| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | Good Thursday morning! Former state Sen. Ronald Rice died Wednesday at the age of 77. What a loss. Rice served in the Senate from 1986 until his retirement this summer because of his health. He didn’t specify at the time, but it was cancer, according to his son, Ronald C. Rice. A Vietnam vet and former Newark cop, Rice will likely be remembered as one of the fiercest advocates the Legislature has seen for Black New Jerseyans and for Civil Rights issues in general. And related to that, for his fierce independence and willingness to criticize Democratic Party leaders and bosses when few others would. Recall his very public argument over cannabis legalization with now-Senate President Nicholas Scutari. Or when he called George Norcross “less than a man” who “uses money to control people’s lives and to buy people.” Personally, I’ll always remember Rice for being kind to me when I was just a journalism student. I don’t remember exactly what article I was working on — maybe something about legislation to end the state’s takeover of Newark schools — but there was no chance it was ever going to be published. Still, Rice called me back. Another senator who I will not name did not. My roommate looked impressed when I picked up the phone and said, “Hello, Senator.” He was less impressed when I mouthed “state senator.” Still, the fact that Rice bothered to call back some unknown student to talk about an issue he cared about demonstrated his dedication to the job. TIPS? FEEDBACK? HATE MAIL? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Bonnie Watson Coleman’s a good choice. So is Nia Gill. So is Shirley Turner. So are all the other Legislative Black Caucus Nubian queens.” — The late state Sen. Ronald Rice on potential lieutenant governor choices for former Gov. Jon Corzine, in 2008 HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Beth Sawyer, Koren Frankfort, Shane Mitchell, Christina Renna, Madeline Urbish. Missed yesterday: Nia GIll WHERE’S MURPHY? No public schedule. |  | WHAT TRENTON MADE | | NOW ON THE SENATE BUDGET COMMITTEE AGENDA FOR TODAY — Possible changes to campaign finance bill would make it easier for Murphy to oust Brindle, by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: According to two officials familiar with the proposed changes, the amendments to the bill, NJ S2866 (22R), would temporarily give Gov. Phil Murphy the authority to make direct appointments to the Election Law Enforcement Commission’s board, which is currently filled by three members on hold-over status with one vacancy. The Murphy administration late last month requested an amendment to the bill that would have made the executive director, who’s currently chosen by the board, a gubernatorial appointee. Instead of that, the new change under discussion would allow the governor to bypass the Senate and its arcane unwritten rule of "senatorial courtesy," which requires senators from nominees' home counties to sign off on them, when naming new commissioners. … The commissioners would earn $35,000 a year, according to one of the officials — a change made because the Murphy administration has had difficulty finding candidates for the currently volunteer positions. And Murphy’s authority to unilaterally appoint them would expire after 90 days. ATILIS AT A LOSS — “N.J. gym owners who defied Murphy’s COVID rules must pay $124K in fines, court rules,” by NJ Advance Media’s Matt Arco: “The owners of a Bellmawr gym who gained national notoriety after they refused to abide by statewide mandates to close because of the coronavirus pandemic lost their court appeal Wednesday and will have to shell out nearly $124,000 in fines. Ian Smith, along with co-owner Frank Trumbetti of Atilis Gym, had appealed the $123,982 in fines against them after Gov. Phil Murphy and the state Department of Health issued strict shutdown orders at the height of the pandemic … They had ‘no entitlement to flout the commissioner’s directives,’ the decision reads. ‘A plainer description of the collective contempt of Defendant, by and through Trumbetti and Smith, would be difficult to find.’ The ruling added: ‘Finally, as discussed in this court’s earlier order, Trumbetti and Smith have raised nearly half a million dollars through social media fundraising to support their continued non-compliance. The court considered those funds in assessing the sanction. Accordingly, the court denies Defendant’s request for reconsideration.’” ‘MONSTER GIVEAWAY TO PARTY BOSSES’ SOUNDS MORE FUN THAN IT IS — “This is what politicians do when they don’t respect you,” by Brian Bergen for The Star-Ledger: “The Elections Transparency Act started as a bill that was meant to improve disclosure requirements for political contributions. In our hyper-partisan times, it was notable that the bill attracted strong bipartisan support. That all changed, however, when the Democrats in control of the state General Assembly and Senate rammed through a package of amendments that transformed it into a monster giveaway to party bosses and the special interests that fund them.”
