Friday night at the Statehouse: Where everyone wants to be

Politico

a day ago

Good Friday morning!
Once again, New Jersey is running right up to the budget deadline. The Senate and Assembly budget committees met yesterday and approved dozens of bills. But the budget was not among them.
The plan is for the committees to tackle the budget today at 8 p.m. — the p.m. is not a typo — and have floor votes Monday.
Even as budget drama stirred in the Statehouse — especially with union members protesting the agreement between Gov. Phil Murphy and legislative leaders to find $100 million in savings in the State Health Benefits Plan — legislative leaders said a deal remained firmly in place. They cited the complicated process of drafting it by the Office of Legislative Services as the reason for the delay.
I could give many reasons why the rushed budget process is bad for New Jersey. Like the fact that you don't get to actually see the final budget until a couple days before it passes, enabling legislators to bury controversial items, including pork projects, until they're cemented into law.
Republican state Sen. Michael Testa provided an example of how nothing's really known until it's done by outlining three things he assumed would be in the budget that he considered unconstitutional because of the 'Single Object Clause' against rolling multiple pieces of legislation into one: allowing some school districts to raise property tax rates well beyond the 2 percent cap, Murphy's plan for the health benefits and enabling 16- and 17-year-olds to vote.
'This budget is unconstitutionally jamming through these major policy changes that can never be done without a standalone vote,' Testa said.
Democratic Senate Budget Chair Paul Sarlo shot back that the budget doesn't permit kids to vote but rather provides money to encourage districts to allow it, and that he wasn't sure about allowing school districts. But he stressed 'we haven't seen the language yet on the health care negotiations.'
'We would love to have seen the budget, but no one's seen it,' shot back Senate Republican Budget Officer Declan O'Scanlon.
'It will lay over all weekend for the entire state to see it,' Sarlo said.
Enjoy your weekend reading the budget, New Jersey!
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WHERE'S MURPHY — In New York for a street naming ceremony at noon
QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'We haven't seen the language yet on the health care system, so you're assuming I'm assuming, or you go by what you read in the press?' — Paul Sarlo, to Mike Testa on the budget
POLL OF THE DAY: Sixty-five percent of New Jerseyans think the state's beaches should be free to residents, according to a Stockton poll
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Gail Gordon, Scarlett Rajski Martin, Nathan Rudy, Jim Schulz. Saturday for Teresa Ruiz, Alana Burman, Joe Doria, John Wisniewski, Reginald Bledsoe, Colleen McCann, Adya Beasley. Sunday for Claire Swift, Mike Rispoli.
WHAT TRENTON MADE
WHO YOU TALKIN' TO, WILLIS? — 'A bizarre N.J. corruption case ends with a plea over kickbacks, fraud and plagiarism,' by NJ Advance Media's Ted Sherman: 'Five years after former state Assemblyman Willis Edwards III was indicted in a wide-ranging corruption scheme in 2020, the one-time business administrator of the city of Orange abruptly entered into a plea deal this week to admit guilt to five of the 31 counts against him. Edwards acknowledged approving a fake 'management oversight' contract with a company he helped set up and receiving thousands in kickbacks from the deal, according to court filings. He also pleaded guilty to charges of mortgage and tax fraud. And, strangely enough, he admitted using public funds to pay a consultant to write his dissertation for a graduate program at Seton Hall University. The other 26 counts of the indictment against him, including charges that thousands in federal funds intended for a children's literacy program were instead funneled into a company he controlled, and separate allegations that he steered a no-bid computer consulting contract to an associate, were dismissed as part of the agreement. His plea came as court records showed a trial date had finally been scheduled for August, following continual deferrals of the matter over years and years, during which time Edwards, 54, remained free on bail … The plea agreement filed with the court, meanwhile, made no specific mention of whether Edwards had been cooperating, or why the matter had been deferred for so long.'
ELDERCARE — Legislation inspired by Spadea's fundraising practices advances, by POLITICO's Matt Friedman: Candidates and leaders of PACs that sign up unwitting contributors for recurring donations would face criminal charges and big fines under legislation that began advancing Thursday in Trenton. The mainly Republican-sponsored 'Political Donations Transparency Act,' inspired by former GOP gubernatorial candidate Bill Spadea's fundraising practices, on Thursday won the unanimous approval of the Assembly Budget Committee without debate. POLITICO reported in February that fundraising solicitations from the Spadea campaign and super PAC included pre-checked boxes to make the donations recurring. Most of the donors POLITICO spoke to were not aware that they were making continual donations to Spadea's campaign or one of his super PACs, Elect Common Sense, sometimes amounting to thousands of dollars … The bill was introduced during the Republican primary by supporters of its eventual winner, Jack Ciattarelli. Spadea was Ciattarelli's main opponent.
