| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | Good Friday morning! New Jersey’s Russia sanctions law still exists. It’s just pretty much meaningless. Back in March 2022, when Gov. Phil Murphy signed the law in the immediate aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he said the state was “sending a strong message today to Vladimir Putin and his cronies in Belarus that their actions will not be tolerated.” Well, there were already court precedents that signaled the law could be ruled unconstitutional. And after the American subsidiary of Japanese electronics company Kyocera sued the state (New Jersey moved to blacklist it because its parent company owned a Russian subsidiary) it won an injunction in federal court. The Murphy administration declined to appeal the ruling. Daniel Han reports that in response to that court ruling, the state quietly posted a notice online this week saying the state’s sanctions list will simply follow the U.S. Treasury’s “Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons list for Russia or Belarus”. The state should have already been doing that. “Basically, this law is now mandating that state agencies follow federal law, which always would have applied anyway whether this New Jersey-specific law was written or not,” Daniel Tannenbaum, a management consultant and former U.S. Treasury official overseeing federal sanctions compliance, told Han. Read more about it here. TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com QUOTE OF THE DAY: “We think this is a fair increase, a fair as in F-A-I-R” — Gov. Phil Murphy Thursday during his call-in show. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Christine Guhl, Heather Taylor, Albio Sires. Saturday for Alex Altman, Karen Kessler, Ryan Goodwin, Vinny Napolitano, Mitch Zupko, Chuck Haytaian, Terrence Dopp, Tim White, Amy Handlin, Maria Comella. WHERE’S MURPHY? — No public schedule. |  | WHAT TRENTON MADE | |
NOT A GOOD DAY TO BE MIDDLE CLASS — New Jersey governor's middle-class legacy on the line as fare hikes and tax increases loom, by POLITICO’s Ry Rivard: Two weeks ago, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy was patting himself on the back for the 20 tax cuts enacted since he took office for middle-class families and seniors. “Once again: this is how you build a state that is stronger and fairer,” he said during his State of the State speech. “And more affordable.” But, once again, New Jersey needs money and is looking to raise taxes, fees and transit fares, inviting criticism from Republicans and consternation from fellow Democrats. So with two years left in his second and final term, Murphy’s legacy could be bruised as he looks at plans to increase the cost of bus and train tickets, consumer goods and gasoline — which fall on New Jersey’s middle class residents he has spent years promising to prop up.
A SORT OF MEA CULPA — Yesterday I aggregated to an article in Forbes citing a study that claimed New Jersey’s plastic bag ban had backfired terribly, with much more plastic used to make reusable bags — which it said most consumers were only using a couple times — than the traditional plastic bags the state banned in 2022. Not disclosed in that article, or any of the other coverage I saw of this study, was the fact that it was funded by the plastic bag industry’s lobbying arm, The American Recyclable Plastic Bag Alliance. That does not mean the study is false, but it’s certainly relevant information that should have been noted. Anyway, as long as we’re on plastic bags, here’s a report in the progressive publication Mother Jones on another study by environmental, pro-plastic bag ban groups that found them to be working. Worth noting that the study's source is clearly cited in that article. I’m far from an expert on this topic and I don’t often report on environmental issues. But I think two things can be true at once: That it takes far more plastic to produce reusable than single-use bags, but that discarded single-use bags have been a major source of pollution. While I have read articles about the glut of reusable bags, I personally haven’t witnessed many blowing down the street, hanging from trees and floating up the waterways. To me, this is anther reminder that the world is complicated, and that policy results usually can’t be simply classified as good or bad. SPEAKING OF FORBES — The publication's unionized editorial staff is walking off the job through Monday over “the magazine’s attempts to prevent union members from exercising their rights as well as slow-walking contract negotiations.” Forbes Media is based in Jersey City. The state in 2014 awarded it a $27 million tax break to locate there. BY GEORGE! — “A brief electoral history of Steve Sweeney,” by New Jersey Globe’s Joey Fox: “In Sweeney’s telling of his own life story, he didn’t start out as an especially political guy. The son of an ironworker, Sweeney grew up in Pennsauken and became an ironworker himself … Sweeney’s daughter was born with Down’s