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Matt Friedman's must-read briefing on the Garden State's important news of the day | | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | Good Wednesday morning! Jersey City Councilmember Amy DeGise yesterday went to Essex County Special Remand Court and pleaded guilty to something we all watched her do in July: Leave the scene of an accident. Her charge of failure to report that accident was dropped. DeGise will pay a $5,000 fine and her license will be suspended for a year. Considering the accident didn’t result in any serious injuries, and that it was the victim and not DeGise who ran the red light, that punishment does not look like a slap on the wrist. And DeGise, almost entirely quiet on the incident until her court date, yesterday afternoon issued a statement apologizing while continuing to refuse to step down. The question of why it took DeGise six hours to turn herself in remains unanswered. It seems that the legal punishment fits the crime. But what about the political punishment? It’s hard not to conclude that DeGise’s political standing as the daughter of Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise and a former Hudson County Democratic chair have kept her political career alive. The biggest fallout wasn’t from this one incident, but the series of stories about Amy DeGise that came out after — worst of all the video of her trying to use every political and law enforcement connection she could think of to avoid getting her illegally-parked and unregistered car towed in Hoboken. Public officials make mistakes just like everyone else. The test of their fitness for office is how they deal with those mistakes. DAYS SINCE MURPHY REFUSED TO SAY WHETHER HIS WIFE’S NON-PROFIT SHOULD DISCLOSE DONORS: 354 TIPS? FEEDBACK? HATE MAIL? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Someone from a fake number texted me… They said I was in a private meeting last night and ‘I heard that you were having an affair with the mayor.’ … And then they went even further. They said, ‘yeah, cause you’re getting that good d-i-c-k.’ This is what’s coming from the community members, and these are some of the very same people that are attached to the people who come to the mics to rip us to shreds. They’re spreading these lies in the community.” — A portion of Paterson Councilmember Lilisa Mimms’ lengthy rant about local gossip about politicians during the Jan. 17 council meeting. WHERE’S MURPHY? California for NGA events. Acting Gov. Oliver has no public schedule. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Bill Caruso, Michael Cerra, Linda Doherty, Rhea Fryer | | | | JOIN POLITICO ON 2/9 TO HEAR FROM AMERICA’S GOVERNORS: In a divided Congress, more legislative and policy enforcement will shift to the states, meaning governors will take a leading role in setting the agenda for the nation. Join POLITICO on Thursday, Feb. 9 at World Wide Technology's D.C. Innovation Center for The Fifty: America's Governors, where we will examine where innovations are taking shape and new regulatory red lines, the future of reproductive health, and how climate change is being addressed across a series of one-on-one interviews. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | |  | WHAT TRENTON MADE | |
ES&S SOS — “NJ attorney general's office investigating after votes counted twice in 4 Monmouth County towns,” by WNYC’s Louis C. Hochman: “The New Jersey attorney general’s office will investigate how votes were counted twice in some Monmouth County elections in November, potentially flipping the results of one race. The state Division of Civil Rights said it had hired the firm Patterson, Belknap, Webb and Tyler LLP on a pro bono basis to investigate whether anything unlawful happened during the election. The firm will also make recommendations for future election reform, the attorney general’s office said Wednesday. Former New Jersey Attorney General Peter C. Harvey … will oversee the probe. Election Systems and Software — which produces voting systems used broadly nationwide, including in about a third of New Jersey counties — told Gothamist last week that human error was to blame for the problem, which affected results in six voting districts spread across four municipalities.”
