| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | Presented by New Jersey Wind Works | Good Thursday morning! What do you do when you declare your campaign for governor over two years before the primary election? With no one to compete with, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop is courting and casually rolling out endorsements. This morning, he’s announcing the backing of the Warren County Democratic leadership. That’s a very small and perennial minority party, granted. But it’s still one of the state’s 21 Democratic county committees. “New Jersey has made tremendous progress over the last six years, which is why we need a candidate for Governor who can win in 2025 and continue moving our state forward — there is no one better equipped for that fight than Steven Fulop,” Warren County Democratic Chair Tom Palmieri said in a statement. “I’m ecstatic to announce the Warren County Democratic Committee’s support for Mayor Fulop and I look forward to working closely with him to deliver the leadership our state needs.” According to the Fulop campaign, Fulop also has the support of the party’s executive committee. The party will still have a convention, but that clearly makes Fulop the favorite. This follows several mayors and a union who have recently endorsed Fulop and is his second endorsement from a county party’s leadership, following the Hudson County Democratic Organization. Hudson County has the fourth most registered Democrats in the state, with 220,032, while Warren County has the third least, with 23,395. Perhaps worth noting: Potential Fulop gubernatorial rival Josh Gottheimer represented part of Warren County before redistricting. Any time I write about candidates and potential candidates positioning themselves in the gubernatorial race I feel the need to point out that the Democratic primary is two years away and at this point in 2015, Phil Murphy was far from the favorite. TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com QUOTE OF THE DAY: “CarePoint wholeheartedly offers its sincerest apologies to the Governor and his staff for allowing the initial complaint to be filed with those statements included.” — CarePoint CEO Achynta Moulick taking back language in a lawsuit filing that, according to David Wildstein, “created a political problem for the hospital system.” HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Rick Mroz, Al Coutinho, James McGregor, WHERE’S MURPHY? — Montclair State at 12:30 p.m. for an African American Chamber of Commerce Juneteenth Business Expo speech, then Washington Township for a National Council of Jewish Women Bergen County event. Media: NJ Spotlight News at 6:30 p.m.
| | | | A message from New Jersey Wind Works: New Jersey is leading the nation with a dynamic and responsible offshore wind industry that will deliver clean, renewable energy to millions of our homes for generations to come. Ocean Wind, Atlantic Shores and more upcoming wind projects are already helping boost our economy and will guarantee reliable, clean energy for generations to come. Make sure you let Trenton leaders know that you want New Jersey to continue to grow offshore wind! | | | |  | WHAT TRENTON MADE | |
SAY IT AIN’T SO — Elise Young, a Statehouse reporter for 19 years who’s long done important work, most recently on budget and transportation stories, has published her last article for Bloomberg. I’m told her job was one of several newsroom jobs Bloomberg eliminated, continuing the disturbing nearly-two-decade trend of major news organization cutting journalism jobs in Statehouses, where decisions arguably affect peoples’ lives at least as much as the federal government. She will be missed. Young: “I was proud to work great organization alongside the finest journalists for 12 years. May my next chapter be even more fun and impactful.” MY GRANDPA SAMMY — New Jersey's oldest lawmaker considers going to law school, by POLTICO’s Matt Friedman: Eighty-seven-year-old state Sen. Sam Thompson lost Republican support for reelection because, he said, party leaders thought he was too old. But now Thompson, who switched parties to become a Democrat but ultimately declined to run for reelection in his heavily Republican district, is considering joining a much younger crowd: law school students. (The average age of New Jersey state senators is just shy of 64.) “I think the university and my colleagues there will find it interesting that I’m there,” Thompson, New Jersey's oldest current state lawmaker, said in a phone interview. Thompson, whose wife of 66 years, Jacqueline, died last week, hopes to matriculate soon either at Rutgers Law or Seton Hall Law. Thompson said he’s considering it “very seriously” and plans to sit for the LSAT, the admissions exam for law school. AS GEORGE NORCROSS STEPS BACK FROM POLITICS, GEORGE NORBOT TELLS SOUTH JERSEY DEMOCRATS WHAT TO DO — “Does NJ need an AI czar? State senator says it's the intelligent move,” by WNYC’s Michael Hill: “State Sen. Troy Singleton, a Democrat representing the state's 7th Legislative District in Burlington County, has introduced a bill that would create New Jersey's first artificial intelligence officer — an ‘AI czar.’ He spoke with WNYC's Michael Hill about his proposal on ‘Morning Edition’ this week. … Michael Hill: Let's start at the beginning here. How is artificial intelligence already used in New Jersey state government? State Sen. Troy Singleton: Well, currently, there's a practice for very predictive analysis that the government uses for various programs. And as there is still [only] a nascent regulation scheme around it, we are wanting to make sure that we set the right framework by having an expert be employed by state government to be able to set forth a framework around how we regulate AI and its uses here in the state government in New Jersey.” AROUND THE CORRUPT WORLD IN 180 DAYS — “New bill would set time limit on state watchdog’s lengthy investigations,” by New Jersey Monitor’s Dana DiFilippo: “A state lawmaker has introduced legislation intended to speed up the investigations of the state watchdog tasked with holding wayward public officials and police accountable. Sen. Joe Cryan (D-Union) said the state Office of Public Integrity and Accountability takes too long to investigate misconduct and corruption cases and should explain their delay to state lawmakers. Under a bill he introduced Monday, the office would have to comply with the attorney general’s policy that requires law enforcement agencies to complete misconduct investigations within 180 days.” PRIMARIES — “A closer look at more of last week’s legislative primaries,” by New Jersey Globe’s Joey Fox: “[Chris] Del Borrello swept [Nick] DeSilvio aside by a 61%-38% margin, and his two Assembly running mates, Matt Walker and Amanda Esposito, won easily as well. Key to their victory was Gloucester County, which made up the majority of all 4th district votes cast last Tuesday and which backed Del Borrello 60%-40%. DeSilvio had the Gloucester GOP organizational line, but he didn’t necessarily look like he did; Del Borrello had a full slate of running mates and got prime positioning on the ballot itself, so the contest essentially looked like an open primary.” NJ SENATE SESSIONS WOULD BECOME ROWDY BEACH FLASH MOBS — “Gen Z councilman, Marine combat vet, challenges the system,” by InsiderNJ’s John Van Vliet: “Are age requirements for holding elected office past their sell-dates? Raritan Councilman Adam Armahizer, a 24-year-old Marine veteran, thinks so. …. But despite his military service to the United States, his extensive traveling, and his education, he still will have to wait another six years before reaching the age of 30 if he wants to run for the New Jersey State Senate. ‘I’ve recently proposed the amendment of Article IV, Legislative Section 1 of the New Jersey State Constitution,”’Armahizer said. This amendment would, ‘…reduce the age required to run for the Upper House legislature from its currently established age requirement of 30 years old, down to the national average of 21 years of age.’” —"Questions surround new version of NJSPCA and what it’s doing with its money" —“Will any of NJ's powerful fall after murder-for-hire ringleader's aid to feds?” —“Hip-hop legends Eric B and Rakim rock Stone Pony, Gov. Murphy, at North to Shore show” —“Senate candidate slams Bill Mullen for endorsing him, then trying to boost opponent” —“The measure of a man: Labor leader Thomas P. Giblin”
| | | | A message from New Jersey Wind Works:   | | | | | BIDEN TIME | |
WHERE BETTER TO BURY TRUMP THAN WHERE HE WANTS TO BE BURIED? — “Jack Smith’s backup option,” by The Atlantic’s Ryan Goodwin and Andrew Weissman: “Trump’s Bedminster conduct, as described in the indictment, appears to fit the description of two federal offenses designed to keep America’s national-security secrets safe. One makes it a crime to intentionally communicate national-defense information to people not authorized to receive it, and the other makes it a crime to intentionally disclose classified information to the same. These are more serious crimes than willful retention of such documents, which is done to prevent possible leakage. Deliberate dissemination is the leakage itself. … Smith appears to have taken a cautious, narrow approach. Even though the indictment describes alleged dissemination and disclosure of national-security secrets, the indictment did not charge Trump with those offenses. One possible explanation for his decision: venue. The Constitution requires prosecutors to bring charges in the location — or venue — where the alleged criminal conduct took place. Justice Department prosecutors could not necessarily bring charges against Trump in Miami for alleged criminal conduct that occurred in another state, in this case New Jersey. But the absence of such charges in the indictment raises the intriguing possibility of another indictment to come, in a jurisdiction, no less, with a pool of jurors and judges more favorable to the government’s case against Trump."
—Stile:“Is Trump drawing inspiration from another GOP president who found refuge in NJ?” —“North Jersey residents complain about frequent helicopter noise. Can Congress help?” —“Menendez continues fight against helicopter noise pollution with legislation targeting air tours” —“Altman gets new wave of NJ-7 endorsers, including two top labor leaders”
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A BOOK BANNER YEAR — “Hoboken’s ‘Banned Books Read-a-Thon’ still on this weekend after LibsofTikTok post,” by Hudson County View’s John Heinis: “Hoboken’s ‘Banned Books Read-a-Thon,’ scheduled for Saturday afternoon at the public library, is still on this weekend, despite a LibsofTikTok post condemning the event reaching over 630,000 people on Twitter. … LibsofTikTok, a popular Republican leaning Twitter account with 2.2 million followers run by Chaya Raichik, shared the event last night and came out hard against it. ‘The Mayor of Hoboken, NJ & other elected officials are teaming up with a public library to offer a drag show and ‘banned books read-a-thon,’ Raichik wrote. … Late this morning, the mayor put out a lengthy statement via a Nixle alert, accusing LibsofTikTok — without referring to them by name — of “purposefully spreading false information about a Pride month event scheduled to take place this Saturday.”
