Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing: 9/27/2023
Below is Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing:
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “It’s over. He’s not even in hospice. The priest is there. It’s just looking at the clock to get to last rites.” – A North Jersey operative on Senator Menendez
TOP STORY: Booker Calls on Menendez to Resign
The state’s minimum wage is set to surpass the $15/hour target set by the Governor.
The state’s ANCHOR Outreach Team is knocking on doors to assist residents in applying for property tax relief.
Senator Cory Booker called for the resignation of his colleague Senator Menendez following the corruption charges against him; Booker called the allegations ‘shocking’ and ‘hard to reconcile with the person I know’, but added that New Jerseyans faith and trust in the state’s senior Senator has been ‘shaken to the core‘. and that ‘stepping down is best for those Senator Menendez has spent his life serving’.
Senator Menendez thought he was untouchable – until he wasn’t, according to Politico.
A Monmouth University poll finds former President Trump still dominating the GOP presidential primary field.
High school sports participation is on the rise in North Jersey and beyond, according to the Bergen Record.
The owner of the halal meat company accused of bribing Senator Menendez pleaded not guilty, according to Hudson County View.
Experts are alarmed by claims that Senator Menendez eased military aid to Egypt, according to NJ Monitor.
The Rutgers Senate voted no confidence in President Holloway, according to the Bergen Record.
Transgender care is growing in the state, according to NJ Spotlight.
Middlesex County hosted its annual business summit.
Senator Booker introduced the ‘Prescription Information Modernization Act’.
Rep. Gottheimer addressed the looming potential government shutdown and the negative impact it would have on the state, while side-stepping a question on whether he would run for Senate next year.
Rep. Menendez highlighted a $59M DOT grant for the Point-No-Point Bridge replacement.
ICYMI: Menendez: ‘court of public opinion is no substitute for our justice system‘, prepares for ‘biggest fight yet‘, stopped short of saying he’ll run again; US Attorney announced indictments, Menendez coming out swinging, while stepping down as Foreign Relations chair; Dems condemn amid behind-the-scenes messaging pushing and shoving; Murphy called for immediate resignation, Menendez: ‘not going anywhere‘; Gottheimer railed against Light Rail delay
First Lady Tammy Murphy is being approached to enter the Senate race, according to NJ.com. Jersey City Mayor and gubernatorial candidate Steve Fulop says the First Lady would ‘be a good Senator‘, according to Hudson County View.
NJ Citizen Action released legislative endorsements.
The NJGOP released a statement on next year’s GOP primary, saying ‘we are forced to re-examine our selection process’.
Somerset County GOP Chairman Howes opposes a proposal to eliminate the state’s GOP presidential primary next year.
Burlington County GOP Chairman Earlen opposes a proposal to eliminate the state’s GOP presidential primary next year.
ELEC reports that heavy spending in 2021 led to two of the top ten most costly races of all time.
In CD6, Rep. Pallone is eying the Senate seat, according to NJ.com.
In LD4, the GOP candidates slammed Assemblyman Moriarty over the Orsted bailout.
In LD27, GOP Senate candidate Byrne accepted a debate invitation from the League of Women Voters.
ICYMI: Dems fear Menendez repercussions; Malinowski circulating for Senate; Van Drew is looking at Senate; in CD3, all eyes on Murphy as Kim revvs up Senate run; amid leadership moves on Senate seat w/ accelerated timeline, Kim announced candidacy, Hamm announced candidacy, Menendez troubles shapes futures of others; questions arise for 2024, 2023 battleground implications; in CD8, Rep. Menendez could be imperiled
The state’s fiscal outlook is uncertain, according to NJ Spotlight.
Former Senate President Sweeney applauded Governor Murphy’s selection of NJDOT Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti as his next Chief of Staff.
ICYMI: Helmy will depart; environmentalists demanding bear hunt end; Fiordaliso passed away
Download and read Insider NJ’s Gaming, Sports, and Entertainment special edition publication.
Senator Menendez’s stepping down as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a highly-influential position, shows a crack in New Jersey’s foreign policy apparatus.
A Senator Menendez’s political career stands on a ledge, its instructive to go back to his self-described humble beginnings in Union City, where he was first elected to office on the BOE in the 1970s.
