Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing: 4/15/2024
Below is Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing:
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “It’s rare to see any bill attract this much opposition. Republicans and Democrats, young and old, Black, Hispanic and white: nobody thinks this is a good idea.” – FDU Polling Director Dan Cassino on the OPRA overhaul bill
TOP STORY: Murphy: (Tammy) ‘Had a Path’
Governor Murphy addressed the First Lady’s exit from the Democratic Senate primary, saying she ‘had a path’ but had party unity in mind when she bowed out, calling it a ‘tough call’ and that she ‘took the high road’. Speaking about the county line, Murphy said its ‘ridiculous the type of air time its gotten‘ while defending county organizations as part of a broader element of the Democratic Party.
A federal appeals panel appeared skeptical of arguments defending the state’s ballot design, and sharply questioned defenders, according to Politico NJ.
The Governor touted the state’s AI efforts ahead of his Silicon Valley trip, according to the Bergen Record.
The NJMVC has a $50M budget hole, according to NJ.com.
Permits to carry guns in the state skyrocketed from 600 to 20,000, according to the Asbury Park Press.
The NJ Transit fare hike doesn’t fix the agency’s money problems, according to NJ.com.
Families will get quicker special education hearings under a new federal settlement, according to NJ.com.
Unemployment claims in the state increased last week, according to MyCentralJersey.
Gas prices in the state are set to increase, according to NJ.com.
Ocean County established a ‘Homelessness Trust Fund Task Force’, according to the Asbury Park Press.
A state planning study may cost Sussex County $100k, according to NJ Herald.
ICYMI: Majority reject OPRA changes; animosity growing around Sussex’s Hayden; as state wrestles with ballot decision, appeals rejected stay request, Republicans filed lawsuit to expand ruling to GOP ballots; ballot system brought to electoral maturity; poll shows Dems support Rep. Kim; Quraishi ruled the county line unconstitutional
Rep. Kim raised over $3M in the first quarter of 2024 towards his Senate campaign.
In CD8, experts weighed in on the ‘street fight’ race between Rep. Menendez and Mayor Bhalla, according to TAPinto. Menendez has over $1M COH, according to Hudson County View.
Jersey City Mayor Fulop hosted Rep. Kim for a Senate town hall, according to Hudson County View.
Monmouth County Democratic Chair Brown won’t seek re-election, according to NJ Globe.
The Haledon council endorsed Chief Adamo for Passaic County sheriff and endorsed Commissioners Bartlett and Lazzara and commissioner candidate De Vore. 2022 GOP sheriff candidate Mason Maher and 2022 GOP commissioner candidates Oswald and Cruz endorsed former Sheriff Speziale and his slate.
ICYMI: Sherrill trouncing other 2025 guv Dems; Zisa stepping down; Ciattarelli launched guv candidacy; Bramnick has question for Ciattarelli, Spadea; Bashaw declined to participate in debate; in CD3, Conaway, Murphy battle energized; don’t count out party boss influence just yet
Despite big changes, the Legislature still doesn’t reflect the state, according to NJ.com.
The NJEDA approved anchor tenants for the Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center.
ICYMI: Lawsuit filed alleging state ‘knowingly’ forced casino workers to work in second-hand smoke
Download and read Insider NJ’s annual Irish American New Jersey leaders list in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, compiled by Tom Barrett.
Insider NJ legal analyst Joe Hayden breaks down the legal issues of the day on the Julie Frees Show.
Leonard Lance discusses former President Trump on the Julie Briggs Show.
Beware the Ides of March: New Jersey and Rome.
Former Senator and Governor Richard J. Codey shares this thoughts on this year’s presidential race.
Download and read Insider NJ’s 2024 Advance and Insider NJ’s 2024 African-American List
In Hoboken, Democrats elected Councilman Quintero as their new Chair.
In Dunellen, the ‘Dunellen Future Together’ slate announced their council candidates.
In Jersey City, the council passed an ordinance for ranked choice voting. Mayor Fulop receives longevity pay on top of his salary as mayor, according to the Jersey Journal.
In Neptune, Acciani and McMillan will run for committee.
In Asbury Park, the banished superintendent is still owed $400k, according to the Asbury Park Press.
