Budget deals take shape
They had largely kept it under wraps until Monday, but the budget process was delayed a bit by an impasse between Gov. Phil Murphy and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin. The two sides hadn't agreed on about $150 million — a small sum in the scheme of things, but enough to cause some problems.
After negotiations Monday, Coughlin and Murphy by the afternoon had agreed on a plan that aims to find major savings in the state's public health benefits, presumably with the consent of Senate leadership. Or more of a plan for a plan: The committees in charge of planning the benefits will be charged with finding millions in savings.
The negotiations had also centered around whether to pare back Coughlin's signature StayNJ tax credit program for seniors, the tax rate on sports and online gambling, and the 'mansion tax' on home sales of over $1 million.
Brent Johnson reports details of the budget deal. It won't include taxing 'fun' like bowling and laser tag, but will still hike rates for online gambling and real estate sales over $1 million. The Legislature is hoping to pass it through committee Wednesday and in both houses by Friday. But nothing has been scheduled yet.
FEEDBACK? Reach me at mfriedman@politico.com
WHERE'S MURPHY — In Perth Amboy at 10:30 a.m. for a bridge replacement groundbreaking, then in Newark at 1 p.m. to speak at a NJ FAST event. Media: 'Ask Governor Murphy' on News 12 at 4 p.m.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'In fact, the Camden County Democratic Committee candidates were placed on the ballot in a disadvantageous position that the South Jersey Progressive Democrats often refer to as 'Ballot Siberia.'' — Attorney Bill Tambussi in a lawsuit filed by the Camden County Democratic Committee to stop a trio of progressives who won the committee election in Cherry Hill from filling 71 vacant seats. Here's what Tambussi claims is ballot Siberia, and here's a 2017 Camden City primary ballot on which non-machine candidates for mayor and council were in column 10.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Kristin Corrado, Sterley Stanley, Herb Klein, Bruce Land, Ed Traz
WHAT TRENTON MADE
BUDGET — Public-sector health savings at center of budget talks in final days, by POLITICO's Matt Friedman and Daniel Han: Gov. Phil Murphy and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin on Monday overcame an impasse over revenue in the $58 billion state budget that had threatened to delay its passage with a plan centered on public health benefits savings. According to three officials with knowledge of the negotiations, Murphy and Coughlin were about $150 million apart in revenues as of early Monday morning, but negotiations continued throughout the day. By the afternoon, the governor and Legislature had agreed to a plan to task the committees in charge with the state's public worker benefit plans with finding millions in savings. … According to the officials, the Murphy administration laid out a few options to the Assembly that they would accept in terms of making up the revenue: Enacting more aggressive cost savings measures in public workers' health plans, paring back Coughlin's signature StayNJ property tax relief program for seniors, or instituting a higher tax rate on internet sports betting and other forms of online gambling. One official familiar with the negotiations said a deal was in place that would require the committee overseeing plan design for the state-run public worker health insurance program to achieve a set amount of savings by a certain date. The committee is made up of equal representation from labor and government representatives.
—'With state health benefits rising 'astronomically,' Murphy seeks $100M in cuts'
IT'S GOOD TO BE THE CHAIR — 'Why does North Jersey town still get millions for a train station already paid for?' by The Record's Colleen Wilson: 'Buried in the hundreds of pages that make up New Jersey state budgets each year for the last five years has been a vague, inconspicuous line item: 'Repayment of Municipal Contribution to Mass Transit Facility.' But unlike most other grants in the budget pages for the Department of Community Affairs … this line item didn't name the project, program or municipality receiving the money. So far, a combined $47.5 million of state taxpayer dollars has been disbursed for this unidentified expense — and another $10 million is proposed in the budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. Documents filed with the Department of Community Affairs reveal that the applications for the 'Mass Transit Facility' grants were submitted by state Sen. Paul Sarlo, who is chairman of the powerful Senate budget committee and also the longtime mayor of Wood-Ridge.'
[REDACTED] IS WHERE THE HEART IS — 'After Minnesota assassinations, N.J. lawmakers seek to shield their home addresses,' by New Jersey Monitor's Nikita Biryukov: 'A New Jersey lawmaker wants to bar the disclosure of state legislators' home addresses after a gunman killed Minnesota's House speaker and left another lawmaker critically wounded earlier this month. Assemblyman Chris DePhillips' proposal would add legislators to the list of officials whose personal information is shielded under Daniel's Law, which currently prohibits the publication of home addresses of judges and law enforcement personnel. 'We need to do something on our end to protect public officials who have made the step to serve the public,' DePhillips (R-Bergen) told the New Jersey Monitor. … The assemblyman's effort to bar the disclosure of lawmakers' addresses isn't the first.'
