| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | | Presented by |  | | | Good Wednesday morning! Just how potent a political issue is abortion? For the third year in a row, Gloucester County Democrats are running hard on it. Republicans, and even the daughter of one of the Democratic candidates , have taken issue with the line of attack. The Gloucester GOP in a press release denounced a flyer from their Democratic counterparts that featured Republican Sheriff Jonathan Sammons and commissioner running mates Nick DeSilvio and Chris Konawel photoshopped into lab coats, wearing stethoscopes and carrying clipboards. “Meet your new ‘doctors,’” it says. On the other side, the flyer calls it a “life or death issue” and calls the three “anti-abortion extremists.” It featured some quotes, including one from Desilvio that he considers abortion “murder” and considers those who support it “evil.” It also features the famous quote from former state senator and 2025 gubernatorial candidate Ed Durr, a Gloucester County Republican: “A woman does have a choice. Keep her legs closed!” The flyer also says DeSivio once endorsed a tweet that said abortion is never medically necessary to save the life of the mother. In a 2023 story I wrote about Gloucester County Republicans’ abortion messaging problems — one referenced in the mailer — DeSilvio clarified that he did think it was sometimes medically necessary. “I just think nowadays women use it as a form of contraception, and I don’t believe abortion should be used that way,” DeSilvio said at the time. The press release includes a screenshot of a Facebook post of Democratic Sheriff candidate Carmel Morina’s daughter saying her dad had nothing to do with the mailers and that it’s “very unfortunate and not a good look considering we know these elected positions have nothing to do with the topic of the flyer.” Indeed, I don’t think a sheriff has any sway on abortion policy. Nor county commissioners. But Democrats have found the issue resonates so well with voters since the 2022 Dobbs decision that it could still be effective. Also interestingly, the Republican press release quotes the relatively new Gloucester GOP Chair Adam Wingate, who in that 2023 POLITICO article told me he felt DeSilvio's and Durr’s comments on abortion helped defeat him in his own run for commissioner in 2022. “These mailers are the same in ‘ ‘22, ‘23, ‘24. Same websites. Same slogans. It’s rinse and repeat,” Wingate told me. TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Eliana Pintor Marin, Malia Rulon Herman, Ken Kurson, Spencer Ross, Missed Tuesday: Barbara Martinez QUOTE OF THE DAY: “If I could indoctrinate my students in math, please, somebody, tell me how.” — Melissa Tomlinson, a math teacher in another district, during an Ocean City school board discussion on sex education standards WHERE’S MURPHY? In Newark at 10 a.m. for a University Hospital clergy appreciation breakfast, then at a West Orange day care at 11 a.m. for a child-care funding announcement and maybe a nap.
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BREAKING: WIND NEWS — Offshore wind is not a top New Jersey voter priority, by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: According to a poll of 616 New Jersey voters by the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University, just 17 percent said a candidate’s views on offshore wind energy would influence their vote a “great deal,” compared with 41 percent who said it would influence it “somewhat,” and 37 percent who said it would not affect their vote. “No matter which side of the issue voters land on, they seem to agree that it’s not a top priority,” said Hughes Center Research Director Alyssa Maurice. “The opposition to offshore wind is particularly vocal and well-organized in New Jersey, but the poll shows that for most voters this issue doesn’t move the needle much.”
DEVINE INTERVENTION — “Democratic campaign manager gets probation for filing fake NJ governor's race petitions,” by MyCentralJersey’s Suzanne Russell: “James Devine, long involved in Central Jersey politics, has been sentenced to two years’ probation for attempting to fraudulently place his domestic partner's name on the Democratic primary ballot for New Jersey governor in 2021. The sentencing on Friday was part of a negotiated plea agreement with the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced. In August Devine, a Lambertville resident, pleaded guilty to the third-degree crime concerning nomination certificates or petitions” VETERANS HOMES — “After hundreds of COVID deaths, N.J. veterans may finally get their own advocate,” by NJ Advance Media’s Susan K. Livio : “With the memory still fresh of the hundreds of veterans who died from COVID-19, lawmakers just took the first step to establish a veterans’ advocate to protect the people living in government-funded nursing homes and other housing in Nw Jersey. The state Office of the Veteran Advocate would have the authority to inspect veterans’ facilities, hold public hearings, conduct investigations, create a 24-hour hotline for complaints and issue public reports, according to the proposal. The state Senate Military and Veterans Affairs Committee approved the legislation that would create this new office (S3504) by a vote of 5-0 on Monday.”