TESTA CROSSES DELAWARE — State Sen. Michael Testa wants to pull a Trump and rename Delaware Bay, which borders his home county of Cumberland, The Bay of New Jersey. Testa introduced a bill to change the name Thursday, as well as one to enter into a 'New Jersey-Delaware Territorial Boundary Adjustment Compact.' The former bill is self-explanatory. As for the latter, it's not yet available online, and Testa was in the budget committee yesterday so I didn't manage to get him on the phone. But it almost certainly has to do with revisiting an ancient dispute between the states over that tiny little piece of Delaware attached to the New Jersey mainland called Finns Point or The Baja.
THE BILL COMES DUE — Bill to end newspaper legal notice requirement nears passage, by POLITICO's Matt Friedman: New Jersey is on the cusp of stripping government legal notices from news publications following the end of the print edition of the state's largest newspaper. The Senate and Assembly budget committees on Thursday approved legislation sponsored by Senate President Nick Scutari that would require governments to post legal notices on their own websites, removing a decades-old lifeline for a struggling news industry that's earned it tens of millions a year in revenue. The Assembly Budget Committee approved the measure 14-1, while the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee advanced it unanimously.
OPIA — 'OPIA destroyed cell phones of investigators in corruption sting operation,' by New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein: 'The embattled Office of Public Integrity and Accountability has destroyed the cell phones of detectives who investigated a nearly six-year-old bantam public corruption case against former Assemblyman Jason O'Donnell (D-Bayonne), even though investigators used those phones to send text messages to each other — and prosecutors — about the case. O'Donnell's attorney, Leo Hurley, alleged that the OPIA dumped the phones two years after his 2020 discovery demand. He stated that text messages relevant to the case had previously been discussed in court and that there are no reports or documentation explaining the destruction and preservation process … According to Deputy Attorney General Frank Valdinoto, work-issued cell phones for three investigators — Michael Fallon, Ho Chul Shin, and Brian Powers — were destroyed. A fourth phone issued to Detective Miguel Rodriguez has not been replaced, but he is currently on active military duty, and the attorney general's office does not have possession of it.'
— 'From Bergen to Cape May, Ciattarelli dominated in GOP gubernatorial primary'
— 'New Jersey legislators give preliminary OK to higher sports betting, internet gambling taxes'
— 'NJ Transit explains why trains were canceled during the scorching heatwave'
— 'Gov. Phil Murphy makes a change on the Gateway Development Commission. Who's in?'
— 'N.J. man avoided prison for child sexual abuse images — then a higher court stepped in'
TRUMP ERA
MEGA ANXIETY — Megabill threatens to languish as challenges pile up, by POLITICO's Jordain Carney, Lisa Kashinsky and Robert King: Republicans aren't panicking about their fraying domestic policy bill. But they aren't exactly sure about how it's all going to come together, either. Senate Republicans emerged from a closed-door lunch meeting Thursday putting on a brave face about the megabill's progress. Yet this time last week, members were expecting revised text of the sprawling bill Monday with votes starting a couple of days later. In other words, they thought they'd be close to done by now. Instead, Majority Leader John Thune refrained from giving his members a specific timeline during a closed-door lunch Thursday, according to three attendees granted anonymity to describe the private meeting. Senators are preparing to stay in town and vote through the weekend, but internal policy disputes and procedural roadblocks thrown up by the chamber's parliamentarian are keeping firmer plans in flux.
— Senate GOP dealt major blow on Medicaid cuts in megabill
LOCAL
EXIT SANDMEN? — 'Can beach projects save New Jersey shorelines indefinitely?' by The Press of Atlantic City's Bill Barlow: 'Shore towns tried a variety of methods to keep sand on the beaches, including building structures at a right angle to the shore, hoping to lock in the sand. The shoreline soon bristled with the wooden or stone structures, called jetties or groins. But the sand kept on one beach did not reach another, leading to a scoop-like pattern along the shore. And the sand washed away anyway. There had been sporadic attempts to put sand back on beaches, by truck or dredged from inlets or back bays. The efforts were expensive and only briefly successful. If the beaches were to remain, it was time to consider another option. That started in Cape May at the dawn of the 1990s, with a 50-year commitment from the federal government to rebuild the beaches. Now, 35 years later, almost every occupied barrier island in New Jersey has a similar long-term commitment, and the total costs are over $2 billion and climbing. Do the projects still make sense? And if so, for how long?'