DIPLOMACY — “Bill would require schools to let students use preferred names on diplomas,” by New Jersey Monitor’s Sophie Nieto-Munoz: “New Jersey lawmakers on Monday advanced legislation to make it easier for students to use their preferred names on diplomas. The measure (A1588) attracted opposition from critics who say it would trouble them to change names on a diploma and Christian groups who say it would infringe on their religious freedoms. “If I was forced to change a legal document of any sort, including a diploma or any document, and change it from Steven to Stephanie, or Stephanie to Steven, or Josephine to Joseph, I couldn’t do it. My Christian faith, my deeply held religious faith, would not allow me to do it,” said Victoria Jakelsky, director of New Jersey Parental Rights … LGBTQ rights group Garden State Equality supports the bill, with its executive director, Christian Fuscarino, saying in a statement it would ‘ensure a smoother process for those of the trans and non-binary experience.’” UNDER THE BOARDWALK, WE’LL BE HAVING SOME FUNDS — “Murphy pitches millions for NJ Boardwalk Fund. What could Jersey Shore towns get?” by The Asbury Park Press’ Michael L. Diamond: “Murphy has proposed creating a Boardwalk Fund, using millions from federal pandemic aid to upgrade New Jersey's iconic boardwalks. The idea drew a mixed response from local mayors. They largely embraced the proposal, noting the boardwalks, worn down by foot traffic and weather, need repairs at least every 10 years. But some wondered if they could get reimbursed for the boardwalk projects they recently completed, while others wondered if the money would be confined to the boardwalk itself. ‘More important for us than the boardwalk is a beach replenishment fund,’ Lavallette Mayor Walter LaCicero said.” BECAUSE THE LEGISLATURE NEEDS MORE GUYS — “Talarico may seek return to Trenton in senate race against Lagana,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “Former Assemblyman Guy Talarico (R-Oradell) is considering a bid for State Senate in Bergen County’s 38th district, where ousting incumbent Joseph Lagana (D-Paramus) is a key component of any path for Republicans to take control of the legislature in the November midterm elections. ‘It’s something people have talked to me about and I’m mulling it over,’ Talarico told the New Jersey Globe. ‘I haven’t made a decision.’” —Poll: Just 23 percent of New Jerseyans report getting the latest Covid booster shot —“Man accused of rape can’t get alleged victim’s mental health records. N.J. court just set new rules” —Mulshine: “Industrial wind: Sierra Club should stick to their own back yard and leave mine alone” —“Insider NJ’s 2023 Advance Publication” | | BIDEN TIME | |
SHERRILL PROPOSED RENAMING IT ‘THE FUTURE N.J. GOVERNORS OR SENATORS CAUCUS’ — Rebranding rift guts Blue Dog Dem ranks, by POLITICO’s Ally Mutnick and Sarah Ferris: Congress’ influential Blue Dog Coalition is getting chopped nearly in half after an internal blow-up over whether to rebrand the centrist Democratic group. Seven of the 15 members expected to join the Blue Dogs this year, including Reps. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) and Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.), are departing after a heated disagreement over a potential name change for the moderate bloc. For now that’s left the Blue Dogs with seven, all male members — their smallest roster in nearly three decades of existence. One freshman member remains undecided. At the core of some of the breakaway Blue Dogs’ demands was a rechristening as the Common Sense Coalition that, they argued, would have helped shed the group’s reputation as a socially moderate, Southern “boys” club … Those opposed included Reps. Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) as well as longer-serving members. Sherrill, who flipped a tough swing seat in 2018, received a significantly more Democratic district last cycle under New Jersey’s new lines.
JEFF VAN OVERDREW — “Will N.J. Republicans in Congress join this outrage? Or protect us?” by The Star-Ledger’s Tom Moran: “With a showdown looming, let’s keep careful watch to see if New Jersey’s three Republican members of Congress join their radical colleagues who are threatening to wreck the economy by refusing to raise the debt ceiling. So far, all three are keeping a low profile, as if hedging their bets, declining to answer direct questions. But sometime in the next few months, Reps. Tom Kean Jr., Jeff Van Drew, and Chris Smith will face an inescapable choice. Do they join the MAGA crowd and pull this trigger? Or do they make a clean break with their party’s leadership? None of them have made that break yet, so as of today, they are all part of the problem. Keep in mind it would take only five Republicans, from across the country, to defuse this bomb and save the day.” | | | | DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO MOBILE APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. The sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don’t miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. DOWNLOAD FOR iOS– DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID. | | | | | | | LOCAL | |
MY EXCELLENT KNACK FOR PREDICTION TELLS ME THIS MAY COME UP IN THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE PRIMARY — “Mercer County repeatedly failed to file payroll taxes on time and lacked a properly credentialed CFO. That cost taxpayers nearly $4.5 million,” by WHYY’s P. Kenneth Burns: “The tax man came for Mercer County several times between 2018 and 2021. That’s because it didn’t pay taxes on time. During that period, the county paid nearly $4.5 million in fines and penalties for not making timely payroll tax payments to both the IRS and the state Division of Taxation, according to a report from the New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller. The investigation also found that David Miller, the county’s chief financial officer, ‘did not hold, or even apply fo’ a required certification during his entire tenure. As a result, Mercer County was left without ‘a properly credentialed CFO for over a decade.’ The report, released Tuesday, found that in 2018, the county filed its fourth quarter payroll tax return with the IRS nine months late. The county did not file one timely return for 2020. On average, quarterly returns were filed five months late. Third-quarter returns were filed seven months late, on average, and the fourth-quarter returns nine months late. Finance department employees could not explain why the tax deposits and returns weren’t filed on time. One person told investigators that Miller described the penalties and interest as ‘the cost of doing business.’”