Compliance Corner: Here’s an initial assessment on how the Elections Transparency Act is changing the state’s political landscape.
Download and read Insider NJ’s 2023 Labor publication, Insider NJ’s 2023 Insider 100: Policymakers publication, Insider NJ’s FY2024 Budget special edition publication, and Insider NJ’s Out 100: LGBT Power List, compiled by Jay Lassiter.
Take a look at Insider NJ’s 2023 All-Inclusive Power Packages for our publications and specials editions this year.
In Paterson, former Mayor Torres was indicted for allegedly launching a mayoral bid last year in defiance of a court order. Mayor Sayegh welcomed a new economic development team. AG Platkin released a strategic plan for the Police Department.
In Verona, a teacher was charged with sexually assaulting a student.
In Atlantic City, the CRDA will hire armed security for the office, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
In Bernardsville, the town killed the business improvement district, according to NJ Hills.
In Bridgewater, the town is fighting the opioid epidemic, according to TAPinto.
In Caldwell, a downtown redevelopment plan was introduced, according to NJ Hills.
In Califon, the town is considering a joint flooding solution with Tewksbury, according to NJ Hills.
In Chester, officials are hopeful of Glenlora project progress by the year’s end, according to NJ Hills.
In Long Hill, improved police operations are underway, according to NJ Hills.
In Middle, there’s a new step towards a deal in the complicated redevelopment area, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
In Montclair, the clerk missed OPRA deadlines, according to NorthJersey.com.
In Summit, former Mayor Dickson passed away, according to TAPinto.
In Totowa, the Little Sisters of the Poor exited the town, according to NorthJersey.com.
In Warren, the town is combatting anti-Semitism through a resolution, according to NJ Hills.
ICYMI: In New Brunswick, judge ruled against Kratovil; in Prospect Park, Khairullah joined federal lawsuit; in White, no vote or public comment on warehouse; in New Brunswick, AG Platkin avoided taking side in press case; in Hanover, court blocked notification policy
In a guest column on Insider NJ, Matthew Kazmierczak writes ‘GOP’s Parental Rights Campaign Hides Behind Extremism‘
Insider NJ columnist Alan Steinberg writes ‘Rock Stars Sherrill and Franchetti Versus the Vile Stupor of Tuberville‘
Insider NJ columnist Jay Lassiter writes ‘NJ Democrats Stand for Nothing. But Vote for Them Anyway (because the Republicans are Worse)‘
Insider NJ columnist Bob Hennelly writes ‘A Reckoning 42 Years in the Making‘
Insider NJ columnist Carl Golden writes ‘Strongarming The Media‘
AROUND THE WEB:
Menendez faces electoral challenges amid corruption scandal
David Cruz, NJ Spotlight
- The indictment of Sen. Bob Menendez on bribery and corruption charges set in motion a chain reaction that reached South Jersey, where U.S. Rep. Andy Kim (D-3rd) announced he would challenge Menendez in an election primary. Kim said that since Menendez won’t go on his own, he is compelled to challenge him.
Opinion: Menendez may lose first round but fight is far from over
Carl Golden, NJ Spotlight
- The refusal of U. S. Sen. Bob Menendez to “go gently into that good night” following his indictment on federal corruption charges comes as no surprise to the inhabitants of New Jersey’s political/media universe.
Christie says ‘no’ to a race which he couldn’t win
Matt Rooney, Save Jersey
- Ominous battleground polling isn’t dissuading Chris Christie from his presidential ambitions, but in the off chance you were wondering, he’s not interested in joining the scrum for Bob Menendez’s seat. “No, I have no interest in being in the United States Senate,” Christie told Meet the Press on Sunday, adding that he could’ve appointed himself in 2013 after Frank Lautenberg died but declined to do so.
Another name surfaces as potential Menendez successor: New Jersey’s first lady
Matt Friedman, Politico
- As First Lady of New Jersey, Tammy Murphy has had a much more hands-on role than her predecessors, taking on a policy portfolio, occupying an office in Trenton and becoming her husband’s lead fundraiser.
It’s official: Sanofi division is coming to South Street in Morristown
Kevin Coughlin, Morristown Green
- Now it’s official: Sanofi’s Consumer Healthcare division is coming to South Street in Morristown next year. The move, reported by Morristown Green in March, is the smaller piece of a relocation that will see the French pharma giant bring its New Jersey flagship office from Bridgewater to M Station West, a seven-story building going up at Morris and Spring streets.
