gab, I couldn't ignore it.

But it's worth noting that Ferrara has some followers. He organized something called the "Ministry for Traditional Education" that garnered over 1,000 online petition signatures to push back on New Jersey's curriculum standards on teaching "about gender and sexual identity as well as other age-inappropriate sex topics and critical race theory." And in June, the group advertised a speech at one of its monthly meetings by far-right radio personality Bill Spadea, who's being talked about as a potential candidate for office. And this isn't unique. See the anti-Semitic, anti-gay statements made by an Oklahoma candidate who was just endorsed by Arizona's Republican gubernatorial nominee. Anyway, I genuinely hope Ferrara gets some help.

NEW JERSEY DRIVE — "Murphy says not calling for DeGise to resign after hit-and-run has 'nothing to do' with her powerful father," by NJ Advance Media's Matt Arco: "Numerous times over the past four years, Gov. Phil Murphy has called on local officials to resign over controversial matters. But not so for a Jersey City councilwoman with a politically powerful father after her hit-and-run with a bicyclist nearly a month ago … Asked Friday if Murphy was reluctant to hold off calling for her resignation because of her politically connected family, the governor responded: 'No, that has nothing to do with it' 'This has got to get adjudicated in a legal reality first and then at the local level in a political context. I think it's in that order,' Murphy said. Tom DeGise introduced Murphy at an event in Jersey City on Wednesday. Murphy called him a "great leader and a dear friend" and applauded his time as executive."

—"How NJ makes it hard to recall a scandal-plagued politician like Jersey City's Amy DeGise"

INCOMPETENCE KILLED THE VIDEO STAR — "Years' worth of municipal meeting videos deleted in Cape May," by The Press of Atlantic City's Bill Barlow: "The city had used the platform Livestream to post and store videos of the meetings. That company was acquired by Vimeo in 2017. This year, the city decided to make the move to YouTube. 'We were going to have to upgrade one way or another,' said Belasco in a recent interview. But the city still expected the videos already posted to remain available. However, an email notification from Vimeo requesting a $499 payment went to the email account of someone who is no longer employed by the city. The email address is not monitored, and the bill went unpaid. 'We didn't pay the bill, and they shut us off and deleted our videos,' he said … Belasco and City Clerk Erin Burke indicated that the city has tried to get the videos back, to no avail. Belasco said he asked how much it would cost to return the video and was told there is no way, regardless of price. They were gone, gone … The city is not required to keep recordings of meetings, either on video or audio, for more than 90 days, Burke said."

A BIG DOWNGRADE FOR THE SITE OF A FORMER…. (CHECKS ARTICLE).... TEAR GAS FACTORY — " 'I'm going back to Texas': Battle over marijuana spreads in Hunterdon County," by MyCentralJersey's Mike Deak: "The NAR Group, of Warren Township, wants to open a 20,000-square-foot medical marijuana cultivation facility at 62 Anthony Road, the former site of the Diamond Aerosol manufacturing facility. NAR received state approval for the facility in October 2021. But the proposal has generated so much controversy throughout the rural community that Tuesday's meeting has been moved to the gymnasium of Woodglen Elementary School … At last week's township committee meeting, opponents of the plan said it was a threat to the township's quality of life, would generate additional commercial traffic on back roads, harm the environment and the aquifer and detract people from moving to the township. … The 40-acre site had been operated more than a decade ago as a research and development facility for internal coatings of aerosol cans, according to a 2011 Environmental Protection Agency report. Before that it was used by the Diamond East Corporation to manufacture cosmetics and personal protection devices containing tear gas, pepper spray and other specialty chemical products, for about three decades."

GLOUCESTER COUNTY — " Prosecutor probing k9 dog death involving Mantua Township Committeeman," by New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein : "The Gloucester County Prosecutor's office is investigating the death of a K9 dog assigned to a politically connected county fire marshal, Shawn K. Layton. Layton, who is also a Democratic township committeeman in Mantua, was entrusted with Ember, a three-year-old a red fox Labrador Retriever who died on Friday while in Layton's vehicle. It's still unclear if the dog's death occurred during the early morning hours or during the day on Friday. Temperatures reached 87 degrees that day. There has been no public comment from the county. Layton's own dog also died on Friday as part of the same incident, [CountyCommissioner Frank] DiMarco confirmed … Multiple individuals with direct knowledge of Gloucester County paint a picture of a close relationship between the Bruner and Layton families. Bruner is a Mantua resident."

