| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | Good Monday morning! While trying to get to the bottom of the ELEC power grab last week, I neglected another sneaky change to some legislation. On Feb. 27, both the Senate and Assembly passed a resolution that no longer requires lawmakers to disclose their home addresses on financial disclosure forms. And a bill to do the same for local government officials is advancing. But the resolution has changed since I first wrote about it,, and in the direction of less transparency. Now, lawmakers don’t have to even list what town they live in on their financial disclosure forms, or give any description of their homes unless they earn money renting them out. All they’ll have to do is sign a certification that they live in the district they represent. But it gets even more opaque: If lawmakers own a second home, they don’t have to disclose it at all unless they rent it. Here’s how the disclosure requirement on the forms is worded in the resolution: “The address and a brief description, including the county and municipality where located, of all real property in which the member, the member's spouse or a minor child held an interest, excluding the address, description, county, or municipality of the principal or secondary residence of the member, the spouse, or the minor child” I’m no lawyer, so I contacted attorney and transparency advocate to C.J. Griffin, who also read the resolution to mean that lawmakers no longer have to disclose whether they even own a second home. . “Even if you accept they need protection of their home address for safety reasons, it seems a little overkill and shocking that they wouldn’t disclose how many properties they own,” Griffin said. ”It’s a basic thing that we should be able to know how many assets our elected officials have and how those assets change over the years.” So, do you want to know if your legislator owns a shore home? Better scour property records. Because as far as I can tell, you won't find it on their disclosure forms. TIPS? FEEDBACK? HATE MAIL? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “When we heard you are (running) for council position, we doubted you and couldn’t believe that you could win that position as a young Black woman .. However, with a smile on your face you said, ‘I’m winning, Dad. I’m winning.’ And truly you won.’’ — Slain Sayreville Councillmember Eunice Dwumfour’s parents during her funeral service. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Ellen Park, Roland Straten WHERE’S MURPHY? In Trenton for a 1:15 p.m. ceremonial bill signing. |  | WHAT TRENTON MADE | |
HORIZON GUARANTEES LESS RELIABLE THAN CAR DEALERSHIPS’ GUARANTEES — Horizon missed financial guarantees for public workers' health insurance program in 2021, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey missed financial guarantees for a second consecutive year for the state’s public workers health insurance program, according to a memo from the state’s consultants obtained by POLITICO. The November 2022 memo from Aon shows that Horizon — which administers the state-run public workers health insurance program — missed all of its promised targets for inpatient and outpatient care on its preferred-provider organization and health maintenance organization plans in 2021. The missed promises resulted in Horizon paying a $6.2 million penalty, according to a spokesperson for the Department of Treasury — nearly a quarter of the $24 million penalty Horizon had to pay for missing its financial guarantees for 2020. Treasury did not immediately respond to follow-up questions asking why Horizon paid a smaller penalty despite missing on its financial guarantees even more in 2021 … Local governments and public sector workers were shocked upon learning last summer that health insurance premiums would increase around 20 percent for the state-run health program. Treasury spokesperson Darryl Isherwood said in a statement that the missed guarantees “did not have a substantial financial impact" on the latest rate increases, although he did not elaborate.
NJ TRANSIT — “N.J.’s toll roads help support NJ Transit. That’s a permanent funding plan, state says,” by NJ Advance Media’s Larry Higgs: “After almost three years of criticism from the media and transit advocates about not providing a dedicated funding source for NJ Transit operations, Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration said a source that doesn’t expire has existed since 2021 in the fine print of an agreement with the NJ Turnpike Authority. Administration officials said dedicated funding that has no end date is referenced in a footnote at the very end of an April 2021 memorandum of understanding with the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, which sent $3.7 billion to NJ Transit through fiscal year 2028. The answer to what happens after 2028 is contained on bottom of the last page – “This amount will continue unchanged until such time as NJ Transit has fully eliminated its Capital Budget to Operating Budget transfer and can maintain financial stability with a lesser or zero amount.” In plain language that means the annual Turnpike subsidy continues at the $525 million level until NJ Transit becomes self-sustaining or stops transferring capital funds to fund its operating budget, officials said.”