| | | | 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. | | | | | CAN’TABIS — New Jersey bill to allow cannabis patients to grow at home has momentum, but one man is blocking it, by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: There’s no shortage of state senators on board with legislation that would allow medical cannabis patients to grow plants at home. The bill, NJ S342, sponsored by state Sens. Troy Singleton (D-Burlington) and Vin Gopal (D-Monmouth), has gathered six co-sponsors, including four Republicans and two Democrats. And Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Chair Joe Vitale (D-Middlesex) has been willing to hold a vote on it in his committee. But one person stands in the bill’s way, according to cannabis advocate Chris Goldstein. And he just happens to be the the most powerful person in the Senate. “Senate President [Nick] Scutari is really holding his members back in line on this issue,” Goldstein said … Singleton and Vitale both acknowledged that they’ve attempted to put medical home grow on the Health committee’s agenda and that Scutari’s office has vetoed it, albeit in more diplomatic terms than Goldstein. “What I would say is that we’ve requested the bill to be posted multiple times. Chairman Vitale has been great in affording us an opportunity to talk it through with him,” Singleton said. “But like every bill that’s on every agenda, the Senate president is the final arbiter on what moves forward and what doesn’t.” —Democratic leadership non-committal on letting corporate tax surcharge expire —“DEP: No credible evidence of wind work harming whales” —Murphy administration seeks to spend more Covid-19 money without JBOC approval | | BIDEN TIME | |
BANKS — Booker and Menendez join push to bring back Dodd-Frank rules after banks collapse, by POLITICO’s Dustin Racioppi: New Jersey's two U.S. senators have joined a push to re-tighten financial regulations after the collapse of two banks now rattling the nation's economy. Sens. Cory Booker and Bob Menendez announced Tuesday night that they have signed onto a bill introduced by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) to repeal part of the 2018 law under then-President Donald Trump that loosened provisions of what's commonly known as the Dodd-Frank Act.
WELL-HEELED ATTENDEES SPARED CONTACT WITH LOWLY REPORTER — “VP Kamala Harris visited a Bergen County fundraiser Wednesday. Here's what she had to say,” by The Record’s Alex Nussbaum: “U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris made a quick stop in Bergen County Wednesday to cultivate some campaign cash from the Garden State. Harris spoke before dozens of people at a private residence in Paramus as part of a fundraiser organized by the Democratic National Committee. She addressed the crowd for about 20 minutes, focusing on the Biden administration's healthcare initiatives. A reporter for NorthJersey.com and the USA Today Network New Jersey was allowed to listen to the speech, but not to speak to the attendees. Harris didn't take questions from the media.” —“Menendez joins forces with New York officials in demanding answers on tourist helicopters” | | LOCAL | |
THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS — “Rizzo loses in small claims court, owes Morris GOP $1,300; Judge dismisses ex-congressional candidate’s counterclaim,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “Morris County Republicans won a lawsuit against controversial former congressional candidate Phil Rizzo. Superior Court Judge David Weaver found that the grifter ex-pastor stiffed them out of $1,300 he had agreed to pay for a table at the GOP county convention in 2022. Weaver deducted $200 from the amount the Morris GOP initially sought, citing a technical glitch that didn’t keep candidate ads running on a continuous loop on a 50” TV screen during the convention. He also dismissed Rizzo’s $600 counterclaim, finding that the huckster’s ad did appear in a handbook distributed to county committee members. … [Former Morris GOP Executive Director Anthony] DeSpirito testified that Rizzo’s political director, Daniel Laucik, Jr., agreed to pay for a table and produced a copy of an online contribution for $1,500 on the night of the convention but never hit submit on the payment platform. … That ends the five-day small claims court trial, which included hours of testimony since it began last December, but doesn’t necessarily mean the county GOP organization will ever recover the money. The Rizzo for Congress campaign committee was dissolved in the previous year with zero dollars cash-on-hand. The judgment specifically absolves Rizzo of any personal liability.”