In Brigantine, the mayor says shore homes are at risk due to shrinking beaches, according to NJ.com.
In Cape May, the town is moving towards digitized parking records, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
In Flemington, the town will begin ‘critter counting’, according to TAPinto.
In High Bridge, a town hall on a proposed historic district will be held, according to NJ Hills.
In Lincoln Park, teachers will be laid off due to the $2M budget shortfall, according to the Daily Record.
In Margate, a developer allegedly increased the number of approved units at a development, according to Downbeach.
In Montclair, Councilor Russo addressed months-old allegations, according to TAPinto.
In Morris Plains, feral cats on Main Street were a subject of a board of health meeting, according to NJ Hills.
In Morristown, the council addressed a tax mixup, according to NJ Hills.
In Newark, enforcement of the youth curfew was delayed, according to TAPinto.
In North Wildwood, beach-goers will feel a squeeze, and no shade, according to Burlington County Times.
In Palisades Park, the clerk resigned, according to the Bergen Record.
In Parsippany, the budget will be introduced, according to TAPinto.
In Peapack-Gladstone, a 82-unit project is stalled, according to NJ Hills.
In Upper Township, a settlement was approved on a controversial winery, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
ICYMI: In Jefferson, AFP, Jersey 1st held an event; in Hoboken, Dems endorsed Kim and Bhalla, Chair Hodes resigned; in Trenton, officials hoping for Starbucks change of heart
In a guest column on Insider NJ, CD3 Democratic primary candidate Sarah Schoengood writes ‘Time for a Comprehensive Political Reform: The Unwanted Gatekeepers of New Jersey‘
Insider NJ columnist Bob Hennelly writes ‘Accountability Required for NJ and MD Port Workplace Deaths‘
In a guest column on Insider NJ, Griselda Camacho writes ‘We Need Latina Representation in New Jersey‘
In a guest column on Insider NJ, Bertin Lefkovic writes ‘A Progressive’s Defense of the Party Line Ballot‘
Insider NJ columnist Jay Lassiter writes ‘Tammy Murphy Dismisses Concern of her GOP Backstory: “I have a lot of friends in the LGBTQIA+ community”‘ and ‘Diving into Andy Kim’s BurlCo Drubbing of Tammy Murphy‘
AROUND THE WEB:
Pro-life will be the death of the Republican Party | Mulshine
Paul Mulshine, Star-Ledger
- The great H.L. Mencken memorably wrote “In human history, a moral victory is always a disaster.” He could have been talking about the triumph of the self-proclaimed “pro-life” movement in reversing Roe v. Wade.
Tom Kean’s cowardice on Ukraine | Moran
Tom Moran, Star-Ledger
- Rep. Tom Kean Jr. was once a firm supporter of Ukraine, and as chairman of a crucial subcommittee overseeing U.S. policy in Europe, he sponsored a bipartisan bill just six months ago that sent fresh shipments of artillery shells and air defense munitions to the front lines. “Now more than ever, Ukraine needs our help,” he said then.
Something’s rotten in Montclair | Editorial
Star-Ledger Editorial Board
- The township of Montclair just did something that we’ve almost never seen: Apparently, it tried to stifle a critic by slapping her with a subpoena. It’s outrageous behavior, an attack on her First Amendment rights, and the ultimate responsibility for the office sits with Mayor Sean Spiller, a man with ambitions to run for governor.
Why Jack Ciattarelli is running for governor again: Chat Box
NJ Spotlight
- Jack Ciattarelli announced his third gubernatorial run this week, promising to cut property taxes and bring Republican leadership back to New Jersey. On Chat Box, the former assemblyman tells David Cruz why this run is different from his previous campaigns for governor, his support for former President Donald Trump and more.
Fight over ‘county line’ back in court
Ted Goldberg, NJ Spotlight
- The controversial “county-line” system of ballot design for New Jersey’s primary elections looked all but dead, but legal challenges continued on Friday. Two weeks after a federal district judge tossed out the county line in New Jersey’s upcoming Democratic primary, the Camden County Democratic Committee led the fight to overturn that ruling in Philadelphia on Friday, as lawyers for both sides argued before the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals.
