| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | Presented by AARP | Good Friday morning! Last week, George Norcross and former Senate President Steve Sweeney held a Zoom call with Assemblymember Wayne DeAngelo (D-Mercer). The point of the call was to encourage DeAngelo to challenge state Sen. Linda Greenstein (D-Middlesex) in the 14th District’s Democratic primary. But DeAngelo told them he still plans to run for reelection to the Assembly on the Mercer County line, on which — should he win it — he’ll likely be joined by Greenstein, his longtime running mate. This is part of the conflagration around the Democratic primary for Mercer County executive, in which Norcross is aligned with 20-year incumbent Brian Hughes, who’s being challenged by Assemblymember Dan Benson. It’s also the second time I know of that Norcross has tried to convince local elected officials to take a certain stance in the race and been rebuffed. For the record, I’m basing this on three people familiar with the events but who declined to speak publicly, and Sweeney denied it when I called him.“I haven’t urged [DeAngelo] to do anything, so I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sweeney told me. Nevertheless, I’m confident that this meeting took place and of what its purpose was, and I haven’t received any pushback from the others involved. Also, keep this mysterious poll in mind. “Let me just say this: I don’t want to comment on whether or not the meeting took place,” DeAngelo told me. “I’m running for General Assembly on the Mercer County and Middlesex County line. I’ll leave it at that.” Norcross declined to comment. The 14th District used to be a swing district and, at least on paper, remains so. That Norcross and Sweeney sought to stoke a state Senate Democratic primary there as part of the wide battle for Mercer County executive is fascinating, and it’s got some Democrats there pretty sore. TIPS? FEEDBACK? HATE MAIL? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “When they say I’m too old, it brings me back to a movie …. Soylent Green… The government had decided in this movie that when people reached a certain age, they were no longer productive citizens. Therefore it was their legal and moral obligation to report to these factories where they were put on moving lines to take them to where they were executed, and I think they were turned to fertilizer … is that where we’re going to be going as a society?” — 87-year-old state Sen. Sam Thompson, who will run for reelection as a Democrat after losing his party’s support because of his age. (Soylent Green in the film was actually food, not fertilizer, but that doesn’t change his point). WHERE’S MURPHY? Germany. Acting Gov. Oliver has nothing public scheduled. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Sean Conner, Mike Mignogna, Ron C. Rice. Saturday for Brian Rock and Jonathan Sternesky. Sunday for Sadaf Jaffer and Jonathan Pantano. Monday for Dov Ben-Shimon PROGRAMMING NOTE — New Jersey Playbook will be off Monday in observance of Presidents Day | | | | A message from AARP: Many family caregivers in New Jersey struggle to keep their older loved ones at home – and out of costly, taxpayer-funded nursing homes – often sacrificing their jobs and tapping into their savings to make it work. Now increases in the cost of gas, food, and housing are making it even more difficult. We need to give family caregivers financial relief. Tell your state lawmakers to pass the Caregiver’s Assistance Act (A1802/S2021) now. We need it. | | | |  | WHAT TRENTON MADE | |
FROM MONMOUTH OBLAST TO LVIV OBLAST — @GovMurphy: “Honored to visit Lviv Oblast in western Ukraine today to meet with Governor Maksym Kozytskyy, Shehyni Mayor Oksana Pavusko, refugees, displaced children, and orphans. Nearly a year after the Putin regime’s brutal invasion, we reaffirm our support for the Ukrainian people.” (Tweet includes photos).
A SPLENDID LITTLE WAR ON DRUGS — “As New Jersey seeks harsher punishments for fentanyl possession and dealing, advocates say the new laws risk harming people with addiction,” by The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Aubrey Whelan: “Lawmakers say that their goal is not to target drug users. Instead, they are hoping to punish dealers amid a widening overdose crisis, state Sens. Paul Sarlo (D.-Bergen) and Joseph Lagana (D.-Bergen) wrote in the bill. (Sarlo did not return a call for comment.) But advocates in New Jersey who work to reduce the harmful effects of drugs say the proposed penalties don’t reflect the reality of drug use in the state, and may deter people from seeking help … Sandy Gibson, an addiction counselor who also serves as the chairwoman of the New Jersey Addiction Professional Association’s Advocacy Committee, said many of her clients don’t simply buy drugs for themselves — they’re often buying for friends as well, so they can use the drugs together. Harm reductionists often advise people who use drugs to use them around other people, to avoid overdosing alone with no one on hand to help treat an overdose with naloxone or call 911. “We say to use in groups and stagger your use,” Gibson said” MENLO PARK — “Feds come down hard on veterans home operated by N.J. with $340K in penalties,” by NJ Advance Media’s Ted Sherman and Susan K. Livio: “The troubled state-operated New Jersey Veterans Home Memorial Home at Menlo Park has been hit with more than $340,000 in federal penalties, following charges of improper care and abuse that put the lives of residents in ‘immediate jeopardy’ and threatened a shutdown of the facility. Administrators for the 312-bed nursing home in Edison, which cares for military veterans and their spouses, told regulators they planned to appeal the enforcement action … The agency’s action came in the wake of a long list of deficiencies and alleged non-compliance with federal quality of care standards, imposing daily assessments that overall totaled $340,285 for its failures in care between August of 2022 to January of this year.” | | | | 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. | | | | |
ROBBING VINNIE TO PAY PAUL —“Juliano headed to top Sports Authority post as Prieto successor,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “Bergen County Democratic Chairman Paul Juliano will replace Vincent Prieto as president and CEO of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority within the next few months, the New Jersey Globe has confirmed. He will assume the post with the support of Gov. Phil Murphy. Juliano and Murphy have become strong political allies since he became county chairman in 2019. Juliano will remain as county chairman and plans to seek re-election next year. Murphy picked Prieto to lead the authority in early 2018 as a consolation prize after Assembly Democrats replaced him as Speaker and instead chose Craig Coughlin. The original deal was for Prieto to hold the position for three years; he has now been there for five.”