NOORK — Newark superintendent's contract was renewed without community input. Education advocates are crying foul, by POLITICO’s Carly Sitrin: The growing controversy surrounding the process by which Newark Public Schools Superintendent Roger León’s contract was renewed is raising questions among education advocates and others about how education policy decisions are made and enforced in New Jersey. León’s contract was automatically renewed for a five-year term with an annual salary of $290,000 during a school board meeting last May without public notification or input. It went unpublicized until The Star-Ledger Editorial Board reported it on Jan. 19. Since that report surfaced, parents and education advocates have blasted the school board and district for running afoul of state education law that requires boards to give the public 30 days notice when superintendent contracts are extended or altered. Gov. Phil Murphy's administration and other local elected officials have dodged questions —Opinion: “Newark’s school board made a big mistake. Here’s how to fix it” —“Newark school board president defends superintendent’s contract renewal” SHBP HAPPENS — “N.J. city dumps state public worker health plan after all towns slammed with huge rate hikes,” by NJ Advance Media’s Matt Arco: “New Jersey’s capital city has decided to to drop the state health benefits plan for public workers and go with a private insurer in what could be the first of many across the state as local governments stare down the barrel of double-digit premium hikes. Trenton’s city council decided late last week to switch to Aetna to insure its roughly 2,000 public workers in a move its mayor says will save taxpayers $4.3 million a year. It comes after New Jersey’s State Health Benefits Commission approved rate hikes in September of more than 20% on health plans that cover more than 800,000 state and local government workers, including a 22.8% rate increase on premiums for local and county governments” —“Wayne pupils speak 26 home languages. Here's how that could affect taxpayers” —“Jersey City Council grills administration on ongoing payroll issues during caucus” —“Sires unveils Parkinson, Diaz, Arroyo, and Barrera as running mates in West New York” —“Court orders condo association to open its Hudson River waterfront to the public” —“Paterson needs a new city clerk. Here is why most of the applicants aren't qualified” —“Ex-Paterson cop charged in excessive-force cases being released from jail to await trial” —“Judge dismisses former South Plainfield school board member's lawsuit” —Snowflack: “Amy DeGise and ‘The foibles of human nature’” —Parker: “We need more action than talk to fix Trenton’s problems” —“Upper Township residents want answers on $300K superintendent payout” | | EVERYTHING ELSE | |
THERE SHOULD BE A REPTILE RESCUE GROUP CALLED GATOR AID — “Gator abandonment in Neptune was staged by owner, SPCA said,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Jenna Calderon: “The alligator that was found Sunday in a plastic container in Neptune was part of a staged abandonment, according to the Monmouth County SPCA. The juvenile alligator - originally believed to have been discovered by good Samaritans in an empty lot on Bangs Ave - was never actually in a dangerous or life-threatening situation, the shelter said in a Facebook post. Savion Mendez of East Orange bought the gator at a reptile expo in Pennsylvania and was keeping him in a 150-gallon tank in his home, according to the post. When he was evicted, he took the alligator with him to his new place … where he and his new roommates are also facing eviction .An acquaintance of his, Angel Rosario, offered to take the reptile to his home in Neptune, according to the SPCA. When Rosario's parents refused to let him keep the 3-foot-long animal, they collectively staged the abandonment, calling the Neptune Police and posing as good Samaritans, the SPCA said.”
KATHY MCBRIDE URGES TRENTON COPS TO JIUJITSU SUSPECTS DOWN —“Headlock? Taser? Gun? NJ police learn jiujitsu to restrain hostile subjects without harm,” by The Record’s Steve Janoski: “[Elmwood Park Police Chief Michael Foligno] — along with [MMA fighter Jimmie] Rivera and Ron Schulmann, co-founder of Tiger Schulmann’s Martial Arts — has … started a company under the Tiger Schulmann’s umbrella called ‘Guardian Law Enforcement Defensive Tactics.’ The firm is devoted to teaching a cop-friendly form of Brazilian jiujitsu, a grappling art similar to wrestling, so officers can get control over suspects without the need for lethal force. This will reduce injuries, lower legal exposure and build confidence in the ranks, Foligno said.” —“Driver charged with DWI after SUV smashes into state office building” —“'Top Gun,' 'Batman,' 'Black Panther' represent New Jersey at the 2023 Oscars”
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