The push — and the need — for statewide participation in AI Hub from business community
Tom Bergeron, roi-nj.com
- The state’s well-chronicled history of innovation — along with Princeton University’s equally impressive connection to major computer science advances — made New Jersey and its premier university the only logical place to create an AI Hub on the East Coast.
Memorial for former Morristown Council President Sandi Mayer set for April 16
Kevin Coughlin, Morristown Green
- A celebration of Sandi Mayer’s life will be held on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, at 4:30 pm, at the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ in Whippany. Mayer, who was elected in 2019 to represent Morristown’s Fourth Ward and served one term, died unexpectedly earlier this week. The town council remembered her with a moment of silence at Tuesday’s meeting.
Optimism – and caution – at Princeton’s NJ AI Summit
Tom Bergeron, roi-nj.com
- Princeton’s “NJ AI Summit” welcomed a slew of experts and other speakers on campus Thursday to explore and predict how artificial intelligence would shape the future. Leading among them was Microsoft President Brad Smith, a 1981 Princeton graduate who compared AI’s potential impact to that of the printing press.
Safety worries after Rutgers’ Islamic Center vandalized
Melissa Rose Cooper, NJ Spotlight
- In interviews on the New Brunswick campus Thursday, Muslim college students at Rutgers University said they are feeling unsafe after the school’s Center for Islamic Life was vandalized.
Inmates claim access to phones unfair, call times too short — new prison oversight report
Colleen O’Dea, NJ Spotlight
- People incarcerated in New Jersey’s largest state prisons say they do not get fair access to make telephone calls or enough time on the calls and, in extreme cases, have lost telephone privileges for several years, according to a new report by the state’s prison oversight office.
Options for dog adoption at Trenton’s troubled animal shelter
LA Parker, The Trentonian
- Happy Sunday. With the weekend here, that means a Yardley, Pa. kennel received another near $14,000 check to house 65 City of Trenton dogs for another week. Cha-Ching!
Trenton government in desperate need of tank people
LA Parker, The Trentonian
- The Tank Man represents a nickname given to an unidentified individual, presumed to be a Chinese man, who stood in front of a column of Type 59 tanks leaving Tiananmen Square in Beijing on June 5, 1989.
Dead whale in New Jersey had a fractured skull among numerous injuries, experts find
Wayne Parry, Associated Press
- A postmortem examination of a whale that washed ashore on New Jersey’s Long Beach Island found that the animal had sustained numerous blunt force injuries including a fractured skull and vertebrae.
Murphy celebrates “a full week of declining numbers” then says “status quo of lockdown will remain until new cases and fatalities decrease.” So, which of Murphy’s statements is accurate? He said 2 opposite things in a single paragraph of speaking.
He;s “vacationing” at his villa in Italy, while Covid surges and the state is paralyzed by “remote work”…………translation: NO WORK
That is what happens in practicality when they are “suspending their disbelief” (HR Clinton) in real numbers and going on predictive models to make decisions. And then after doing that, they vote with “feelings.”
lmao imagine supporting lockdowns after the largest mass death event in american history and calling that a feeling driven conclusion? maga chuds never fail to disappoint
keeping up with the news
OK
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keeping up with the news
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Roofing In Brighton
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So….about those 56 machines in Bergen… <<>>
Murphy running for President is LAUGHABLE. Nased on what??
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Murphy doesn’t want to be the president, he wants to be a state trooper.
Nice article! thanks for sharing the post!
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lETS NOT FORGET that during the pandemic Donald Trump sent the MERCY, a fully equipped, COVID prepared Hospital ship to save lives of victims and healthcare workers . But Murphy in his wisdom would rather send Patients back to nursing homes that were ill-equipped to treat these patients so they could die , rather than utilize a life-saving gift and be like NY governor Cuomo, another anti-Trump
tool.
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Gun owners don’t have to talk about guns because they know that they have to come out and vote to protect their constitutional right to bear arms. The Supreme court decision has affirmed that right and somehow our “leaders” haven’t learned how to read.
NJ is one of the most corrupt and racist places to live. There’s “0” accountability for the criminal acts, corruption, and unfair treatment of the people of this state. It starts with our governor who cares less for truth and honesty. Continue to ruin the lives of the citizens of this state.
How about those unintended consequences.
