| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | | | Good Tuesday morning! Cape May County hotelier Curtis Bashaw announced his candidacy for U.S. Senate yesterday, becoming the second major Republican to formally enter the race. Frankly, there’s very little to indicate where stands ideologically. His campaign team features experienced moderate New Jersey Republican hands Mike DuHaime and Jeanette Hoffman. He’s donated to a lot of Republicans over the years, and some Democrats — mostly from South Jersey — but not to Trump. And Bashaw, who’s openly gay, is a close friend of former Democratic Gov. Jim McGreevey, who named him CRDA executive director. In fact, he was one of the few people at Drumthwacket with McGreevey in 2004 while he formulated his “gay American” resignation plans. This would seem to point to a candidacy that’s at least socially moderate. But note that Bashaw’s campaign will be chaired by state Sen. Michael Testa, the Cumberland GOP chair and one of the rising stars on New Jersey’ right. And Bashaw’s press release made sure to note that Testa co-chaired Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign (his erstwhile co-chair, Joe Pennacchio, endorsed Christine Serrano Glassner for Senate). "I think Curtis represents an individual who's an entrepreneur, who employs over 1,300 hardworking people at the height of the season in Cape May County. I think he understands the ravages of bad government, what happened when Gov. Murphy shut down our entire state," Testa told me on the phone. McGreevey in a statement called Bashaw a "visionary leader for the Jersey shore" who developed a "coherent overarching shore strategy from Atlantic City to the Highlands." We’ll see where Bashaw is on the issues as his candidacy advances. For now, this probably says more about Testa and how he’s positioning himself as a power player opposite where much of the party has gone — especially in North Jersey. TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com QUOTE OF THE DAY: “The NFL is totally RIGGED for the Kansas City Chiefs, Taylor Swift, Mr. Pfizer (Travis Kelce). All to spread DEMOCRAT PROPAGANDA. Calling it now: KC wins, goes to Super Bowl, Swift comes out at the halftime show and "endorses" Joe Biden with Kelce at midfield. It's all been an op since day one.’ — Former 4th District Republican congressional candidate Mike “Extra” Crispi HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Herb Conaway WHERE’S MURPHY? — No public schedule
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VITALITY — Long-stalled casino smoking ban bill clears committee, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee on Monday advanced a closely watched bill to ban smoking inside casinos. …. Efforts last legislative session to advance the bill fell apart after it couldn’t muster a majority of support from committee members. The bill still faces a long path to passage. Speaking with reporters after the vote, committee chair Sen. Joe Vitale said he still has a commitment from Senate President Nick Scutari to post the measure for a full Senate vote as-is, assuming the votes are there to pass it. “This is just another step in the right direction,” Vitale, a Democrat, told reporters. “Obviously the next would be a full Senate vote but don't know when that will take place.”
A MORE CYNICAL PERSON MIGHT CALL MURPHY’S VETO A BLATANT POLITICAL PLOY — “N.J. Turnpike, Garden State Parkway toll increases could still come this year,” by NJ Advance Media’s Larry Higgs: “New Jersey Turnpike commissioners will vote on an amended 2024 budget Tuesday that includes a toll increase that prompted a veto by Gov. Phil Murphy in October. The budget is on Tuesday’s Board of Commissioners agenda for the authority that runs the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway. The $2.6 billion 2024 budget includes a 3% toll increase which was scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1. The budget states the increase will take effect on “a later date that is to be determined, but assumed in 2024.” The budget being on the agenda for a vote doesn’t mean Murphy’s veto has been lifted, said Tom Feeney, an authority spokesman. ‘The Turnpike staff is presenting the budget to the commissioners tomorrow,’ Feeney said. ‘The commissioners will vote on it. If they vote in favor, it will be subject to a veto the same way it was in October.’” DOE, A DEHMER, A MALE DEHMER — Murphy names Kevin Dehmer to lead Department of Education again, by POLITICO's Katherine Dailey and Lawrence Ukele: Gov. Phil Murphy has tapped Rutgers University's Kevin Dehmer to serve as the state's next acting education commissioner. Dehmer, the executive director of the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers, spent 15 years in the DOE, including two stints as the acting and interim commissioner in early 2018 and mid-2020. He most recently worked as assistant commissioner and chief financial officer for the department, where he oversaw public school funding, prior to his departure from the department in September 2022. At that time, Dehmer’s departure was seen as notable amid low staffing levels as schools reopened after the Covid-19 pandemic. COINCIDENCE? THE MINIMUM AGE FOR SENATE IS ALSO THE AGE OVER WHICH NOBODY CAN BE TRUSTED — “You have to be 30 to run for New Jersey state Senate. One borough councilman is working to change that,” by New Jersey Globe’s Joey Fox: “That age requirement, established at a 1947 constitutional convention, is far higher than most other states around the country, which typically set a minimum of 18 or 21 years of age to run for their legislature’s upper chamber. Now, 25-year-old Raritan Borough Councilman Adam Armahizer wants the New Jersey Senate to follow suit and lower its age requirement to 21. ‘[The current age limit] is an injustice to our democracy and a direct limitation on the people’s ability to elect representation,’ Armahizer said. … Since the age limit is enshrined in the state constitution, changing it requires a constitutional amendment, which the state legislature would have to pass and then put before voters as a statewide referendum. … Armahizer said that he’s reached out to every state legislative office to discuss his proposal, with “mostly positive” feedback so far. State Sen. Andrew Zwicker (D-South Brunswick), who has made elections reform and voting access a major focus during his time in the legislature, said that he, for one, is very open to Armahizer’s idea.”
