Good Tuesday morning! Senate Minority Leader Anthony Bucco is no longer a member of the Assembly. But Bucco was one of the four bipartisan signatories on the March letter from legislative leadership vowing that the Legislature would take up ballot design, just days before Judge Zahid Quraishi tossed out the county line for the 2024 Democratic primary and presaged its endangerment for all future elections. When asked by POLITICO’s Daniel Han at the Statehouse yesterday, Bucco said his understanding is that the bill will be introduced in the Assembly next week, and that they plan hearings on it in North, South and Central Jersey. “I think it’s going to be soon in the Assembly. I heard next week,” Bucco said. "We’ve also been told that there’s a draft of the bill out there. I’ve asked for a copy. So as soon as we take a look at it, we’ll have further conversations.” Bucco said his understanding that the bill was drawn up by Democrats. But one person I talked to, who declined to be named while discussing this, disputed that there is a draft floating around. It looks like the court fight is winding down. A couple counties have settled on the anti-county line lawsuit that preceded Andy Kim’s Senate campaign and accompanying lawsuit, signaling that the rest of this fight is more likely to play out in the Legislature than in court. Unfortunately, Bucco's comments give us no idea of what might actually be in the bill. TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Jimmy Carter QUOTE OF THE DAY: ““These are not the Judy Blume books of my youth. These are not typical coming of age books. These are coming of age books, if you catch my drift.” — Assemblymember Dawn Fantasia while testifying against the “Freedom to Read Act.” (I stuck with the “o” and single-”m” spelling of that word because this is a family newsletter.) WHERE’S MURPHY? At Hoboken High at 2:15 p.m. to attend an AP U.S. Government and Politics class at 2:15 p.m. to promote allowing 16-year-olds to vote in school board elections, and to presumably learn more about the Bill of Rights.
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SETON HELL — Seton Hall board member who raised concerns about misconduct resigns after threats, by POLITICO’s Dustin Racioppi: A high-ranking official at Seton Hall University resigned Friday, citing threats after he raised concerns about the school’s handling of misconduct complaints against members of its governing board. The resignation of Kevin Flood from the Board of Regents comes amid a whistleblower lawsuit against the university by its former president, Joseph Nyre. Nyre’s core complaints focus on the alleged behavior of former board Chair Kevin Marino, a well-known attorney who has represented Donald Trump’s former campaign manager and the New Jersey lobbyist and lawyer Philip Norcross in an alleged racketeering scheme. … Nyre accuses Marino of sexually harassing his wife and interfering with a school investigation into embezzlement at its law school, among other things. Marino, who is not named in Nyre’s suit, has denied the allegations and a university-commissioned report by an outside law firm found “no evidence” to support the harassment claim or that the university “intentionally ignored or diminished” such allegations.
In his resignation letter obtained by POLITICO, Flood does not specifically refer to those allegations but attached a December 2023 letter he sent to Cardinal Joseph Tobin, the archbishop of the Newark diocese, that includes dates and details matching Nyre’s allegations. … Since sending that letter to Tobin, Flood said, “I received much individual ire from fellow Regents and was out of a Board meeting. Moreover, I’ve been threatened with litigation, applied for indemnification and incurred my own legal expenses — all for simply mustering the courage to seek answers and fulfill mandated reporting requirements.” YOU WOKE UP THIS MORNING, READ YOURSELF SOME PUNS — “Opinion: NJ irony: Kim goes full 'Sopranos' while Norcross seeks dismissal,” by The Record’s Charles Stile: “In his first television ad for the November election, Rep. Andy Kim, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate and crafty Mr. Magoo of New Jersey politics, is behind the wheel of a car, pensively driving along a path of return similar to that of fictitious New Jersey mobster Tony Soprano in the iconic opening of ‘The Sopranos.’ … But Kim's ad was released last week amid a backdrop of Jersey irony. While Kim was spoofing the fictitious mob boss, New Jersey's most feared political boss was back in court, pushing against the notion that he was the kingpin of a political crew that relied on extortion, coercion and other unsavory tactics to exploit millions in state-issued tax incentives for themselves and ‘friends.’ … Kim rose to an improbable nomination this year, driven in part by Democratic voters' disgust and fatigue with their party's machinery and its kingpins, like Norcross, who have operated their own New Jersey business-political practice with impunity for decades. In the spring, they rose up and rejected the party machine choice, first lady Tammy Murphy, and rallied behind the first significant change to the moribund system in decades. Kim's dispatch of the long-coveted county line on New Jersey ballots is, in the grand scheme of things, a technical step. … It suggests that maybe a silent majority of voters no longer want to surrender their politics to a few unelected party bosses who run the table in Trenton.” KIM THWACKS MURPHY — “Andy Kim anti-corruption ad shows Drumthwacket. Was that a shot at Murphy?” by New Jersey Globe’s Zach Blackburn: “And while some of the landmarks used in The Sopranos are seen, the campaign added its own flair: B-roll footage of New Jersey’s statehouse and Drumthwacket, the governor’s mansion, is also featured in the TV advertisement. Political admakers typically sweat out every shot in a 30-second TV ad. The relationship between Kim and Gov. Phil Murphy appears coarse