New Jersey mandating that all cars being sold by 2035 be electric is telling us what we can or cannot buy with our own money. There will always be gasoline powered vehicles because of the power produced by internal combustion compared to the power produced by batteries; which is to say the more power the bigger the battery to the point of rediculousness. My thought is that if the state wants fewer gas powered vehicles on the road it should create a mass transit electric powered system that would emphasize convenience for commuters and everyday shoppers. Of course that would mean vehicles weighing tons more because of the size of batteries and that creates a whole other question of where to dispose of them (also for elelectric car batteries), since they are composed of highly toxic materials that can’t be burnt or buried. These are unintended consequences no- one is willing to grapple with until its too late. I think by 2035 th he electric car fantasy will go the same way the offshore wind farm has gone.
Stephen Brickman
206 Stonehenge Dr
Phillipsburg,NJ 08865
Stephen.Brickman@gmail.com
Sent from my iPhone
The military serving in the Middle East represents every state in the Union. Those are our sons and daughters, Moms and Dads and yet we are very little to protect them, or REALLY retaliate when they’re attacked. Governor Murphy is the Chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, and past chair of the National Governors Association and yet you never hear him mention about any requests either organization makes to Biden to be more aggressive about protecting our kids in harms way. It’s as though it doesn’t seem to matter to them. No wonder we look so weak to the rest of the world.
Teaneck property taxes pays for the school budget. Teaneck High School students walk out. Is a Hamas military shuffle march property tax bill included?
I’m a conservative and I do believe life begins at conception but the problem is that each mother is responsible for that life and it is in the realm of her mental and physical health that she will either bring it to term or abort it. This should not be a political decision and should not be be dictated by thousand of strangers. The Supreme Court turned it over to the states but it still remains personal for the mother and her family.
I don’t think it should be an “agenda item” for any political party. A state medical society may want to impose a time frame within which an abortion can occur but even that may be subject to the mother’s doctor’s discretion.
I say just quit discussing it and leave it up to the mother a father.
Voting should be based on understanding what’s actually happening and knowing who would make life safer and more livable. The only way to do that is to get both sides of the information remembering there are always two sides to a story. Mainstream media in my area includes the Star Ledger and the Easton Express. If you look at the bylines of the opinions you will find writers from the Washington Post and Bloomberg, both notoriously on the left. Even the political cartoons are a dead giveaway. CNN and CNBC are also left leaning. So what are the options for getting opinions and news from the right? Fortunately cable news has Fox, which is near center, and Newsmax, and NewsNation which are full right. Watching these even just occasionally will show a much broader picture and give the reader more information with which to make an informed voting decision. And remember you DONT have to vote party if you feel there’s a wiser choice.
The governor signed off on having Narcan available in all schools grades 9 through 12. But what about the idea
of having Narcan available in ALL SCHOOLS in New Jersey?
How’s his for an idea? Uncover the identities of the un-elected advisors to Pres. Biden, and publish their names. That way there is actually someone to blame when we lose valuable lives from unanswered attacks by terrorist organizations. We know Biden isn’t making these decisions on his own. My guess is that these advisors will quit the team rather than take the heat for poor decisions, revealing a big weakness in this administration. It might lead to improvements to the decision-making process.
Note to Concealed Carry permit holders: make sure you subscribe to one of the insurance companies that specialize in CCP, ie: US LAW SHIELD. If you ever have to fire your weapon , that has to be the first phone call you make. The second is 911, the third is your family. With so many new permit holders there will probably be an increase in discharges until word gets out that it’s actually unsafe for criminals to be in New Jersey and crime will take a nosedive.
Now unless you have a conviction in your background you can get that CCP and really defend yourself and your family. And more women are applying which is great for family defense. The stats that record gun violence will have to be re-organized into guns used for crime and guns used to prevent crime. A lot of get-always here because sometimes just brandishing a firearm is enough to stop a crime. But it should be reported anyway..
The liability limits for taxi cabs are extreme starting July 1. It was a plan in place through the insurance banking committee and it was abruptly changed with an amendment. The guys are barely making a living today and you’ve increased their insurance. What’s fair is fair and this is not it was an incremental increase, which was fair, and was removed by the governor please refer back to the original plan