ACTION PORK — 'Most Lakewood School monitors fail at key aspect of their job as two more are hired,' by the Asbury Park Press' Joe Strupp: 'Most of the state education monitors who have been hired at a cost of nearly $2 million to watch over Lakewood Schools' finances and propose solutions have failed to develop mandatory action plans as required by law, an Asbury Park Press investigation shows. The revelation of the failure of most of the monitors comes as yet another two new state monitors are hired by the district for a possible cost of more than $400,000. The practice of hiring state monitors for Lakewood has been criticized by one expert as 'a big waste of money.' A Press review of past state monitor activities finds that two of the eight people to hold the post since 2014 have submitted the required plans to fix district operations.'
PLEADINGS FROM ASBURY PARK — 'Asbury Park residents sue, say city mismanagement killed their affordable housing,' by the Asbury Park Press' Charles Daye: 'Six residents have filed a lawsuit claiming that the city violated their constitutional and civil rights after it mismanaged funds intended for affordable housing. The city gave landlords money for home repairs with the understanding the homes would remain affordable for the tenants. However, the city didn't monitor landlords who received funds to make sure they kept the homes affordable, leaving the most vulnerable residents to deal with rent increases and evictions, according to the suit. That lack of monitoring and administration from city officials hurt a decades-old rehabilitation program in Asbury Park intended to preserve and revive housing already owned or rented by low-income residents across the city, the suit says.'
THE AGONY OF DEHEAT — 'Paterson schools chief says she had no Plan B amid heat fiasco at graduation,' by Paterson Press' Joe Malinconico: 'With extreme heat forecast days in advance, Paterson school officials didn't have a bad weather contingency plan for the June 23 outdoor graduations at Hinchliffe Stadium that ended up being halted mid-ceremony after scores of people were overcome by oppressive temperatures. Paterson Schools Superintendent Laurie Newell made that revelation during her five-minute speech about the district's heat problems at the city Board of Education meeting on June 25. 'We committed to Hinchliffe Stadium and did not plan for an alternative location,' Newell said. 'For this, as superintendent of schools, I take full responsibility.''
— 'Newark councilwoman's former aide, county employee charged with dealing cocaine'
— 'Longtime Camden educator to be named interim superintendent'
— 'Has Avalon become too exclusive for the people who live there?'
— 'Wildwood eyes committee for non-resident homeowners'
— ''Sinking ship' or transition time? What's behind mass flight of Wayne school leaders?'
— '[Rockaway] Clerk admits error that cost election winner his seat'
EVERYTHING ELSE
THE RISK OF IMPALEMENT BY A MAI TAI UMBRELLA — Easiest lifeguard job at the Jersey Shore? It might be watching this two-foot Bar A pool,' by the Asbury Park Press' Michael L. Diamond: 'The grotto at Bar Anticipation was open on a sweltering Sunday afternoon, with water cascading into the shallow pool, and lifeguard Bella Maikranz was on high-ish alert. It's true, not much has happened the past two summers she has been on patrol. But that's not the point. The point is, something could happen … Maikranz is a lifeguard at the Bar A grotto, spending her weekends overlooking the shallow pool and waterfall from the umbrella-shaded stand nearby. She stands guard over an estimated zero to five swimmers — or waders — a day ... Without Maikranz, though, Bar A would have to forgo an inviting water feature. New Jersey requires public pools to have a lifeguard on duty, no matter how deep the water. 'I don't know if there's ever been a (legal) case that addresses a swimming pool that is two-feet deep,' said Richard Lomurro, an attorney based in Freehold. 'It doesn't seem to me something the Legislature would have contemplated when writing the statute.''
IN 1988 A NEPTUNE MAN FOUND OUT ABOUT HIS TWIN FROM AUSTRIA — 'Twins everywhere! N.J. high schools report record numbers of multiples graduating,' by NJ Advance Media's Nyah Marshall: 'At last week's ceremony, the Ocean County high school's Class of 2025 included what officials believe to be a record six sets of twins. They made up nearly 5% of 245 graduates … Seven sets of twins graduated together from Mahwah High School's 207-member senior class … In recent years, more schools around the country have seen an uptick in twins — and even triplets — graduating together, reflecting a broader trend that began in the early 2000s ... A surge in multiple births was largely driven by fertility treatments … But that trend has shifted. Since 2014, the rate of multiple births in the U.S. has steadily declined, in part due to advancements in reproductive technology, the CDC reported. Still, New Jersey schools continue to see large groups of multiples in their graduating classes.'
— 'N.J. restaurant told customers to 'f--- off' on TikTok. It didn't go well'
— 'Inside look at how New Jersey Air National Guard pilots defend restricted airspace as violations spike'