from the outside … Kim said Sunday afternoon that he didn’t take a close enough look at the ad to notice the inclusion of the governor’s residence and that the b-roll wasn’t a dig toward the governor … Micah Rasmussen, the director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University, said the inclusion of Drumthwacket in the ad was likely purposeful, but it could have more to do with Kim’s fight against the state’s political establishment than any personal rivalries.” REGAN WARNS OF THE PERILS OF COMMUNISM — 'Freedom to Read Act' poised for final passage, by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: Seemingly following the school calendar, the culture wars returned to center stage Monday in Trenton following a summer break. The Senate Education Committee approved the “Freedom to Read Act” by a vote of 3-2 with the support of school librarians, school administrators, students and civil rights organizations, following the bill’s June passage in the Assembly. The bill, which creates a universal process for districts to vet school library books and provides civil and criminal protection to librarians, is now teed up for a final vote in the Senate … Lauren Albrecht, director of advocacy and organizing for Garden State Equality, claimed the groups were using “dog whistles” to remove books that will help young LGBTQ students with “feelings of self-worth” while promoting tolerance towards them. “No amount of LGBTQ books on shelves will make straight children become LGBTQ,” Albrecht said … Some opponents limited their testimony to books like “This Book is Gay” and “Gender Queer” that describe or show illustrations of sex acts. But others were more sweeping in their condemnation. “We do not agree with an anti-God communist agenda being pushed on America’s children. America is a judeo-Chrisitan nation and the God of Abraham, Jacob and Isaac does not make mistakes, and he has not created children that are born in the wrong body,” said Lorraine Regan, who identified herself as a parent. UP IN SMOKE — Scutari shoots down casino smoking ‘in its present form’, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: Senate President Nick Scutari on Monday said he does not plan to post a bill to ban smoking in casinos as-is for a Senate vote. The remarks come after efforts to ban smoking in casinos via lawsuits have been unsuccessful, with the focus back on lawmakers to address the matter. When asked whether he would advance the smoking bill by reporters on Monday, Scutari said: “Probably not in its present form, but we're always open to discussions.” He added that “I haven't ruled it out completely,” but that he doesn’t know if there are enough votes to have it pass. BUT I WAS TOLD MARIJUANA IS A GATEWAY DRUG — Drug overdose deaths are dropping across North Jersey. Examining the numbers and why, by The Record’s Lori Comstock: Drug overdose deaths in New Jersey have seen a steady decline over the past year, swiftly surpassing a national decrease and showing signs that efforts to slow the spread of the illicit drug supply have improved, recent state and federal data shows. Statistics compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that the predicted number of overdose deaths in the Garden State was 2,547 during a 12-month period from April 2023 to April 2024. The agency's predicted counts reported in the spring, the latest data available, provide the most accurate numbers, but they are still preliminary. The number of deaths shows a marked drop of 14% from April 2023, when federal data showed 2,972 drug-related deaths in New Jersey … The drop in overdose deaths in New Jersey is a major reversal from recent years, as officials in Morris and Sussex counties reported in 2021 a stunning surge in drug overdoses, attributing the spikes to the stressors and isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic” SCOTSONJ — Senate approves Hoffman nomination to Supreme Court, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: The state Senate on Monday unanimously approved John Hoffman to be New Jersey’s next state Supreme Court justice, Gov. Phil Murphy’s final pick to the state’s highest court. Hoffman's nomination was one of the key items for the Statehouse to address this fall, after Murphy announced his intention to put him on the high court in June. The Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to approve Hoffman last week was largely effusive, with only one state lawmaker asking the nominee a question. —“How NJ lawmakers plan to fix imbalances in state contracting” —“Still ‘stranded and struggling,’ Ida survivors plead for aid” —Sauickie: “Steve Sweeney Created the mess he wants to fix —again” —“Here’s how much tolls could go up on these Delaware River bridges” —“Five more mayors pledge to back Gottheimer for governor”
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THE PORT ANARCHY OF NY AND NJ — 11th-hour negotiations reported in ports labor dispute, by POLITICO’s Sam Ogozalek: With hours to go before a threatened strike by East and Gulf coast dockworkers, the group representing shippers and terminal operators said Monday afternoon that last-minute negotiations have been progressing — raising the prospect that a walkout might be avoided … in an update sent to reporters around 6 p.m. Monday, USMX said it and the ILA had traded counter-offers related to wages in the past 24 hours. USMX said it increased its offer and requested that the current contract be extended “now that both sides have moved off their previous positions.” The ILA didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. “We are hopeful that this could allow us to fully resume collective bargaining around the other outstanding issues — in an effort to reach an agreement,” USMX said. The alliance said its offer would increase wages by nearly 50 percent, triple employer contributions to worker retirement plans, strengthen health care options and retain current language around “automation and semi-automation.”