| | | | 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. | | | | | THE ANGER PROGRAM— “N.J.’s ANCHOR property tax program may be vulnerable to fraudsters seeking to hijack benefits, officials say,” by NJ Advance Media’s Karin Price Mueller: “New Jersey’s new $2 billion property-tax benefit program, which pays as much as $1,500 to homeowners and $450 to renters, has already become a target of fraud, state officials said. State Treasury Department officials acknowledged the problems after NJ Advance Media was contacted by a family member who said someone tried to to hijack the ANCHOR payment of an 81-year-old woman by arranging for her payment to go to another bank account. Questioned about the apparent scam, Treasury officials said they were aware the program is on the radar of fraudsters, but they were not specific about the kinds of con games being played out or if any specific banks seemed to be used in the frauds. More than 1.7 million New Jerseyans have filed for ANCHOR, not including the paper applications that are still being processed and tallied.” SHOT — “Whale deaths have Shore residents calling for a moratorium on Gov. Murphy’s wind turbine plans,” by The Star-Ledger’s Paul Mulshine: “If the current governor gets his way, the view from Island Beach State Park will no longer be devoid of an industrial presence. Phil Murphy is embarked on a project to fill the ocean off New Jersey with more than 300 giant wind turbines. But he’s got a problem, and I saw it on Thursday when I took a drive down to the town just north of Island Beach, Seaside Park.” CHASER — “Seaside Park whale necropsy shows signs of propeller strike, marine experts say,” by The Press of Atlantic City: “A 30-foot humpback whale that washed ashore last week had bruising and injuries consistent with propeller wounds, the Marine Mammal Stranding Center said Friday. Representatives from the Brigantine-based Stranding Center and colleagues from the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, New York Marine Rescue Center and Maryland Department of Natural Resources completed a necropsy to determine the cause of death of the whale that was first seen Wednesday floating offshore. It is believed to be the 25th whale beaching since Dec. 1 along the East Coast. At least eight of those beachings have been attributed to vessel strikes, experts have said.” BIDET MANDATE COMING SOON — “A N.J. ban on baby wipes? It could happen under new proposal,” by NJ Advance Media’s Brent Johnson: “Bye-bye, baby wipes, New Jersey? Well, at least to the “do not flush” kind? A Democratic lawmaker introduced a proposal this past week for the Garden State to ban the sale and distribution of non-flushable disposable wipes — which include varieties to clean infants, adults, and hard surfaces — though he stresses the goal is really to shine light a messy issue and maybe spark change. State Sen. Joe Cryan, D-Union, said he drafted the bill — complete with hefty fines for companies and stores that continue to sell the products — because people still flush non-flushable wipes, wittingly or not. That, he said, can wreak ‘significant havoc’ not only by clogging home plumbing but larger sewer systems that taxpayers fund, since such wipes are typically made of synthetic, non-biodegrade material that doesn’t break down in water.” — “Incumbents prevail at Morris GOP convention as Steve Lonegan says 'the fix was in'” —“LD26 Incumbents smoke challengers at Morris convention” —“Governor Murphy wants $90M to replace scandal-plagued women’s prison” —“Five housing affordability, protection bills advanced by NJ Legislature. What they do” —“Retired judge: Landmark reforms to New Jersey’s jury system will enhance justice” —“Durr gets organization endorsements in Gloucester and Cumberland” | | BIDEN TIME | |
RED STATE SUBSIDIES — “N.J. farmers shortchanged on aid as the feds prefer Iowa corn to Jersey tomatoes,” by NJ Advance Media’s Jonathan D. Salant: “If you farmed in Nebraska, Illinois or Iowa and needed help from the federal government because the coronavirus pandemic cut into your business, you likely got aid. After all, more than 9 out of 10 farmers did in those states. But if you farmed in New Jersey, New Hampshire or Connecticut, no such luck. Fewer than 2 in 10 farmers in those states saw any federal help. That’s because the COVID-19 assistance program funds were doled out according to existing farm formulas, which shortchanges New Jersey and other states without huge agribusinesses. The lion’s share of federal farm assistance goes to farms that grow wheat, corn and soybeans at the expense of smaller farmers who grow fruits and vegetables. … Just 14.6% of New Jersey’s farms received any federal aid, according to an analysis by NJ Advance Media of U.S. Department of Agriculture data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. Only five states received less. On the other hand, more than 90% of the farmers in Nebraska, Illinois, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas and Iowa received aid under the program. Seeing those figures has U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, saying something’s got to change when Congress this year drafts a replacement to the current five-year $428 billion farm bill that expires Sept. 30.”
—“N.J. secretary of state is first Black to lead national organization during fight for voting rights” —“Kellyanne Conway and George Conway to divorce after 22 years of marriage” | | LOCAL | |
BARAKA 2025: I CAN’T GET FOOLED AGAIN — “Oops! Newark duped in bogus deal with fake ‘sister city’,” by TAPIntoNewark’s Tony Gallotto: “Street-smart politicians can get scammed, too. It happened to Mayor Ras J. Baraka and his savvy Newark City Hall team. For six days in January, the City of Newark had a nifty ‘sister city’ cultural-trade deal with one of India’s emerging independent Hindu nations: ‘United States of Kailasa.’ Turns out, Kailasa does not exist. It's entirely fake. This phony country does have a slick website. It’s got a charismatic leader, a national flag and anthem, and lovely female emissaries who show up at worldwide events, including in Newark. However, its 45-year-old ‘god-like’ leader has been a fugitive from justice in India since 2019, and is wanted for a list of heinous crimes. Mayor Baraka signed a sister-city deal with Kailasa on Jan. 12th. "I pray that our relationship helps us to understand cultural, social and political development and improves the lives of everybody in both places that helps us to understand where we are and who we are and our connectivity to one another and helps us to become better people in this process, better people individually and as cities and nations,’ Mayor Baraka said during a ceremony in City Hall chambers. … In the past 48 hours, Asian-Indian media outlets in the U.S. and abroad have run reports about New Jersey’s largest city getting scammed.”