Syndrome, which awakened him to the necessity of advocating for disabled people and other disadvantaged groups. Disability advocacy and Local 399, in which Sweeney steadily rose through the ranks, became Sweeney’s two entry points to the world of politics, and the rest is history. But there’s a key figure missing from that story: a fellow Pennsauken kid named George Norcross. Norcross and Sweeney were boyhood friends, and when Norcross began building a political operation in South Jersey – he became Camden County Democratic chairman in 1989 and only expanded further from there – Sweeney was a natural ally.” DEFAMATION LEGALITY JAM —“Republicans’ challenge of defamation case tests new state law targeting frivolous lawsuits,” by New Jersey Monitor’s Dana DiFilippo: “Republican officials in Englewood Cliffs have asked a state judge to dismiss a lawsuit accusing them of defaming a borough attorney in campaign material, the latest volley in a legal fight regarded as the first test of a new state law intended to crack down on lawsuits meant to silence critics. Attorneys for Mark Park, Zhi Liang, and Rivka Biegacz — Republicans elected in November as mayor and borough council members, respectively — say the complaint Albert H. Wunsch III filed against them in October stifles constitutionally protected political speech and should have been tossed under a new law targeting civil lawsuits known as SLAPPs, short for strategic lawsuits against public participation. A hearing is scheduled Friday afternoon in state Superior Court in Bergen County.” OUTLOOK NOT SO GOOD — New Jerseyans' outlook on the state is stagnant and pretty meh, according to a Rutgers-Eagleton poll released this morning. Forty-three percent of respondents said the state is headed in the right direction, while 47 percent say it’s the wrong one. That’s not changed much from the last time the pollster asked the question. Honestly, I led with the state outlook number so I could quote the Magic 8 Ball in the headline. The number you’re probably more interested is the favorability ratings of Andy Kim and Tammy Murphy. Name recognition of both is still relatively low. Kim has a better net favorability rating, at 23 percent favorable to 10 percent unfavorable. Murphy is viewed favorably by 18 percent and unfavorably by 20 percent. Those numbers, however, are among all respondents. Among Democrats, according to pollster Ashley Koning, they’re about equal. You know who’s really not popular? Indicted incumbent Sen. Bob Menendez, who’s viewed favorably by 9 percent of respondents and unfavorably by 60 percent. Read the full poll here. —“After news of a 15% fare hike, NJ Transit riders get closer to having an independent advocate” —“NJ's telehealth rules prevent residents from seeking the best care, suit argues” —“Platkin touts settlement on sale of large-capacity gun magazines in NJ” —“New Jersey already protects abortion rights. now Democrats want to cover out-of-pocket costs, too” | | | | JOIN 1/31 FOR A TALK ON THE RACE TO SOLVE ALZHEIMER’S: Breakthrough drugs and treatments are giving new hope for slowing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and ALS. But if that progress slows, the societal and economic cost to the U.S. could be high. Join POLITICO, alongside lawmakers, official and experts, on Jan. 31 to discuss a path forward for better collaboration among health systems, industry and government. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | BIDEN TIME | |
—“Andy Kim, Tammy Murphy will debate on February 18”
—“Campos-Medina objects to exclusion from Democratic Senate debate” —“Taylor Swift artificial intelligence porn images spur [Tom Kean Jr.’s] regulation effort” —“Feds U-turn decision to not allow any humor in highway safety messages” —“DeAngelo won’t run for Kim’s NJ-3 House seat” —”Mikie Sherrill and the Ballad of the Jockey Hollow Apple Orchard” —“Vartan ends NJ-7 campaign” | | | | 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. | | | | | | | LOCAL | |
A PROMISING POTENTIAL CANDIDATE FOR CAMDEN COUNCIL — “N.J. school board member resigns after he’s accused of threatening woman with gun,” by NJ Advance Media’s Matthew Enuco: “A former Camden County police detective recently stepped down as a member of Camden’s school board weeks after he was accused of threatening a woman with an unregistered gun, according to the criminal complaint. Clayton Gonzalez, 34, was arrested on Nov. 28 after he allegedly used a pistol to threaten the woman and her family, according to the criminal complaint … He allegedly grabbed a handgun from a cabinet during an argument over ‘separation and finances’ at the woman’s home on Nov. 20 and waved the gun around, threatening to ‘ruin the life of her, her family and her boyfriend,' according to witness statements in the affidavit of probable cause filed in the case … He was reelected to Camden’s advisory school board in November after serving one term. But, he resigned from the board as of Dec. 11, a school district spokesperson said.”