— “NY, NJ ports brace for strike by dockworkers Tuesday that could disrupt supply chain” BUSTING THE CAP — Ways and Means chair expects higher cap on state and local deductions, by POLITICO’s Benjamin Guggenheim: House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith expects next year’s big tax debate to result in a higher cap on state and local tax deductions, he said Monday. “I would say definitely a higher cap,” Smith (R-Mo.) said on CNBC's "Squawk Box. “If you look at the SALT cap that was passed in 2017, it had a marriage penalty. Republicans are supposed to be the party of families. There should not be a marriage penalty.” The remarks are as clear an indication as any that former President Donald Trump holds significant sway over the big tax negotiations, which are set to take place in 2025 and involve $4.6 trillion worth of expiring provisions from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. —“Doug Emhoff will raise money in N.J. on Saturday” —“Gottheimer wants to strengthen poll worker protections”
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I’M STARTING WITH THE MAN IN THE BLACK MIRROR — “Charade or bad memory? Lawyers at odds over passcode on Paterson councilman’s cell,” by The Paterson Press’ Joe Malinconico: “The Attorney General’s Office on Monday accused city Councilman Michael Jackson of intentionally defying a court order by not providing state investigators with the passcode for his cellphone. The Attorney General’s Office seized Jackson’s phone more than 16 months ago as part of a probe looking at allegations of witness tampering in the state's 2020 election fraud case against him. But investigators have not been able to get access to the contents of the phone, even after Jackson gave them what he said he thought were its possible passcodes. ‘We think that Mr. Jackson still knows his passcode and this is all a charade to ignore your honor’s order,’ Frank Valdinoto, deputy chief of the Corruption Bureau in the attorney general's Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, said during a court hearing Monday afternoon in Paterson. Jackson’s lawyer, Scott Finckenauer, said Jackson simply couldn’t remember the code for his phone."
TOMS RIVER — “Toms River mayor: Don't bring homeless people here; use affordable housing money to help,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Jean Mikle: “Could money from the township's affordable housing trust fund be used to find shelter for the homeless? Mayor Daniel Rodrick and his administration are pursuing the idea, hoping to use at least some of the $9 million in the fund to help house a homeless population that has been living in the woods and hanging out in the township's downtown area. The mayor said township officials have been in discussions with the state Department of Community Affairs, as well as the Fair Share Housing Center, the advocacy group that enforces the state's affordable housing requirements. … The mayor brought up the ongoing negotiations with Fair Share in response to criticism from advocates about his threat to sue Ocean County if the county followed through with plans to put a Code Blue warming center in a county-owned building on Route 9. A dispute with homeless advocacy group Just Believe Inc. means the Code Blue shelter operated for the past seven years at township-owned Riverwood Park will not reopen this year. Rodrick said that it is unfair for Toms River to carry the burden of the county's homeless population.” — Dockworkers go on strike — “Asbury Park schools cut per-pupil cost; here's how they compare with NJ” —“Union City vows crackdown on illegal short-term rentals” —“Remembering Freehold Raceway as iconic N.J. track prepares to shut down” —“State test scores highlight ongoing need to support Newark Public Schools student academic recovery” —“Hoboken union sues city alleging that contract was violated over terms of 2020 rehire” |
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