Read Murphy’s lips: No new taxes

From: POLITICO New Jersey Playbook - Friday Jan 13,2023 11:56 am

Jan 13, 2023

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Happy Friday the 13th to all who observe!

Gov. Phil Murphy is expected to give his budget speech next month, but he gave us a preview yesterday of what we could expect.

In an interview with Bloomberg, the governor promised that there will be “absolutely no new taxes” — presumably as part of his Fiscal Year 2024 budget proposal, although he did not say explicitly — and said New Jerseyans should expect “significant tax cuts.”

The remarks come just a day after Murphy predicted choppy economic waters ahead with a “short-lived recession.” The state’s tax collections, while on the upswing in the first quarter of the fiscal year, are expected to moderate.

Looming over all of this is the fact that all 120 seats in the state Legislature will be up for grabs this fall, and it’s hard to imagine Democrats have an appetite for major tax increase. But we’ll see where the budget lands (hopefully) by July 1.

DAYS SINCE MURPHY REFUSED TO SAY WHETHER HIS WIFE’S NON-PROFIT SHOULD DISCLOSE DONORS: 342

TIPS? FEEDBACK? FAN MAIL? Email me at Dhan@politico.com or follow me on Twitter @Danieljhan_. Hate mail still goes to mfriedman@politico.com.

WHERE’S MURPHY? — In Trenton for a bill signing event at 11 a.m.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Assemblymembers KEVIN ROONEY and WILLIAM SAMPSON, comms consultant BRUNO TEDESCHI, NJAA’s NICHOLE LOPRESTI, former LoBiondo COS JASON GALANES. Sunday (1/15), Assemblyman THOMAS GIBLIN, Greenwald adviser CHRIS SUMMERHAYES and former Pallone COS JEFF CARROLL. Monday (1/16), Mercury’s RANDY MINNIEAR, Greenwald Aide/Assembly Majority Office staffer SARAH BALLENTINE, Porzio Government Affairs’ REBECCA LUBOT and the New Jersey League of Municipalities’ PAUL PENNA.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: New Jersey Playbook won't publish on Monday in recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “[M]aybe he should leave the tequila and crudités in Pennsylvania — Jersey is more of a pizza and bagels kind of state.” — Executive Director of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee Saily Avelenda on Dr. Oz running for office in New Jersey.

TWEET OF THE DAY: “The Mayor of Atlantic City: dressed as a TRANSFORMER (!) kicks off his "transformative" State of the City speech.” — @ActualAlexZ

A message from the New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association:

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WHAT TRENTON MADE

CROSSING THE LINE — “Turner comes out in support of abolishing county lines,” by The New Jersey Globe’s Joey Fox: “Few things are more emblematic of New Jersey politics than the county organization line. In almost every county in the state, both parties gather before the primary to decide on their preferred candidate, and with the help of favorably designed ballots, those candidates almost always win. But one of the longest-serving legislators in the state, State Sen. Shirley Turner (D-Lawrence), said today that she supports ending the county line system and bringing more truly competitive primaries to New Jersey. ‘People now are more open to competitiveness in politics, and not just having a party decide who the candidate’s going to be,’ Turner said. ‘Let the people decide. … The constitutionality of the line is currently under review in a federal court case, though it’s not known how soon that case might be resolved. Turner said that she would support the court ruling against the line – again, an unusual position for a sitting politician to take.’”

— NJ Globe: “Altman: Turner should push for legislation banning county lines”

TAX TALK — “'Working remotely is here to stay': NJ considering new tax break for hybrid offices,” by The Record’s Dan Munoz: “New Jersey officials say they're contemplating a new tax break designed to lure companies interested in having their staff work from home rather than in the office full time. Teased by Gov. Phil Murphy in his State of the State address Tuesday, the proposal is still under development and would require approval from state lawmakers. It's an attempt to align the state's incentive programs with a new post-pandemic reality where employees expect flexible work schedules, said Tim Sullivan, CEO of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. ‘There's economic opportunity for New Jersey residents to get good jobs in remote or hybrid work settings, and as long as those people are paying New Jersey taxes, then there's a framework whereby it makes sense to incentive them,’ he said in an interview.”

COURTING OLDER PEOPLE FOR THE COURTS — “Raising the retirement age for N.J. judges is only a temporary fix,” by The Star Ledger Editorial Board: “Our state judiciary has been in triage mode since the pandemic began, with the number of backlogged court cases soaring past 94,400 as of last month, largely because of judicial vacancies. … Some lawmakers from the state Senate, which is responsible for confirming the governor’s nominees to the bench, have decided that a temporary solution is to give the overstretched judges who have reached the mandatory retirement age of 70 the option to work until they’re 75. … But given the desperate state of our judiciary, this proposal has the qualified approval of Chief Justice Stuart Rabner, who said Wednesday that ‘raising the mandatory retirement age for judges is an idea worth careful consideration, and we are ready to assist the other branches in examining the issue.’”