THE STRIFE OF BRIAN — “A YouTuber turned up the heat on Union City Mayor Brian Stack. Chaos ensued,” by The Jersey Journal’s Teri West: “‘You are a coward! … You don’t deserve this job! … A bully!’ What started out as YouTube gonzo journalist Leroy Truth’s attempt to ensure transparency in municipal government evolved into claims of strong-armed tactics by Union City Mayor Brian Stack against city employees. And it reached the boiling point with insults flying after Tuesday’s Board of Commissioners meeting. Truth, whose real name is Leonard Filipowski, says Union City Board of Education Secretary Justin Mercado, a confidant of the mayor, snatched Filipowski’s phone while he was filming. A brief altercation — Filipowski says he was assaulted — ensued … Filipowski’s beef with Stack started with a Dec. 11 YouTube video that showed Union City employees trying to stop Filipowski from filming in City Hall. Filipowski says a Union City police officer who told employees the filming was a First Amendment right, was disciplined, and what followed was more than 100 “tips” about malfeasance in the city … Among the tips Filipowski received was the assertion that Stack picked up the phone and asked a city employee why he didn’t vote in a local election. He said, ‘Hi, this is Brian, how you doing?’ Jose Guerrido, a Department of Public Works employee told The Jersey Journal. ‘I said, ‘How can I help you?’ and he asked me, ‘I’m checking here, and I see you didn’t vote.’’” A WILEY OPERATOR — “12 years after pleading guilty, disgraced former North Bergen official is finally sentenced — and avoids prison time,” by The Jersey Journal’s Mark Koosau: “A decade-long investigation into corruption in North Bergen came to an end Wednesday when disgraced former North Bergen Department of Public Works Superintendent James Wiley avoided prison time at his sentencing hearing. The 78-year-old, who admitted using township workers for personal chores and directing them to do political campaign work on taxpayer time, was sentenced by Hudson County Superior Court Judge Carlo Abad to two years of probation, following a new guilty plea he made with prosecutors last year for third-degree unlawful taking.” ANIMAL: I’M ONLY HUMAN — “New Atlantic City councilman pleads for giving ex-convicts like him another chance,” by The Press of Atlantic City’s Michelle Brunetti Post: “Not a word was said for most of Wednesday night's council meeting about the controversy over the city choosing an ex-convict banned from public employment to run its re-entry program for the formerly incarcerated. Then, just before the meeting adjourned, new Councilman George 'Animal' Crouch asked to make a statement and encouraged the city not to reject people like him who have made mistakes but have since turned their lives around. Reentry Coordinator Cornell Davis is a former Atlantic City school board president convicted of accepting a $2,200 bribe in 2005 to facilitate a contract with the board. He was sentenced to five years in prison and is banned for life from public employment, but the city has recently contracted with his employer Ideal Institute of Technology to have him run a city program. ‘I am the only one up here with a criminal history. I'm a two-time convicted felon,’ Crouch said. ‘I've been home for 29 years.’” BANNED AID — “Book ban opponents and supporters overwhelm North Hunterdon-Voorhees school board meeting,” by MyCentralJersey’s Cheryl Makin: “It's a controversy that refuses to fade away. Tuesday's North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School Board of Education meeting had to be cut short and rescheduled because too many people, estimated at about 150, came in anticipation of a showdown over the issue whether certain books should be pulled from the schools' library shelves … Before the meeting, the NH-V Intellectual Freedom Fighters, a group advocating students' right to read, held a ‘Prep Rally’ at the Hunterdon County Library in Clinton Town with U.S. Rep Andy Kim, a candidate for the U.S. Senate, and state Sen. Andrew Zwicker, the sponsor of the Freedom to Read Bill, in attendance. … The issue arose during the 2021-22 school year when parents campaigned for five books dealing with sexuality to be pulled off library shelves. The school board voted in 2022 to reject a resolution to ban the five books. All five volumes remain on the library's shelves. With that vote, many believed the district had turned the page on the controversy. But School Librarian Martha Hickson feared the controversy may be flaring again.” PARKING OVER PARKS — “In Kearny, state aims to convince residents that planned Greenway is a gift, not a nuisance,” by NJ Advance Media’s Teri West: “A new state-funded linear park connecting Montclair, Newark, Kearny, Secaucus and Jersey City is, in the eyes of open space advocates and the state government, a gift to the cities it will traverse. But the gut reaction to the news of the park for many residents of Kearny was that they were being handed an unwanted gift and one without a gift receipt. The two philosophies met in the same room earlier this week for a quickly assembled, state-led meeting to directly respond to resident concerns. The meeting got heated at times, with many of the concerns centered on crime, increased parking challenges and how much the greenway will cost town taxpayers … ‘When you take an area of blight and you turn it into a point of community pride ... that will chase away the poor uses of the space,’ LaTourette said.'” —“Funeral arrangements set for longtime Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik” —“Hudson County plans study to determine if government contracting process is leaving anyone out” —“Should Jackson planning chief be forbidden to vote on Orthodox school? Judge weighs in” —“Oakland appoints woman to fill vacancy on all-male council” —“Ocean City Council unanimous on new Boardwalk performer rules” EVERYTHING ELSE —“Ricardo, the [steer] that stopped NJ Transit trains, fighting deadly infection” —“[NJIT] and union tentatively agree to new contract, avoiding a strike”
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