FRUSTRATION WITH TRENTON CAN BRING ANYONE TOGETHER — 'Last-minute cancellation of anti-Semitism definition vote sparks anger,' by New Jersey Globe's Zach Blackburn: 'Democratic Assembly leaders quietly decided last week that there would be no committee vote on a divisive bill to define anti-Semitism, angering the advocates and legislators who weren't informed before Monday morning and potentially pushing off an already-tense political issue for even longer. When the announcement was made late last week that the Assembly Community Development and Women's Affairs Committee would hold a hearing on legislation that would codify a controversial definition of anti-Semitism, advocates around the state jumped into action, expecting a vote. By the time Monday morning rolled around, dozens of members of the public had arrived in Trenton to testify (many of whom rearranged work schedules to attend), demonstrators protested outside the statehouse in remarkable heat, and the bill's sponsors were ready to finally see a vote after more than a year of inaction. Instead, committee chair Shavonda Sumter (D-North Haledon) surprised the audience when she announced there would not be a vote on the legislation, further driving a wedge between Democratic lawmakers and some Jewish communities that could prove consequential in an election year. … While opponents of the bill were relieved not to see the legislation pass, some still felt miffed by the decision not to hold a vote. Selaedin Maksut, the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations-New Jersey, the Garden State's chapter of the country's largest Islamic advocacy group, said he hoped to see the committee vote down the bill instead of delaying it.'
—'Murphy 'will not give up' on offshore wind, blasts Van Drew for opposing it'
—Stile: 'Jack Ciattarelli and Mikie Sherrill both face headwinds. Can they push through?'
—'2 N.J. senators, a Dem and Republican, on the rise of political violence: Be passionate, never dangerous'
—'Bergen Assembly candidate down by 137 votes seeks recount'
TRUMP ERA
CD2 — 'He worked at USAID before Trump dismantled it. Now he's running for Congress in New Jersey,' by New Jersey Globe's Joey Fox: 'In the year and a half before Donald Trump retook control of the White House, Bayly Winder worked at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the arm of the U.S. government responsible for distributing foreign aid around the world. Shortly after he left the agency at the beginning of this year, President Donald Trump took a hatchet to USAID, and the work Winder and his colleagues did became the first casualty of the Trump administration's 'government efficiency' efforts. Now Winder, a New Jersey native, is back in his home state and running for Congress. A Democrat, Winder is announcing a campaign today against Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-Dennis), who represents the Republican-leaning southern reaches of the state where Winder once spent his summers; the conservative congressman, Winder says, has lost touch with the voters of the 2nd congressional district. 'People across this district are really sick and tired of partisan games, political theater, and establishment politicians,' Winder told the New Jersey Globe.'
SUMMER CUTTIN', HAD ME A FAST — 'Do federal cuts imperil summer meals programs for children?' by NJ Spotlight News' Hannah Gross: 'One in seven children in New Jersey suffers from food insecurity, a significant increase from before the pandemic. Many of these 270,000 children count on their schools for two meals, five days a week. Now with schools closing for the summer, these families can turn to summer food benefit cards, free meal sites and local food banks for healthy meals. But potential cuts to federal programs key to helping with food insecurity, along with increased demand, present growing challenges to these food relief efforts.'
— 'Delaware estuary now under pressure from Trump administration'
—''It's great to be alive today': Donald Norcross returns to congress after near-death illness'
LOCAL
A BOSS'S HOME COUNTY IS HIS KASSEL — Camden County Democrats sue to stop progressives from filling committee seats, by POLITICO's Matt Friedman: A judge has temporarily barred a trio of Cherry Hill Democrats from choosing 71 Democratic committee members following their slate's landslide victory in the June 10 primary. The Camden County Democratic Committee sued Monday, arguing that the three-member slate of the South Jersey Progressive Democrats doesn't have the right to fill the vacant seats with anybody but members of the losing slate. … Judge Michael Kassel, who sits in Camden County, set oral arguments for July 11 and then restrained the winning trio from conducting an organizational meeting, adopting bylaws and attempting to fill the seats. 'The South Jersey Progressive Democrats received the greatest number of votes. However, that group was only able to field 3 candidates. The remaining 71 seats, by operation of New Jersey law and the Bylaws of the County Committee, are awarded to the next highest vote getter. In this case, because of unique and unprecedented ballot design issues, it was not possible for voters to select individually from the 74 Camden County Democratic Committee candidates, who all therefore tied for the next highest vote total,' attorney Bill Tambussi wrote in the lawsuit.