| | | | A message from Johnson & Johnson:   | | | | THIS IS A STUPID IDEA BY AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE WHO HATES AMERICA — “ Bramnick proposes task force on civility,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “Legislation being introduced by State Sen. Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield) would establish a Joint Legislative Statesmanship Task Force to promote civility among K-12 students in New Jersey. Bramnick, a longtime champion of increased civility in politics, is a candidate for the Republican nomination for governor next year. ‘Schools are the ideal settings to begin teaching civic virtues since young people spend most of their waking hours learning in classrooms and interacting with their classmates and peers,’ Bramnick said. The Task Force would ‘emphasize the importance of treating each other with respect and dignity in daily interactions and discourse.’” SEEF-ER MADNESS — Social equity tax to be addressed at CRC late October meeting, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: The state’s cannabis commission has scheduled a late October meeting where it will address adjustments to the social equity tax, a move that comes amid talks that the commission could vote on a steep increase. The upcoming remote meeting, scheduled for Oct. 30, comes after the commission earlier this month was set to adjust to the tax, known as the Social Equity Excise Fee [SEEF] for 2025. While that current tax is $1.25 for an ounce of cannabis, sources told POLITICO earlier in October that the commission was considering voting on an increase to $30 per an ounce. … State law permits the commission to increase the social equity fee as cannabis prices drop. When the average retail price of an ounce of cannabis is between $250 and $350, the fee can be up to $30 per ounce, per state law. But the CRC’s regulations say that the social equity fee “shall” be $30 an ounce when the average price for an ounce of cannabis is between $250 and $350. —“New Jersey Supreme Court declines to examine tax incentives awarded to energy firm Holtec ” —“NJ Transit's foggy train windows: Here's what went wrong, and why a solution is in sight” —“ Offshore wind drives up electricity costs. That’s a bipartisan concern | Opinion” —“ NJ State Senate committee advances bill to require all rape kits to be tested”
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CRIS CROSS TABS WILL MAKE YOU JUMP — “Democrats finally jump into critical New Jersey Race,” by The American Prospect’s Luke Goldstein: “ For most of the race, NJ-07 WAS the only Republican-held seat listed as a toss-up or lean Republican in the Cook Political Report that the House Majority PAC hadn’t spent a dime on. Kean has been backed with robust support from national Republicans, receiving millions from the National Republican Congressional Committee and the Congressional Leadership Fund, the GOP’s counterpart to the HMP. … The Democratic campaign arms’ unwillingness to lift a finger in NJ-07 had become one of the most perplexing under-the-radar stories this election season.”
—“Trump vs. Harris: What their tax policies could mean for NJ” —“ Election Day 2024: Mail-in voting off to fast start in New Jersey” | | | LOCAL | | |
SUE AC — “Appeals court sends Atlantic County casino PILOT case back to Superior Court,” by The Press of Atlantic City’s Michelle Brunetti Post: “Atlantic County's challenge of the state's new casino payment-in-lieu-of-taxes law must go back to Atlantic County Superior Court for an evidentiary hearing, a three-judge state Appellate panel said in its decision Monday. The court said the terms of a 2018 consent order were ambiguous, so it vacated subsequent Superior Court decisions that had awarded millions of additional dollars to Atlantic County from the state. … Atlantic County and the nonprofit Liberty and Prosperity each sued and won their cases in Superior Court in 2022. The county argued that removing internet gaming and online sports betting from calculations of how much casinos would pay cost county taxpayers $5 million a year, and violated a 2018 consent agreement to settle an earlier lawsuit; while Liberty and Prosperity argued it violated the state Constitution.”