| | | | A message from Amazon:   | | | DOUSING THE FIREMAN — Last week, Senate President Nick Scutari and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin sent a letter with “urgent concerns” about the process to redo Liberty State Park that appeared to echo some of the criticisms directed at the state by groups aligned with billionaire Paul Fireman, owner of a nearby golf course. In particular, the lawmakers were concerned about plans they said existed to “flood 170 acres” in the heart of the park. In response, they got an 11-page letter on Monday from Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette suggesting it’s “alarming” that the lawmakers had some “misunderstanding” and “confusion” about the process and plans for the park. “While it is not clear why the Legislature would believe this, DEP is aware of certain private interests and individuals who have been knowingly and purposefully circulating misinformation along these very same lines,” LaTourette wrote. The state is working on plans to clean up and restore over 200 acres in the center of the park that are currently off limits because of pollution, setting aside 50 for an athletics area and another 165 acres for a “central park.” It’s that large area that lawmakers seemed to be referring to. Without going into the nuances of hydrology, it appears that part of the area will be parkland as we think of it most of the time but also be designed to handle flooding following storms to protect the rest of the park and surrounding areas — in other words, it can handle flooding when it floods but would not be flooded for no reason. So, for instance, a hill that can be used for running most of the year will also be able to keep back floodwater. — Ry Rivard —“Riders say NJ Transit's fare hike is 'unfair.' How does it compare with other agencies?” —“Argument continues over ban on single-use plastic bags” —“Paul Fireman, get your billionaire’s golf club out of our public park | Opinion” —“‘A $1 billion problem’: Why floods keep ravaging some New Jersey towns” —“Murphy sends 14 Superior Court judge nominations to state Senate” —“Murphy nominates Middlesex resident and alum to Rutgers board”
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MURPH’S TURF — “Tammy Murphy , the First Lady of New Jersey, is leveraging her husband’s power to lock up the Democratic nomination for Senate. She appears unstoppable,” by New York Magazine’s Simon Van Zuylen-Wood: “Murphy’s most telling response isn’t about the issues at all. As we wrap up lunch, I ask what the rest of her day looks like. ‘Bunch of Zooms, fundraising,’ she says. Because she delayed her entry into the race until after New Jersey’s off-year elections in November, she says, she had less time to rack up big fundraising numbers before a December 31 deadline. ‘Once I figured out I was going to be a declared candidate, I had to have a perfect launch. Perfect rolling endorsements. I had to have great fundraising. And all that had to happen after the last election,’ she says …
There, laid out with admirable frankness, is what this race is about: cash, optics, the unusually exposed guts of one state’s party machinery. If Tammy Murphy faces trouble with voters, it will not be over policy—there’s not much daylight between her and Kim— but over the specter of nepotism, especially in a battle to replace a man widely viewed as corrupt. … There is something perversely refreshing about a high-stakes election defined instead by family ambition and parochial power plays. This is insider politics at its most brazen. Murphy will probably be New Jersey’s next senator because she is married to its current governor.” —Stile:“'Kim-mentum?' A tide of unease about Tammy Murphy washes across NJ Democratic grassroots” —“Millions of Americans face risk of a toxic ‘bomb train’”
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ADRIANA KUCH — “‘Reckless’ school officials failed bullied N.J. 14-year-old who died by suicide, lawsuit says,” by NJ Advance Media’s Brianna Kudisch: “The family of the 14-year-old girl who died by suicide last year after she was attacked by classmates in a hallway filed a lawsuit Monday against the school board and other officials. The lawsuit alleges officials in the Ocean County school district were aware of a culture of violence at Central Regional High School and failed to protect the girl when she was bullied. Adriana Kuch, who was a freshman at the high school, killed herself Feb. 3, days after a video showing her being physically attacked by classmates spread around the Bayville school … For years, school district administrators knew or should have known physical attacks in the district were being recorded by students and posted to social media, the lawsuit alleges. School officials failed to properly discipline students for the attacks and failed to investigate Adriana’s attack, the complaint says.”
