| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | Presented by AARP | The Trump family has found a new line of attack against Chris Christie. You’re not going to believe it, but get this: Turns out Christie is a heavy guy. I know, you’ve probably never heard that before. Of course, one look at the former president will tell you he’s not exactly in fighting trim. But I’ve never heard anyone argue Trump is a very reflective guy. It began Tuesday, when Christie kicked off his second presidential campaign with numerous broadsides against his erstwhile, and newly indicted, pal Trump. “How many times did Chris Christie use the word SMALL? Does he have a psychological problem with SIZE? Actually, his speech was SMALL, and not very good. It rambled all over the place, and nobody had a clue of what he was talking about,” Trump wrote on his social media platform. Donald Trump Jr. followed up Thursday with a “Chris Krispy” tweet that mimics the Krispy Kreme logo. (That one’s not even original). It’s lazy. There’s so much you can make fun of Christie for: Bridgegate, the Mastro report, the beach during the shutdown, squeezing the juice from the orange, Springsteen fanboyism, cozying up to the rich and famous. Targeting his weight isn’t just mean-spirited. It’s hacky. If the Trumps in any way meant for these remarks to bother Christie, I doubt it will work. They got some laughs from their followers. But Christie has been dealing with fat jokes his entire political career. Perhaps he was more sensitive to it 20 years ago. TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com QUOTE OF THE DAY: “[Delaware River and Bay Authority] Chairman Hogan recounted that it was ‘commonly said’ that the [Deputy Director position] wasn’t a real job but rather ‘was a ginned up job to make a political deal’” — An excerpt from the 3rd Circuit’s ruling on former DRBA Deputy Director Frank Minor’s lawsuit alleging that he was fired for supporting Gov. Phil Murphy’s 2017 campaign (h/t Terrence McDonald). HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Declan O’Scanlon, Ernest Landante, Jr., Frank Schultz, Tom Pullion, Suzanne Mack. Saturday for Vince Polistina. Sunday for Steve Sweeney, Steven Goldstein, Joey Novick, Marshall Spevak WHERE’S MURPHY? — Media: Talking about the North to Shore festival on WOND at 12 p.m. | | | | A message from AARP: Family caregivers help their aging parents and other loved ones live in their homes, where they want to be—and out of costly taxpayer-funded nursing homes. They save New Jersey billions of dollars annually. But family caregivers are struggling to make it work. The Caregiver’s Assistance Act would provide a modest tax credit to family caregivers—financial relief that they’ve earned. Tell your lawmakers: Pass the Caregiver’s Assistance Act (A1802/S2021) now. | | | |  | WHAT TRENTON MADE | | SENIOR FREEZE IS NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH SEÑOR FREEZE FROM THE SPANISH VERSION OF BATMAN AND ROBIN — Coughlin adds Murphy-backed property tax relief proposal into 'StayNJ', by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin has looped in a property tax relief program expansion supported by Gov. Phil Murphy into his own proposal for seniors — tying the fate of the two in a bill opposed by the governor. The proposal included into Coughlin’s bill would increase income eligibility thresholds for the popular “Senior Freeze” program to $150,000 — a proposal Murphy put forth in his FY2024 budget. “Within the budget the governor also proposed expanding the popular Senior Freeze program to cover more seniors,” Coughlin said during the Assembly Aging and Senior Services committee hearing, where his property tax relief plan (A1) advanced committee. “I love that governor's idea — that's why we’re amending [the bill] to include that today.” The move adds another twist into a suddenly contentious budget season. Murphy has unequivocally opposed Coughlin’s property tax relief program dubbed “StayNJ,” with the governor’s aides going as far as to suggest the proposal had racial inequities. —“Helmy suggests compromise with Coughlin in the works” POLITICAL DEATH AND TAXES — South Jersey Assemblymember owes nearly $400K to IRS, New Jersey, by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: A South Jersey lawmaker who just lost a Republican primary for state Senate owes hundreds of thousands in back taxes, penalties and interest to the federal government and more than $20,000 to the state, records show. Assemblymember Beth Sawyer (R-Gloucester) has for years been deeply in arrears to the federal government, owing tens of thousands of dollars each year from 2014 to 2021. In a statement, Sawyer said she is working on repaying the money and “will have this behind me soon.” A November 2022 Notice of Federal Tax lien filed by the IRS with the Gloucester County Clerk said Sawyer owed $339,570 in unpaid taxes for the years 2014 through 2020. Another IRS notice filed about two months later said Sawyer owed $36,021 for 2021 taxes. Court records also show a March 2023 judgment against Sawyer for a $21,871 debt to New Jersey. Sawyer, a realtor, on Tuesday lost a challenge against her former running mate Ed Durr, a primary in which her tax delinquency was brought up late in the campaign … Sawyer in a statement called the flyer “gutter politics at its worst” and blamed Gloucester County GOP Chair Jacci Vigilante for tweeting it out. DEMOCRACY INACTION — “2023 primary results prove power of the party line,” by NJ Spotlight News’ Colleen Odea: “Once again in a New Jersey primary, the party line proved its power. Virtually every candidate who won the official Democratic or Republican endorsement won in this year’s primary election. The only exceptions were in the two districts, the 4th in South Jersey and the 24th in the north, where the two Republican contenders each won the party backing in at least one of the counties in the district. One of those tickets had to lose. One reason the party line is so important is that candidates who get party endorsement are bracketed together along the same row or column of a ballot. Compounding the power of the party line on Tuesday was the low