—'Norcross machine Democrats file suit against Cherry Hill progressives over their election loss'
PATERSON — 'Officials shut down Paterson graduation as 16 hospitalized, 160 seek heat relief,' by The Patereson Press' Joe Malinconico: 'After declaring 'a mass casualty event,' emergency management officials shut down Paterson's high school commencement ceremony on June 23 as 166 attendees — including graduates and family members — were overcome by the heat. Even though dozens of people needed medical treatment during the morning ceremony, Paterson Schools Superintendent Laurie Newell made the decision to go ahead with the afternoon portion of the commencement at Hinchliffe Stadium, officials said. Graduates in gowns sat in folding chairs on the heat-radiating artificial turf, while their family members looked down from the grandstands made of hot concrete. None of them were in the shade. Dignitaries, including Board of Education members and school district officials, were given seats under tents. As temperatures climbed closer to 100 degrees, emergency medical technicians scrambled to respond to people in the crowd suffering from heat exhaustion. City officials intervened about an hour into the afternoon ceremony and ordered an end to the commencement as school administrators were in the middle of announcing the names of graduates from Eastside High School.'
PASSAICKY — 'Major Paterson developer buys home from city official for $500,000,' by The Paterson Press' Joe Malinconico: 'Charles Florio, the city's most prominent housing developer, spent $500,000 in May to buy a one-family home from Mayor Andre Sayegh's public works director, William Rodriguez. Florio — a longtime supporter of Sayegh — has made his mark in Paterson by buying properties in the city's most troubled neighborhoods and constructing apartment buildings there. But the house Florio bought from Rodriguez is on Lenox Avenue in the Hillcrest neighborhood, a suburb-like enclave with lawns and low crime. 'I saw an opportunity to buy a good asset at a good price,' Florio said. 'There were other bidders. I was the highest, and I will renovate and flip the property.' … The price Florio paid seems within market value, said several people familiar with Paterson real estate.'
— 'Cranbury unveils affordable housing plan for 175-year-old family farm'
—'Tenants advocacy organization pushes for Passaic referendum on limiting rent hikes'
R.I.P. — 'Trenton officer dies in off-duty car crash Sunday in Westampton'
EVERYTHING ELSE
SCATTERED OUTAGES — About 13,000 New Jersey customers lost power on Monday, according to PowerOutage.us. Most of those, which are likely due to heat-related strain on distribution system infrastructure, were in the PSE&G service territory. An extended heat wave could be bad politically for New Jersey Democrats. Power bills are already set to skyrocket because of a long-term supply-demand crunch. Republicans who are trying to get a foothold in the Legislature and retake the governor's office have blamed Democrats for energy policies that have driven up prices. A hot summer forcing people to keep their air conditioners running will only make those price spikes more dramatic. Demand was also straining but not breaking the 13-state regional grid. Though supply still exceeded demand, PJM issued an emergency alert over the weekend saying it may require all generators to operate at maximum output. — Ry Rivard
TEACHER LOSES SECOND BITE AT APPLE — 'Teacher's $77M lawsuit over refusal to take LGBTQ+ training thrown out by judge,' by NJ Advance Media's Colleen Murphy: 'A federal appeals court has shut down a lawsuit filed by a former New Jersey teacher who claimed he was fired for refusing to support LGBTQ+ inclusive policies, citing religious objections. Gregory J. Janicki, who taught music at Washington Township High School in Gloucester County for nearly 20 years, said he was terminated in 2020 after refusing to participate in LGBTQ-related training and events. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit upheld a lower court's dismissal earlier this month, concluding the case had no merit for further review. The court also ordered the former teacher to cover court costs, effectively closing the door on a legal battle that had stretched over two years. … U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams ruled that Janicki's claims were already resolved through a formal arbitration process. … According to court records, the arbitrator cited a pattern of behavior that showed intolerance toward LGBTQ+ students and staff. This included distributing controversial materials and refusing to attend mandatory training sessions, according to the ruling.'
BRIDE TO BRIE — 'Cheesy proposal. Man pops the question with ring hidden inside mozzarella ball,' by The Record's Matt Fagan: 'Popping the question via a fortune cookie or Jumbotron may seem cheesy, but those pale to John Russo's proposal, who literally hid the engagement ring inside a ball of cheese. More specifically, the ring and its box were hidden inside a fresh mozzarella ball made by North Jersey's king of mozzarella, Vinnie Morelli of Vinnie's Mootz in Lyndhurst. Fortunately, the bride-to-be, Hannah Jang, shares her fiancée's humor and loved the cheesy proposal. She said yes. The couple, who met during the COVID pandemic lockdown, had already agreed to marry on July 27 in Tarrytown, New York, however, there had never been a ring or a formal proposal.'
—'Cocaine pipeline from Puerto Rico to N.J. severed in record-setting drug bust, prosecutor says'
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