PATERSON — “Paterson fatal shooting: New details emerge; BLM demands restructure of police department,” by The Paterson Press’ Joe Malinconico: “Police emergency responders chose not to fire Tasers to subdue a violence intervention specialist whom they later fatally shot on Friday because accumulations of water on his apartment floor made the use of the electrical devices too dangerous. That information came on Saturday from three high-ranking sources familiar with the investigation who spoke on the condition that they remain anonymous. The three sources said the deceased, 31-year-old Najee Seabrooks, had broken some water pipes and started a small fire in the apartment during a standoff between him and police that lasted for more than four hours. … Social justice activists called for authorities to release immediately police body camera recordings of the incident so that the public would know what happened. Seabrooks’ death prompted the city’s Black Lives Matter group on Saturday to call for the restructuring of the Paterson police department.” THIS IS SPARTA — “When the anti-woke crusaders come for a teacher,” by The Star-Ledger’s Julie O’Connor: “Scott Kercher, a beloved history teacher in New Jersey, dared to tackle some of the tough issues of our times, hosting frank conversations about racism and gender identity when he came to the 85% white school district of Sparta in Republican Sussex County … In 2020, more than 400 former students wrote a letter in the wake of George Floyd’s killing, saying they didn’t think Sparta was doing enough to prepare them for a diverse world. Kercher, a social studies and languages supervisor, says he happily stepped in to help … and in doing so, ended up becoming a target … Which brings us to last April: In a highly unusual move, the school board abruptly voted not to renew Kercher’s contract after his three years in the district .. .The board ultimately reinstated him in June, reversing itself under public pressure. But a few months later he resigned, fearing that repeated attacks at public meetings would hurt his reputation and cause him and his family too much grief.”
| | | | 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. | | | | | SCHOOL FUNDING —“'Malicious and unnecessary': Monmouth, Ocean schools proposed to lose $46M in state money,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Susanne Cervenka: “Monmouth and Ocean counties are proposed to lose nearly $46 million in state education funding despite a state budget that increases spending on schools overall. New Jersey Department of Education released its proposed state aid funding 2023-24 school year Thursday afternoon. That data shows 43 districts in Monmouth and Ocean counties would lose a combined $60.4 million next school year, with Toms River Regional, Asbury Park, Freehold Regional and Jackson school districts poised to take some of the biggest hits.” A HUGHES LOSS — “Benson wins Mercer Democratic line with 78% of the vote,” by New Jersey Globe’s Joey Fox: “Assemblyman Dan Benson (D-Hamilton) won the Mercer County Democratic line for county executive in a landslide today, beating out five-term incumbent County Executive Brian Hughes. Benson won 384 votes among the assembled county committee members, representing 78% of the total, while Hughes received 109 votes and 22%. Mercer Democrats have a unique rule that allows candidates who receive at least 40% of the vote to share the party column, but Hughes didn’t even come close … The result is remarkable — incumbents rarely lose party support in New Jersey — but also far from surprising. Benson had assembled an intimidating array of supporters long before today’s convention, and Hughes admitted at a New Jersey Globe debate last week that he was unlikely to win the county line.” —“Hoboken mayor going after PSE&G for damages from water main break” —“Delisort will replace Garretson as Union County commissioner” | | EVERYTHING ELSE | |
THE CHURCH FOUGHT FOR YEARS AGAINST LIFTING THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS FOR CIVIL SEX ABUSE CLAIMS IN N.J. AND ELSEWHERE — “Exclusive: Ex-Cardinal McCarrick denies abuse of NJ man as criminal case hangs in balance,” by The Record’s Deena Yellin: Former Roman Catholic Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who was defrocked after years of sexual abuse allegations, said in an exclusive interview that he did not assault a New Jersey man he is charged with abusing, though he did acknowledge knowing his accuser. Once one of the most high-profile Catholic leaders in America, McCarrick, the former archbishop of Newark and bishop of Metuchen, has been reclusive in the four years since he was expelled from the clergy by Pope Francis. As of 2021, he was living in a Missouri rehabilitation center for troubled priests, court documents say. McCarrick, also the former archbishop of Washington, D.C., was a prominent voice and prodigious fundraiser for the Vatican for decades. But he fell from grace amid multiple sexual abuse allegations, including one from a Bergen County native, James Grein, that has prompted a criminal prosecution in Massachusetts … Prosecutors in Massachusetts say McCarrick assaulted Grein, then a teenager, during a 1974 wedding at Wellesley College … ‘It is not true,’ McCarrick said. ‘The things he said about me are not true.’”
HIGHER ED — “Stockton University names N.J. native as its new president,” by The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Susan Snyder: “Stockton University has selected a New Jersey native who currently heads a state college in Connecticut as its next president. Joe Bertolino, president of Southern Connecticut State University, will start his new post July 1 and earn $375,000. He will replace Harvey Kesselman, who has spent more than 50 years at Stockton and has been president since 2015” —“The future of airport security is here at Newark Airport’s new $2.7B Terminal A” —“Rutgers worker saves student from choking in university dining hall” —“No more banks? 'Banking deserts' spread at record rate in NJ”
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