With D-8 congressional race looming, Bhalla says Senator Menendez should resign
John Heinis, Hudson County View
- After revealing that he may run for 8th District congressional seat currently occupied by U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez, Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla is joining the chorus of calls for U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) to resign.
Why N.J. ordered Deptford to revise its unpaid-meal policy
Melanie Burney, Philadelphia Inquirer
- The Deptford School District landed in hot water this month after announcing it would crack down on unpaid school lunch accounts. The state ordered the South Jersey district last week to immediately suspend the policy, under which students were served peanut butter and jelly or cheese sandwiches, and were restricted from certain school activities, until bills were paid, The school board voted to rescind the policy.
Jeremy Roebuck and Andrew Seidman, Philadelphia Inquirer
- Bob Menendez has faced potentially career-ending federal bribery allegations before and emerged unscathed — a fact that New Jersey’s senior U.S. senator touted Monday in his first public remarks on the indictment filed against him last week.
Bob Menendez is running a playbook that looks like Donald Trump’s. Can it work?
Katie Sobko, NorthJersey.com
- For the second time in a decade, Sen. Bob Menendez was indicted on Friday morning. Alongside his wife and three New Jersey businessmen, the state’s senior senator was accused of being part of a bribery scheme with payoffs ranging from cash and cars to no-show jobs and literal gold bars.
Daysi Calavia-Robertson, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
- La ropa sucia se lava en casa. It’s an old Spanish saying, well-known among Hispanics, which translates roughly to “don’t air your dirty laundry in public.” The idiom’s also what best describes what Latino leaders in New Jersey had to say about disgraced U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, who just days ago, and for the second time in 8 years, was indicted on a litany of federal corruption charges.
How many new neighbors are too many new neighbors? | Quigley
Joan Quigley, For The Jersey Journal
- How many new neighbors can you tolerate? Whether you live in a one- or two-family house or an older apartment, chances are you are pretty comfortable with those who live nearby. Even when you can’t speak the language of the folks next door, you nod and smile and swap the mis-delivered mail.
Ruling upholds sanction for prosecutorial misconduct in Gloucester County
Jim Walsh, Cherry Hill Courier-Post
- A Gloucester County assistant prosecutor “compromised” the integrity of the criminal justice system by withholding important information from a defense attorney, a state appeals court has ruled. The assistant prosecutor, Sarah Spanarkel, did not properly disclose to the defense that the alleged victim in an assault case was refusing to testify against her accused attacker, the ruling says.
Indicted Menendez playing race card is utterly despicable
Jeff Deminski, NJ 1015
- The historic nature of it is shocking. For the first time in American history, a sitting United States senator has been indicted twice. The hubris of it is stunning. Indicted U.S. Senator Bob Menendez is playing the race card. You’ve heard the story by now. This time it’s abuse of power, sharing sensitive information with the abusive, authoritarian nation of Egypt, accepting bribes for political favors, etc., all alleged by prosecutors after a years-long federal probe.
Nancy Pelosi: ‘It would probably be a good idea if [Senator Menendez] did resign’
John Heinis, Hudson County View
- In an interview on MSNBC’s “Inside with Jen Psaki” last night, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, said that given the current political climate, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) should resign given the severity of the allegations in his indictment.
What if the road from Tuckerton to Atlantic City was built?
Joe Martucci, Press of Atlantic City
- Today, it’s a nearly untouched portion of New Jersey, but it could have been filled with houses, lagoons, businesses and the constant hum of human activity during the summer. Narrow Great Bay Boulevard, also known as Seven Bridges Road, meanders through the marshes of Little Egg Harbor Township.
Why N.J. ordered Deptford to revise its unpaid-meal policy
Melanie Burney, Philadelphia Inquirer
- The Deptford School District landed in hot water this month after announcing it would crack down on unpaid school lunch accounts. The state ordered the South Jersey district last week to immediately suspend the policy, under which students were served peanut butter and jelly or cheese sandwiches, and were restricted from certain school activities, until bills were paid, The school board voted to rescind the policy.
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
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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.
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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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