GATEWAY RISKS RUINING TONNELLE AVENUE’S NATURAL BEAUTY — “Gateway tunnel construction prep could begin this year in NJ on Tonnelle Ave,” by The Record’s Colleen Wilson: “Building an overpass and moving utilities are the first projects expected later this year on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River to begin early construction on one of the entrances to the new Hudson River rail tunnel. This $54 million project is also the first being managed by the Gateway Development Commission (GDC), the bistate agency overseeing the Gateway program to build the new connections between New Jersey and New York. The first phase is $16.1 billion in projects, including rehabilitating two century-old rail tunnels, building two new ones and building a new Portal Bridge to improve train travel along notorious chokepoints on the Northeast Corridor.” IT IS WRITTEN — Committee votes on boundaries of Central Jersey without debate, by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: New Jerseyans constantly debate the borders of Central Jersey — that is, if they believe the region exists at all. But given a chance to weigh in on legislation that would define the state’s three main regions for tourism promotion — a bill similar to one, NJ A4711, that got significant media attention upon its introduction in October — nobody showed up to testify Thursday … Under the legislation, the “Northern Tourism Region” would be made up of Sussex, Warren, Morris, Passaic, Bergen, Essex and Hudson counties. The “Central Tourism Region” would include Hunterdon, Somerset, Union, Middlesex, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean Counties. And the “Southern Tourism Region” would comprise Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Atlantic, Salem, Cumberland and Cape May Counties. —Governor’s office floats pharma compromise to lawmakers —Poll: Most N.J. residents support fusion voting —Senate committee advances climate change assessment bill —“Fearing conservative Supreme Court, N.J. takes step to protect interracial marriage” —“Will a new law to improve E-ZPass in NJ actually make the tolling system better?” —“Don’t believe the scary talk. Deficits aren’t on the horizon at Rutgers. | Opinion” —“Longtime Pinelands Commission staffer takes helm as executive director” —“A landmark of preservation, Pinelands sees renewed threats” | | | | A message from AARP:   | | | | | LOCAL | |
TRANSPARENCY = ASSASSINATION — “Paterson council rejects request for televising workshop meetings in close vote,” by The Paterson Press’ Joe Malinconico: “In a 4-3 vote, the Paterson City Council on Tuesday refused to resume airing its biweekly workshop meetings on local access cable television and YouTube. The council had begun recording its workshop meetings – nonvoting sessions when city issues undergo public discussion – at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic but stopped that practice last year. Council business meetings, when votes are taken, have been televised for many years and started being posted on YouTube in 2019 … Council President Shahin Khalique said the city already was providing public access to workshop meetings, which residents may attend in person. ‘Anybody can come,’ he said. Khalique complained about ‘misinformation’ being spread that he personally was blocking the effort to televise the workshops. He made those comments moments before casting the deciding vote against televising the workshop sessions … ‘I wish nothing would be televised,’ said [Luis] Velez …. ‘If somebody wants to kill me, at least they won’t know what time I’m coming out of here.’”