PREVAILING RAGE — "Tenant claims Newark schools landlord harassed and threatened 100 year old store," by TAPIntoNewark's Mark Bonamo: "A complaint filed against the landlord of a Newark school project reads more like a script from a Sopranos episode than a legal filing. 'People get hurt on construction sites,' the landlord purportedly says to a tenant that refused to move out, according to the court documents. 'If the building blows up, the people are inside and they blow up, too.' Details like those are contained in a 92-page lawsuit filed against Albert Nigri and 155 Jefferson Street Urban Renewalpdf, the owners of 155 Jefferson Street in the Ironbound which Newark Public Schools has agreed to lease after the owners of the site convert it from a former hospital to high school. The landlords are already under fire from criticism that they are not paying construction workers prevailing wage."

—"Red Bank council combat continues with lawyer choice the latest battle"

—" Hackensack stands up for breweries, pushes back on new 'handcuffs' limiting events"

— " Ocean County College, union battle over raises, back pay and non-union instructors"

R.I.P. — "Laurelle Cummings, Ex-Camden Freeholder, Dies At 83"

—"New Brunswick approves massive redevelopment plan for Jersey Avenue"

—" Students help rename elementary school after 1st Black woman to graduate from N.J. district"

—"Construction underway around [Jersey City] Katyn Memorial, but National Polish group not giving up on amending redesign"

—"Warehouse sprawl collides with 55+ community in [Franklin Township]"

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EVERYTHING ELSE

SEX CRIMES — "Police in Cherry Hill charge actor Gary Busey with sex crimes," by The Philadelphia Inquirer's Craig r. McCoy: "Police have charged the actor Gary Busey with three counts of sex crimes that they said took place when he allegedly groped at least two victims during a Monster-Mania convention in Cherry Hill earlier this month, authorities said Saturday. Police in Cherry Hill said the 78-year-old Busey, who lives in Malibu, Calif., outside Los Angeles, was charged Friday with two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact and a single count of attempted criminal sexual contact. He was also charged with harassment. Cherry Hill Township Police Lt. Robert Scheunemann said: 'It was about contact. It was about touching.' Police said they had received 'multiple complaints' about Busey's conduct."

WHEN NON-FOOTBALL PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS REALIZE THEY DON'T QUALIFY FOR FREE DOORDASH — "First-year and transfer enrollment at Rutgers-Camden is down 27%, and faculty are concerned," by The Philadelphia Inquirer's Susan Snyder: "Enrollment at Rutgers-Camden among first-year and transfer students has plummeted 27% compared with the same time last year, according to figures from president Jonathan Holloway's office that were released by the faculty union late Friday. Faculty leaders and union officials say the problem is in large part due to mistakes in the rollout of a new software system that caused delays in the admissions process throughout Rutgers' system, but most significantly for Camden. As of Aug. 15, Rutgers-Camden, one of three campuses in the system, had 1,261 first-year and transfer students enrolled, down 469 students from the same time last year."

—"Spending at the Jersey Shore stifled this summer by inflation, gas prices, sweltering heat"

— " Water officials root for rain and weigh drought warning, as conditions worsen "

—"Bergen priest accused of sexual misconduct is reassigned to Newark with inquiry closed "

—"N.J. kayakers appear to have smashed a world record"

— " NJ experts say see-through backpacks may do more harm than good"

—"Hirsh Singh loses condo board race in a landslide "

Correction: I was ahead by a week on a bunch of birthdays last week.: Former Sen. Robert Torricelli, whose birthday is this Friday,; Murphy staffer Raj Bath and PR guy Steve Lenox, whose birthdays are Sunday; and Rowan's Sean Kennedyand NJWEC's Drew Tompkins, whose birthdays are today. I promise that my actual reporting isn't as sloppy as my birthday tracking.

A message from NextEra Energy Transmission:

NextEra Energy didn't become the world's largest generator of wind and solar power overnight. We've been building and operating large-scale energy projects across North America for decades and powering New Jersey for nearly a quarter-century. Our first solar farm in the Garden State was built in West Deptford. Yet, our contributions have gone far deeper—from counseling local businesses on how to reach clean energy goals and operating battery storage facilities to providing dozens of solar sites on buildings from Cape May to High Point and working to help New Jersey reach its offshore wind goals. We know how to get big, complex projects done on time and on budget. We power homes, neighborhoods, and entire cities, all while putting customers first, prioritizing the environment, and working with local communities to create jobs and limit disruptions. NextEra Energy Transmission is committed to empowering a greener New Jersey.