turnout. As it stands now, about 530,000 people cast ballots in this election. While that will increase as the final precincts and any remaining mail-in ballots are counted, it is still likely that the total turnout will equal between 13% and 14% of registered Democrats and Republicans, and just 8% of all 6.5 million registered voters” M&M PLEDGES SHERRILL’S CAMPAIGN WILL NOT MELT IN THEIR HANDS — “Sherrill adds Lawrence and DeMicco to campaign team,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “Message & Media, the political consulting firm Lawrence and DeMicco run, will be part of a team to help Sherrill develop an enhanced message and strategy as she prepares to seek a fourth term in Congress. This is another sign that Sherrill is scaling up her political operation and expanding her footprint across the state. The 11th district became considerably more Democratic in redistricting, and she won re-election in 2022 by nineteen percentage points.” WHEN YOU’RE LEAVING OFFICE AND DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS — “Reverse Robin Hood: N.J. tax plan robs the poor, gives to the rich,” by Assemblymember Sadar Jaffer for NJ.com: “A tax credit for seniors to counteract high property taxes sounds good at first glance. But the structure of StayNJ reveals a backward program that takes from the pool of tax dollars we all pay into to give annual funds to the already-wealthy while leaving out the seniors at the highest risk of losing their homes — renters facing rent increases and eviction. First, StayNJ is only available to homeowners, disproportionately benefiting wealthier households, at the expense of lower-income and especially Black and Hispanic households. Only 64% of New Jerseyans live in owner-occupied residences. Homeowners are higher-income than renters in general, more importantly, they are wealthier by virtue of the home’s value.” MAKE FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS POLLING PLACES AND THE COVERAGE WILL INCREASE — “May the partisan chest thumping commence,” by InsiderNJ’s Fred Snowflack: “Traditionally, observers have attributed public indifference to state political affairs to the lack of a New Jersey commercial TV station. That is no longer the case, but a related issue has surfaced – scant newspaper coverage. The Gannett chain and the Star-Ledger provided very little primary coverage and that’s being polite. When newspaper readers, who are likely voters, know little about an upcoming election an abysmal turnout is predictable. This is not the fault of reporters. Put the blame on corporate higher-ups who think identifying the best place in town to get a meatball sandwich is more significant than writing about candidates who want to deal with taxes, schools and overall quality of life.” SNACK NEWS — Snacks, lounge caps and driving while high: N.J. groups weigh in on cannabis lounge rules, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: Through a public records request, POLITICO obtained recommendations from various groups to the Cannabis Regulatory Commission on how the state ought to set rules for businesses seeking to open a cannabis consumption lounge … State law forbids cannabis consumption lounges from operating “as a retail food establishment.” That sets hurdles for snacking — the pastime of choice for people that are high — but the state’s preeminent cannabis trade group is trying to find creative ways around the prohibition. The New Jersey CannaBusiness Association said in a letter to cannabis regulators that being able to sell food and beverage is a “must.” The group proposed creative ways to do that — which it said did not violate state law” —Nothing is mandatory, but Murphy urges caution as smog continues —“Signs of apparent mold at troubled veterans home spark $500K remediation effort” —“Nia gill did extremely well in Montclair – but it wasn’t enough to win” —“5 more mayors endorse Fulop for governor, including Morristown’s Dougherty” —“A leftover pandemic restriction in prisons deprives some of ‘lifeline’ family visits” | | | | 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 | |
IMMIGRATION — “How Sen. Bob Menendez is stopping a Biden border plan,” by Axios’ Stef K. Kight: “Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) is preventing the Biden administration from ramping up deportations of migrants from Venezuela back to their home country before they reach the U.S., Axios has learned … For months, top Biden officials have trying to find a way to pay Guatemala to help its government deport more Venezuelans before they migrate into Mexico or the U.S., according to three sources familiar with the discussions. Frosty diplomatic relations with Venezuela have made it nearly impossible for the U.S. to deport Venezuelan migrants on its own. As with most changes to how federal dollars are spent, the plan relies on congressional approval. Menendez, who chairs the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, refuses to green light the idea.”
| | | | A message from AARP:   | | | | | LOCAL | |
DOWN AND OUT IN READINGTON — “Readington punts vote on 'Orwellian' loitering ordinance. Here's why,” by MyCentralJersey’s Mike Deak: “The Township Committee wants to do more research before taking a final vote on an ordinance to crack down on loiterers. The ordinance was prompted after several months of complaints about panhandlers … The proposed ordinance, which has been called ‘very Orwellian’ and ‘un-American,’ does not target panhandlers by definition, but it does prohibit people from approaching vehicles ‘in a manner that could be perceived by persons in the vehicle as frightening, threatening or aggressive.’ The ordinance also prohibits walking along a road or median ‘for time periods longer than what is reasonably necessary for the person to travel from their point of origin to their destination.’ … When the ordinance was introduced on May 15, Township Committeeman Jonathan Heller, who cast the only vote against introducing the ordinance, said ‘it seems to be very Orwellian to me.’ Heller gave the example of what happens when ‘grandpa’ decides to take a walk and leans against a tree and a police officer drives up.”