PATERSON CHALLENGES TRENTON FOR TITLE OF MOST DYSFUNCTION N.J. GOVERNMENT —“Anger boils over in raucous meeting after police shooting of N.J. activist,” by NJ Advance Media’s Richard Cowen: “Paterson residents stormed the city council meeting on Tuesday night demanding change and seeking answers following the fatal police shooting of activist Najee Seabrooks, an angry, chaotic four-hour session in which two city officials nearly got into a fight on the floor. Councilman Michael Jackson and Paterson’s Chief Financial Officer Javier Silva nearly came to blows during the public portion of the meeting. As a resident spoke to demand that the Paterson police be held accountable for the death of Seabrooks, Jackson interrupted to accuse Silva of ‘antagonizing’ members of the audience. … then Jackson got up from dais and made a move toward Silva, who got up out of his chair. The two men then rushed toward each other, as a police officer sought to get between them and people surged onto the council floor. … Earlier, Council President Shahin Khalique had slammed down his gavel and walked out of the meeting after the council began arguing about whether workshop meetings should be televised, a relatively mundane matter considering what was at stake in the Seabrooks case. Khalique never returned.” —“Khalique: I will try to bring decorum to raucous Paterson council meetings” —“Najee Seabrooks in his own words: 'Try to bring back some love' to Paterson”
| | | | 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. | | | | | KEEP IT AND ADD THE WORDS ‘SHOT THROUGH THE HEART’ — “Plans to change Union County seal depicting Revolutionary War killing has some historians fighting back,” by News 12’s Brian Donohue: “The official seal of Union County has long been a quirky subject of fascination and even pride among residents for its unique, albeit grisly, design: It's widely believed to be the only government seal in the United States that depicts a murder in progress. The seal depicts a British soldier shooting Hannah Caldwell in 1780, a pivotal moment in New Jersey’s Revolutionary War history. Union County officials confirmed to News 12 New Jersey that they are planning a redesign. In a written statement, Union County Commissioners Chairman Sergio Granados said the artist's depiction of the killing is historically inaccurate because Hanna Caldwell was shot through the window of her bedroom, not standing in the doorway. … But those who work to preserve and educate the public about local history want to keep the seal as it is. ‘I'm obviously very concerned from a historic point of view,’ said Barbara La Mort, president of the Union Township Historical Society” BRICKHEAD CITY — “N.J.’s Kal Penn, hosting ‘Daily Show,’ riffs on ‘sister city’ scam that duped Newark,” by NJ Advance Media’s Amy Kuperinsky: “‘Let’s check in on my home state of New Jersey,’ Penn said, introducing one segment on Tuesday night’s show. ‘I’m sure they’re not doing anything incredibly stupid.’ Penn, 45, a Montclair native who grew up in Wayne and Freehold Township, went on to respond to a clip from an NBC New York report about Newark. In January, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka invited a representative of a Hindu nation called Kailasa to visit city hall for a cultural trade agreement and ‘sister city’ partnership. However, Kailasa ... does not exist … Then he went in for a jab. ‘There must have been so many red flags,’ Penn said. ‘The biggest one being that anyone wanted to be sister cities with Newark.’” — “Central superintendent resigned after sharing info when student died. He could get $127K —“'Tell Trenton this is wrong': Brick council condemns school funding cuts” —“Bridgewater-Raritan voters overwhelmingly approve $155M school project” —“Monroe voters refuse a third time to pay for schools improvement project” —“Eight North Jersey school districts asked voters to OK construction plans. See the results” —“2016 Paterson City Council candidate hit with $32k fine for campaign finance violations” | | EVERYTHING ELSE | |
NJ REQUIRES THEY PROVE IT ALL NIGHT — “'A real pain in the butt': NJ tells couple married 53 years to prove it,” by MyCentralJersey’s Jenna Intersimone: “Robert Stulack doesn’t remember much about his wedding to Nancy Stulack. You can’t blame him – it was nearly 54 years ago. … However, according to the state of New Jersey, the wedding never happened. That's why Stulack, 80, and his 72-year-old wife are going to Superior Court to prove they are really married. They thought it would never be an issue until they were required to provide proof of their marriage for pension survivor’s benefits, according to papers filed with Superior Court Judge Robert Ballard. They were baffled to discover that despite being married and living together for 53 years, owning homes together in Basking Ridge and Pennsylvania, raising two boys together, and having phone numbers, bills and cars together, no one had a record of their marriage license.”
—“Republic First Bancorp fends off George Norcross” —Chris Christie heading to New Hampshire later this month, sparking more 2024 speculation —“N.J.’s largest weed seller fired whistleblower as retaliation, lawsuit says” —“Lawyer looks to have sex assault charges against Bergen County restaurateur dropped” —“What the big change on Atlantic City Expressway will mean for your commute” —“When the magic wears off: Doug Edert, Saint Peter’s NCAA Tournament hero, discovers that miracles don’t last a lifetime — or even a year” —“Borgata to remodel, rebrand The Water Club hotel with $55M renovation”
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