EAST ORANGE — “East Orange School District violated state regulations, New Jersey Department of Education says ,” by CBS New York’s Katie Houlis: “The New Jersey Department of Education says the East Orange School District violated state regulations. According to East Orange City Hall, 71 in-school staff members and four district employees are being laid off, and 18 employees are retiring or moving to new assignments. This is all due to a $25 million budget shortfall. In a statement Tuesday, the DOE says the district failed to promptly notify them about the conditions behind the deficit.” BLIND JUSTICE — “NJ appeals court rejects Paterson's effort to fire blind city planner,” by The Paterson Press’ Joe Malinconico: “George Meadows, a municipal government planner who became blind from glaucoma, has won a significant victory in his legal fight to fend off the city's attempts to fire him over his disability. A state appellate court last week rejected Paterson’s efforts to terminate Meadows, something the city did in 2021. Meadows’ original firing was overturned in decisions rendered in 2022 by a state administrative law judge and the Civil Service Commission, rulings that cited New Jersey’s laws protecting people with disabilities. But Paterson continued the legal battle by going to the appellate court. … The city argued that it would have to hire another employee just to help Meadows perform his duties. But Meadows’ attorney cited his physician’s assertions that the planner could perform his job ‘with minor reading and writing’ assistance.” TREE MURDER — “In Kinnelon, one illegal tree cutting case is settled, another back in court ,” by The Daily Record’s William Westhoven: “In Kinnelon, one case involving the illegal cutting of dozens of trees has come to a conclusion; another is due back in court on Tuesday. Borough resident Vinny Polise is scheduled for a virtual appearance in Kinnelon Municipal Court on Tuesday to answer a citation for allegedly culling 363 trees from the hillside behind a home owned by his company, MVM Realty One LLC … Meanwhile, a similar case from last year has concluded, as another Kinnelon resident has reached a settlement with an insurance company representing Grant Haber. Haber pleaded guilty in February to hiring contractors to cut down 32 of the neighbor's trees, allegedly to improve his view of the New York skyline, in an incident that sparked a viral wave of online outrage. In February, Haber agreed to pay $13,194 in fines and court costs. But prosecutors suggested he may have been liable for restitution claims that "could exceed seven figures" for remediation, replanting and ongoing stewardship of the affected forestland. Last week, a Kinnelon Municipal Court official confirmed to the Daily Record that the victim in the Haber case, Samih Shinway, had accepted a settlement and that the episode was no longer a court matter.” ALIEN ABDUCTEES: ‘TRUST US, YOU DON’T WANT THE PROBE’ — “Hudson electeds & CarePoint workers say hospitals must stay open, some want probe,” by Hudson County View’s John Heinis: “Hudson County elected officials joined CarePoint Health workers and union leaders in a rally asking for their three hospitals to stay open at all costs, with some speakers calling for an investigation into their finances. ‘It’s a shame that not only do our nurses and all the other professionals that work in the hospital have to suffer through this. … these were the same people that only two years ago, stayed here around the clock to make sure that this hospital stayed open and all the residents were taken care of. And CarePoint: This is a nice way of saying thank you! I think the present CEO of this hospital should resign immediately!’” — “Unopposed, Desiderio ready for another round on Cape board” —“ 'Riotous trend': Violent melee in Collingswood cuts short hayride, closes Wawa” —“Western Edge fallout continues as nonprofit with ties to Union City sues Hoboken” —“Firm run by Moorestown GOP candidate paid $1.6 million in DOJ settlement for unlawful judgments against active duty military” —“ Democrats look to break Republican dominance on Egg Harbor Township Committee this year” —Snowflack: “Monmouth airport issue up in the air ” | | | EVERYTHING ELSE | | |
NO SCIT — “A not-so-secret sex business continues to thrive in N.J., state watchdog reports,” by NJ Advance Media’s Ted Sherman: ‘The State Commission of Investigation on Tuesday said hundreds of massage businesses operating in New Jersey are tied to questionable and potentially unlawful conduct — including some that may be involved in human trafficking. According to the SCI report, owners and operators routinely manipulated laws and rules that govern the massage therapy industry, while exploiting female employees, who were typically Asian immigrants with minimal English-speaking skills, through coercive and oppressive labor conditions. ‘The commission’s findings illuminate seemingly innocuous conditions that have persisted unmonitored and contravene law enforcement and advocacy norms around the detection and prevention of human trafficking,’ said SCI Chair Tiffany Williams Brewer. … In its investigation, the independent state watchdog agency said many of those businesses were registered with state or local government entities or had taken deliberate actions to appear otherwise legitimate. The SCI noted that the state strictly regulates massage therapists but minimally oversees businesses, owners, and operators.”
POLITICAL BOSSISM — “ Rock legend Springsteen to hit campaign trail with Obama and Harris,” by Reuters’ Jarrett Renshaw: “Rock legend Bruce Springsteen will hold a concert and rally with former President Barack Obama in Atlanta and Philadelphia in the coming days as part of a series of get-out-the-vote events for Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign in battleground states, a senior campaign official said on Tuesday. With early voting under way, the Harris campaign is betting these surrogate rallies will help drive enthusiasm and turn out voters in states that will decide November's tightly contested election between Democrat Harris and Republican rival Donald Trump. … On Monday, Springsteen will appear in Philadelphia with Obama, the senior campaign official said.” —“New Jersey drought fuels wildfires and 'unhealthy' air quality. Calls to cut water use” —“ How drought could affect the state, as NJ is on track for its driest month on record” —“ N.J.‘s long streak of dry weather could break an elusive record” —“With Rutgers’ apparel situation in flux, hoops stars Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey have clear preference”
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