MERCER: Mercer County Democratic Chair Janice S. Mironov is dismissing the possibility of an Assembly run. "Have no such plans,” Mironov, who has also served as the longtime Mayor of East Windsor, said in a text when asked about taking on a bid for the Legislature. Mironov’s name has been brought up amid speculation that she would be interested in running for Assembly, with Assemblymember Dan Benson (D-Mercer) leaving his Assembly post to challenge incumbent Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes. Mironov has not publicly endorsed the fight between Benson and Hughes, although most other East Windsor Democrats have backed Benson.

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THE WHALE IN THE ROOM — “Dead whales washing up is ‘tragic,’ Murphy says. N.J. probing whether offshore wind is to blame,” by NJ Advance Media’s Brent Johnson: “Gov. Phil Murphy said Wednesday it’s ‘tragic’ that six dead whales have washed up on the New York-New Jersey coastline over the last five weeks and said officials are examining whether offshore wind development has played a role. Asked during a radio interview if he’s looking into those concerns, Murphy said: ‘We are.’ ‘It’s tragic. It’s just awful,’ the Democratic governor said during his regular call-in show on WBGO in Newark. ‘We take it seriously.’ Most recently, a dead 30-foot humpback whale washed ashore in Atlantic City on Jan. 7, blocks from where another was found on Dec. 23. It was the sixth whale found in the region in 33 days. Activists on Monday held a news conference demanding a federal investigation into whether work developing offshore wind turbine has contributed to the deaths. Clean Ocean Action, a Long Branch-based non-profit, called for President Joe Biden to pause offshore wind development to assess the possible harm to marine life.”

— Wall Street Journal Editorial Board: “Why Does New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy Hate Charter Schools?”

— Golden: “In Legislative Election Year, Budget Negotiations will be Intense”

— POLITICO: Statewide tutoring program bill continues to take shape despite questions from education advocates

— POLITICO: Senate committee moves Ruiz bill package that aims to boost participation in school meal programs

— NJ Globe: “Chaparro definitively says she won’t run for re-election

— The Monitor:“Senate panel approves tax breaks for would-be homeowners”

— Steinberg: “Fulop: The Resurrection and the Two Political Hurdles on the Path to Drumthwacket”

— Insider NJ: “In Essex, All Roads Ultimately Lead to Timberlake”

— Save Jersey: “Ed the Trucker launches re-election campaign effort”

— ROI-NJ: “Singleton offers liquor license bill that would allow inactive licenses (and there are plenty) to be transferred”

— Mulshine: “The governor takes on the liquor cartel”

BIDEN TIME

FERC-ALICIOUS — Feds approve New Jersey pipeline expansion despite Murphy administration objections, by POLITICO’s Ry Rivard : The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved a natural gas pipeline expansion over the objections of New Jersey utility regulators who had argued the project was an unneeded burden on the state's gas customers. In a decision posted late Wednesday evening, FERC authorized Williams subsidiary Transco’s plan to build the Regional Energy Access expansion, which would bring enough new gas into New Jersey to heat some 3 million homes. Last summer, the state Board of Public Utilities and the state’s ratepayer advocate sent FERC a study and a letter arguing that New Jersey gas customers “do not need to be burdened with [an] unneeded” pipeline because the state can “easily” meet demand for gas through 2030 with existing pipeline infrastructure.

— NJ Globe: “Democrats to Dr. Oz: run for office as a Republican in New Jersey, please”

— Stile: “In a badly fractured GOP-held House, can NJ's Tom Kean Jr. really deliver?”

— NJ Herald: “Federal grant to fund 'drug delivery' van, pharmacists for rural Sussex County”

A message from the New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association:

LOCAL

BRENDAN BYRNE MEANT MENDHAM WHEN HE SAID THIS — “The Mess in Mendham,” by Insider NJ’s Fred Snowflack: “The ongoing election dispute in Mendham Township has found the former governor. A court filing this week on behalf of Democrat Lauren Spirig alleges that two of Chris Christie’s adult children voted illegally in last month’s election. Christie is a long-time resident of Mendham Township. The former governor declined comment. The court battle stems from last fall’s municipal election. After losing his reelection bid to Spirig by three votes, Republican Thomas Baio filed suit, contending his loss was caused by non-residents voting illegally in the township. … Spirig filed her reply brief on Wednesday through her attorney, Brett Pugach. And in a case of ‘two can play the same game,’ the Democrat identified 10 individuals as having voted in the fall election despite not living in the township. Two of them are the former governor’s adult son and daughter. And all of them, presumably, are registered Republicans.”