HANOVER HANGOVER — “Hanover tries to tiptoe through political minefield,” by InsiderNJ’s Fred Snowflack: “A policy that critics said required teachers and staff to ‘out’ gay students has been revised, but the firestorm it ignited is still raging. A state Attorney General’s suit to overturn the original policy remains pending and the issue clearly is dividing the community. Supporters at Tuesday’s school board meeting defended the board for backing parents’ rights and fighting the ‘indoctrination’ of students. Opponents said the township’s reputation as a welcoming community has been tarnished and that paying legal costs to defend the policy is a poor use of district funds. None of this is unique to this town of 14,600 in eastern Morris County.” CAPE MAY SUCCUMBS TO PEER PRESSURE — “Cape May could be latest to amend ordinances for juvenile issues,” by The Press of Atlantic City’s Bill Barlow: “While the city has not seen the crowds of teens that have plagued some other resort towns, City Council plans to consider an ordinance defining some violations as ‘disturbing the peace,’ a method other communities have adopted to address juvenile issues. Council introduced the ordinance in a unanimous vote June 7, with a public hearing and final vote planned for 3 p.m. July 3. … City Council plans to consider an ordinance defining some violations as ‘disturbing the peace,’ a method other communities have adopted to address juvenile issues. … So far, Cape May has not seen the sort of problems with crowds of juveniles that have prompted responses in other communities, Mayor Zack Mullock said Wednesday, but he said it makes sense for the city to take action. ‘We just don’t want to be the only town that doesn’t make any changes,’ he said.” KISCH YOUR LIFE GOODBYE — “Part-time special police officer for N.J. town arrested on child porn charge,” by NJ Advance Media’s Jeff Goldman: “A 57-year-old part-time special police officer in Brick was arrested on child pornography charges on Tuesday and then fired by the department, authorities said. John Kisch was taken into custody at his home in Brick after investigators found more than 100 images of child pornography on a desktop computer, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said Wednesday. State Police got a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that someone was uploading illicit images, authorities said. The prosecutor’s office then tracked the IP address to Kisch’s home, officials said.” WOODBRIDGE — “Worker struck by lightning, revived by cop, on N.J. soccer field,”by NJ Advance Media’s Nicolas Fernandez: “A worker for the Woodbridge Department of Public Works was struck by lightning Wednesday afternoon while working on the soccer field at a township school, Mayor John E. McCormac said. … Police Officer R.J. McPartland, a certified EMT, was stationed at the nearby J.F.K. High School when he responded to the incident. He arrived within minutes and restored the man’s pulse, township officials.”
| | | | SUBSCRIBE TO POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don’t miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY. | | | | | — “[Kenilworth] took some of my land and sold it to a builder, homeowner says” —“NJ says LGBTQ+ kids' rights still at risk after Hanover Township district revises policy” —“Push and pull over school policies that ‘out’ students based on gender ID” —“Pro-life teen in NJ says teachers allowed assault at abortion protest” —“Jersey City school district considers $122 million plan that would save energy and cash” —“Why did Clifton settle a police lawsuit by paying both sides? Here's what we know” —“Freehold said no to solar farm. Court says not so fast” —“Cranford's deputy mayor resigns from township committee” —“Atlantic City economic growth continues following pandemic, report shows” —“Pleasantville hires Camden school official as new superintendent”
| | | | A message from New Jersey Wind Works: Now is the time for New Jersey to wholly embrace offshore wind development. This clean and renewable source of energy symbolizes the future for our state. We have established ourselves as a national leader in building home-grown offshore wind that would not only benefit our state, but also our neighbors up and down the east coast. With our hundreds of miles of shoreline and strong wind flows in the Atlantic Ocean, we are taking advantage of our perfect position to build a network of responsibly developed offshore wind projects that can provide renewable and reliable energy that will power New Jersey’s homes and businesses – AND our economy – for years to come. These investments are already creating good-paying union jobs and investing in our economy. New Jersey is going to be a hub for offshore wind, and the manufacturing and assembly facilities being built here will serve offshore wind projects throughout the country. Make sure you tell Trenton leaders that they need to keep investing in New Jersey offshore wind! | | | | | EVERYTHING ELSE | |
PAYMENT WILL COME IN THE FORM OF A GIFT CARD — “White Starbucks manager fired amid furor over racism wins $25 million,” by The New York Times’ Ed Shanahan: “In April 2018, two Black men entered a Starbucks shop in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood of Philadelphia for a business meeting with a white man who had not yet arrived. While they waited, and before ordering, one of the two asked to use the bathroom. He was refused. Eventually, they were asked to leave. When they did not, an employee called the police. The subsequent arrests, captured in videos viewed millions of times online, prompted accusations of racism, protests and boycott threats. The company’s chief executive apologized publicly, describing the way the men had been treated as “reprehensible.” Starbucks took the extraordinary step of temporarily closing 8,000 stores to teach workers about racial bias. On Monday, in a surprising twist, a federal jury in New Jersey ordered Starbucks to pay $25.6 million to a former regional manager after determining that the company had fired her amid the fallout from the Rittenhouse Square episode because she was white. … At the time of the episode, Ms. Phillips oversaw about 100 stores in Philadelphia, South Jersey, Delaware and parts of Maryland.”
—“Driver killed in I-95 collapse ID'd as Nathan Moody, a Pennsauken trucking company worker” —“Woman comes forward to accuse lawyer of 2007 rape in Boston, wants to face him in court” —“See how N.J.’s most popular baby names for girls evolved over 113 years”
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