FRISBY CAUGHT — “Full-time perks for part-time work? For these politicians, taxpayers footed the bill,” by NJ Advance Media’s Riley Yates: “Mercer County’s elected commissioners earned a salary of just $32,853 last year. They largely hold jobs outside their political posts, with careers in government, non-profits or the corporate world that pay the bills. To the public, the county describes its seven commissioners as part timers. But when it comes to health benefits, the commissioners treat themselves as full-time employees — despite a law that seeks to limit full-time perks from going to part-time officials. Over the past decade, Mercer County taxpayers have paid more than $900,000 to provide insurance to commissioners who signed up for the state’s health plan, county records show. More than half of that expense went to three board members who, under the statute, were required to work at least 35 hours a week to be eligible. Those members — Samuel Frisby Sr., Kristin McLaughlin and former commissioner Andrew Koontz — took office after 2010, a year state lawmakers mandated that new elected officials must work full time to qualify for the State Health Benefits Program.” ‘PARENTAL RIGHTS’ ADVOCATES TO FOCUS ON REMOVING ‘WOOD’ FROM TOWN NAME — “Will Westwood schools revive transgender student policy? New board takes another look,” by The Record’s Stephanie Noda: “The Westwood Regional School District board may reinstate a policy that outlines protections for transgender students, but the move is on hold for now to give members more time to consult with the board's attorney. … During a meeting in December, last year's school board voted 5-2 to repeal the policy. It was one of the last moves by a "parental rights" majority that lost seats this year as a result of the November school board elections. On Thursday, with a new board majority in control, the meeting agenda included a proposal to reinstate the transgender policy. However, three parental rights members who remain on the panel — Laura Cooper, Douglas Cusato and Kristen Pedersen — questioned the need for the policy and warned of potential lawsuits.” COUNCILMAN COUNCIL — “[Newark] school employee is board president’s dad, complicating disclosure,” by NJ Advance Media’s Steve Strunsky: “Apart from his $95,000 job as a Newark City councilman, Patrick Council, 52, is employed as a youth opportunity coordinator for the Newark Public Schools, a district job that pays $80,751 a year, according to state pension fund records. His son, Hasani Council, 26, is president of the Newark Board of Education, the elected policy-making body that approves personnel, spending and other recommendations from Superintendent Roger León, who is Patrick Council’s boss. Aside from Hasani Council’s non-paid position on the school board, his $85,000 day job is with the City of Newark as his father’s chief of staff. Theirs is an uncommonly intertwined personal and public sector relationship that has come under scrutiny recently due to Hasani Council’s responses on personal/family disclosure statements he filed with the state School Ethics Commission in 2020, 2021, and 2022, which all indicated he did not have relatives employed by or under contract with the school district.”
| | | | YOUR GUIDE TO EMPIRE STATE POLITICS: From the newsroom that doesn’t sleep, POLITICO's New York Playbook is the ultimate guide for power players navigating the intricate landscape of Empire State politics. Stay ahead of the curve with the latest and most important stories from Albany, New York City and around the state, with in-depth, original reporting to stay ahead of policy trends and political developments. Subscribe now to keep up with the daily hustle and bustle of NY politics. | | | | | LET MY PEOPLE GO … ON JUNKETS — “Ocean County College spent $300,000 on administrative junkets to Egypt,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Erik Larsen: “Ocean County College officials spent more than $300,000 on lavish travel to the Middle East between 2016 and 2023, related to its now-failed bid to break into the online education market in Egypt, according to internal billing records obtained by the Asbury Park Press. The trips, taken by former President Jon H. Larson, his staff, faculty and other representatives of the community college, came as OCC was experiencing a decline in enrollment and the prior administration had sought novel, outside-the-box ways to boost revenue. Starting in 2016, the former president had traveled to Egypt 17 times, costing the college more than $80,000 in travel expenses. Another $234,000 was spent on travel for college staff and other officials over the same time period. As part of his expenses, Larson billed the college for five-star hotels, dinner cruises on the Nile River, and meals with guests that included a luxurious restaurant near the Mediterranean Sea.” —“Morris County woman’s imprisonment for Facebook posts sparks free-speech fight” —“Hero without a cape? Jersey City’s Flash Gordon aims to be ‘king of the impossible’” —“Freehold Township schools closed Monday after ‘cybersecurity event'” —“Boonton Township school, town hall renovations could boost taxes almost $1,000 a year” —“Toms River cop chief slams mayor's plan to cut police captains' jobs” —“Paterson cop Kevin Patino ready to plead guilty in excessive force case” —“67,467-square-foot Cannabis Grow House in the Works for Newark” | | EVERYTHING ELSE | |
CAMDEN FLOATING — “Maintaining a memorial. The Battleship prepares to leave Camden,” by The Courier-Post’s Kaitlyn McCormick: “BB-62. USS New Jersey. The Battleship. After over two decades at its pier here, this historic ship and waterfront museum is preparing to move. And soon. The Battleship New Jersey will be towed to Philadelphia and dry docked for maintenance sometime in March, said Marshall Spevak, the museum's Interim CEO. The departure date depends on the availability of the shipyard, the same one where the USS New Jersey was built in the early 1940s.”
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