ATTORNEY LEARNED FROM FRANK HAGUE — “Feds: Jersey City attorney indicted for defrauding clients out of over $2 million” by the Hudson County View’s John Heinis: “Longtime Jersey City attorney James Lisa has been indicted for defrauding clients out of over $2 million, dating back to a case that began in 2014, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced. James R. Lisa, 67, of Jersey City, is charged by indictment with three counts of wire fraud and four counts of aggravated identity theft. He was arraigned today by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Jose R. Almonte, where he pleaded not guilty and was release on $100,000 unsecured bond.”

BURLINGTON — “New Burlington undersheriff was tied to 2018 excessive force incident,” by The Globe’s David Wildstein: “The newly-appointed Burlington County Undersheriff was demoted from his job as a Camden County police sergeant followed in alleged incident of excessive force in 2018. Odise Carr was named to the post by Sheriff James Kostoplis, a Democrat who took office earlier this month. A viral video of the event, where a man was punched in the back of the head a dozen times by a police officer, led to Nicholas Romantino’s resignation and the payment of a $300,000 settlement by Camden County. Carr, who was a police sergeant, faced disciplinary charges for failing to supervise the officer at the scene and for his failure to act on evidence of Romantino’s alleged misconduct. Citing Carr’s failure to report the use of force, Administrative Law Judge Kathleen Calemmo upheld the police department’s decision to suspend him for ten days. Carr stood ten feet away from Romantino, Calemmo found.”

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PEOPLE NOT PALS IN PALISADES PARK — “Political strife leads to lawsuits filed by employees against [Palisades Park],” by The Record’s Kristie Cattafi: “Two Palisades Park employees are suing the borough and a former mayor, accusing him of discrimination, political retaliation and breaking their employment contracts. Borough Administrator David Lorenzo and Director of Public Works and Deputy Borough Administrator Austin Ashley filed separate lawsuits within days of each other. Both allege that former Mayor Christopher Chung and the town neglected to honor their employment contracts with pay increases and took away their car allowances and gas cards. Lorenzo, who has been the borough administrator since 2008, is also the president of the Palisades Park Democratic Club. Lorenzo and Ashley, who serves as the Democratic club's treasurer, say they were targeted after choosing not to endorse Chung, who lost the Democratic Party's support in the 2022 primary election.”

JERSEY SHORE GETS SANDY — “Nearly $30M beach project to start soon for Avalon and Stone Harbor,” by The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Frank Kummer: “The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Philadelphia District announced this week that it will begin a $28.8 million beach replenishment project over the winter for Avalon and Stone Harbor to protect the Shore towns from future storms. In all, a contractor plans to pump 695,000 cubic yards of sand from the ocean to the beaches. The work will be carried out by the Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co. of Oak Brook, Ill., for “periodic nourishment.” The company plans to dredge sand from Townsends Inlet, then pump it through pipes to the beaches. The sand will be graded into dunes and berms to reduce damage from storms.”

— The Record: “From silk mills to chemical plants, North Jersey’s history is dogged by disasters”

— NJ Globe: “Grossi aligns with Pennacchio, Webber and Bergen in Morris”

— Insider NJ: “A Helpful Suggestion for Wayne”

— Trentonian: “Reed didn’t start the fire at Mercer hospital but…. (L.A. PARKER COLUMN)”

— The Record: “Paramus Catholic football coach Greg Russo set to challenge NJSIAA suspension in court”

— NJ Globe: “As expected, Laborers’ backs Benson for Mercer County Executive”

EVERYTHING ELSE

VAX FIGHT — “Anti-vaccine group takes Rutgers to federal appeals court,” by NJ Advance Media’s Tina Kelley: “The anti-vaccine group suing Rutgers University over its COVID-19 vaccine mandate took its case to the federal Third Circuit Court of Appeals this week. The group, the nonprofit Children’s Health Defense, argued in papers filed Tuesday that Rutgers did not have the power to mandate the vaccines in 2021. In September 2021, a federal district judge upheld the vaccine mandate, saying to do otherwise would harm the public. The suit was dismissed in September 2022. In appealing that dismissal, the group — founded by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., an environmental lawyer, and son of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy — asked the court, ‘Does a university have the legal authority to coerce a student’s consent to a highly invasive injection of a yet-to-be fully investigated experimental vaccine that does not prevent the spread of disease and poses risk of serious harm?’ … According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people over 5 who were vaccinated and boosted were almost 19 times less likely to die of COVID and more than three times less likely to test positive for COVID than unvaccinated people, according to fall figures.”

— The Record: “How do NJ hospitals train to handle mass casualties from chemical disasters?”

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