NADER’S NADIR — “Nader loses re-election for county committee seat in Morris,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “Elizabeth Nader is a conservative activist and chair of the Elect Common Sense PAC, but voters in her own neighborhood squarely rejected her bid for re-election to a county committee seat on Tuesday in favor of challengers who live on her street. Nader finished third in a five-candidate field for two county committee seats in Morris Township’s 6th district … Nader was for Phil Rizzo for governor in 2021 and Congress in 2022” I-HAWKEN — “Weehawken finds loophole to limit non-residents’ use of township pool. But at what cost to residents?” by The Jersey Journal’s Teri West: “After building a spacious pool complex on the Hudson River waterfront with a panoramic view of the Manhattan skyline, Weehawken is contending with a challenge movie stars and five-star restaurants are more than familiar with: popularity. The state-of-the-art swimming facility drew more than 900 people from around the state on Memorial Day, which prompted the township to instate a new membership system that offers only season passes, not day passes. Membership fees for Weehawken families start at $100 for the first adult and $50 for other adults in the same household, with children entering free. Passes for non-residents are double, plus a potential $25 administrative fee … [T]he largest subset of visitors that day were Hoboken residents, making up 308 of the 906 people who were admitted over the course of the day, the mayor said. Neighboring Hoboken does not have its own public, outdoor pool. HANOVER BOE TRANSITIONS — Hanover BOE updates policy said to 'out' LGBTQ kids as settlement talks with state break down, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: The Hanover Board of Education has repealed and replaced a parental notification policy — which critics said would “out” LGBTQ children to their parents — that is the subject of a legal challenge by the state, according to court filings. However, the new policy does not appear to have the support of the Office of the Attorney General, according to court filings … The Attorney General’s office immediately filed legal challenges against the North Jersey school boardover the policy in May, which originally required school staff to notify a child’s parent on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or if the child is transitioning genders. But on June 6 the BOE repealed and replaced the policy. It now makes no explicit mention of “transitioning” “gender identity” and “sexual orientation." Attorneys for the Hanover BOE in legal filings are now arguing the legal challenge is “moot.” —“Hudson County votes not counted yet: Election officials must go before judge Friday” —“Hudson County officials detail what went wrong on election night, plans to fix issues” — “Authorities investigate swastikas, suspicious house fire in [Manchester Township]” —“Lawyers for Najee Seabrooks family tell Paterson not to destroy records. Here's why” | | | | GET READY FOR GLOBAL TECH DAY: Join POLITICO Live as we launch our first Global Tech Day alongside London Tech Week on Thursday, June 15. Register now for continuing updates and to be a part of this momentous and program-packed day! From the blockchain, to AI, and autonomous vehicles, technology is changing how power is exercised around the world, so who will write the rules? REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | EVERYTHING ELSE | |
NORTHEASTERN NJ PROMISES — “Early leads in NJ murder for hire case included Russian mafia, art deco painting and meth,” by The Record’s Ashley Balcerzak: “Connections to the Russian mafia and a Brooklyn gang. A crystal meth addiction and online hookups with strangers. An art deco painting that could be worth millions — or nothing. All were disparate threads tugged on by Hudson County investigators exploring the murder of Michael Galdieri, a political operative, onetime Jersey City council candidate and son of a former state senator. None of those angles, however, pointed to Sean Caddle, the man who ultimately admitted in court to putting a hit out on Galdieri, who in May of 2014 was stabbed to death, with his body left in his burning Jersey City apartment. ... More than 100 pages of reports and subpoenas obtained exclusively by NorthJersey.com from the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office provide tantalizing clues — but draw no conclusions — as to the motive behind Galdieri’s murder. Instead, the documents, which include summaries of interviews with close to 20 acquaintances, friends, family members and witnesses conducted through the end of 2014, offer a host of lurid and wild theories investigators followed after the murder.”
—“Family seeks answers after they say their son was trapped on Access Link bus for 2 hours” —“Drifting wildfire smoke shows you can't escape climate crisis reality in New Jersey” —“Man accused of stealing N.J. school bus, having ‘jihad journal’ not competent for trial” —“Woman who survived head-on Bergen County crash turns tragedy into activism” | | | | A message from AARP: New Jersey family caregivers save the state—and taxpayers—over $17 billion annually providing care for their spouses, aging parents, or other loved ones. Yet, caregivers pay out of their own pockets—on average spending 26% of their income. With inflation making everything more expensive, too many families are struggling to help keep their loved ones at home.
AARP is fighting to bring some financial relief to family caregivers, who need and deserve support. 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 Governor Murphy and your state lawmakers: Pass the Caregiver’s Assistance Act (A1802/S2021) to provide family caregivers financial relief now. | | | | | | | 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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