A THOROUGH AND EFFICIENT EDUCATION — “Paterson schools declare emergency over School 21’s ‘nuisance odor’,” by The Paterson Press’ Joe Malinconico: “City education officials last week conducted emergency air testing in three classrooms at School 21 after a state inspector said an odor from the basement may be connected to ‘health symptoms’ experienced by some occupants. District officials said a student from one of the classrooms became ill and a teacher was hospitalized. But officials said it was not clear whether the so-called “nuisance odor” caused their health problems. The district did not reveal exactly when the illnesses occurred.” | | | | DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO MOBILE APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. The sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don’t miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. DOWNLOAD FOR iOS– DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID. | | | | |
R.I.P. LIVIA — “Link to ‘The Sopranos’ doesn’t make N.J. funeral home historic, mayor says as site faces possible demo,” by NJ Advance Media’s Brianna Kudisch: “Belleville officials designated a funeral home — famously featured in iconic scenes in HBO’s ‘The Sopranos’ — as an area in need of redevelopment last week, meaning the building could be demolished … over the objections of the local historical society … Established in 1885, the funeral home was extensively renovated by its late owner, James Cozzarelli, according to his obituary. Cozzarrelli, who died in 2021, had a passion for interior design and his elaborately decorated funeral home caught the eye of the producers of HBO’s ‘The Sopranos,’ who featured it in multiple seasons. It was the site of several funerals for characters on the mob-themed show, including scenes in which Tony Soprano paid his final respects to his mother, Livia … ‘These are the same people against every single development project in Belleville,’ [Mayor Michael Melhman] said of community members who want to preserve the building. ‘This time, they happen to think they have a better angle and sadly, because ‘The Sopranos’ were filmed there, they have gotten some traction.’”
SUE AC — “Atlantic City clerk sues city, others over trip and fall on Atlantic Avenue,” by The Press of Atlantic City’s michelle Brunetti Post: “City Clerk Paula Geletei has sued the city, the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority and private businesses over a July 9 fall on an Atlantic Avenue sidewalk that fractured her left arm. Geletei is seeking damages, lawyers' fees, costs of suit ‘and any other relief which the court may deem just and equitable.’ She alleges she was exiting a car onto the sidewalk in front of 1736 and 1738 Atlantic Ave. and tripped over a steel landscape edging, causing her serious injuries.” IT’S MORE OF A PETRI DISH OF VIOLENCE — “N.J. school denies culture of violence, announces changes after student’s suicide,” by NJ Advance Media’s Jackie Roman: “The acting superintendent of Central Regional High School in Bayville denied a culture of violence — but also announced a series of prospective initiatives aimed at evaluating and improving the district’s approach to bullying, during a press conference held Monday afternoon in response to outrage over the suicide of a freshman and other stories of in-school violence .. The Central Regional School District, which serves students in grades 9-12 from the municipalities of Berkeley Township, Island Heights, Ocean Gate, Seaside Heights and Seaside Park, has been roiled in controversy since a 14-year-old freshman died by suicide on Feb. 3, days after she had been physically attacked and bullied by classmates. Since her death, parents and students have shared stories of what they’ve called a culture of violence and bullying, and demanded change in the district. ‘I do not agree that we have a culture of violence,’ said Corbett.” —NJ Spotlight News: “Jersey City Councilwoman Amy DeGise discusses her hit-and-run case” —Before the NJ Spotlight News interview with David Cruz, DeGise went for a friendly interview on the YouTube show of her online defender, Fernando Uribe, who frequently rants about cyclists. You can watch that here. —“No discrimination found in N.J. town’s court scheduling, judiciary says” —“Atlantic City Electric just got a rate increase. This is why it wants another” —“Wayne council gets into shouting match over stipend for volunteer first responders” —“Muslim police chief who intended to sue [Long Hill] settles claims for $600K” —“A South Jersey teacher has resigned after a student recorded her profanity-laced tirade to the class” —Snowflack: “The Lonegan-Space circus and other GOP primary nuggets” —“Another N.J. high school [Ridgewood] starting classes later so teens get more sleep” | | EVERYTHING ELSE | |
HIRSH SINGH BIOPIC? — “‘Joker 2,’ starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, to film in N.J.,” by NJ Advance Media’s Amy Kuperinsky: “When director Todd Phillips came to New Jersey to film his Oscar-winning movie “Joker,” local streets were transformed into 1981 Gotham City. Get ready for some more Gotham. The sequel to the 2019 film, now in production, is coming to Jersey. While “Joker 2″ is a popular shorthand for the film, the movie is actually titled ‘Joker: Folie à Deux.’”
—“Some N.J. Applebee’s offering free children’s meals after N.J. restaurant banned kids under 10” | | | | A message from AARP: Every day, thousands of people in New Jersey care for their spouses, aging parents, or other loved ones – helping them live at home instead of costly nursing homes. This saves New Jersey – and taxpayers – money since nursing home care is mostly paid for by the state, through Medicaid; yet, family caregivers pay out of their own pockets. The average family caregiver spends 26% of their income on caregiving activities, assisting with everything from bathing and dressing to medical appointments and transportation – often while juggling a job too. With inflation making everything more expensive, too many families are struggling to make it all work. That’s why we need state legislators to make family caregiving more affordable in New Jersey. The Caregiver’s Assistance Act (A1802/S2021) would provide a modest tax credit for families who take on caregiving expenses. It’s crucial financial relief that family caregivers have earned. Tell state lawmakers, support (A1802/S2021). | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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