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Politico
21 hours ago
- Business
- Politico
Friday night at the Statehouse: Where everyone wants to be
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! FEEDBACK? Reach me at mfriedman@ 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'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
NJ state budget proposes tax hike on online betting, NJ.com reports
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and legislative leaders are finalizing a deal on a new state budget that would include tax hikes on cigarettes, luxury homes, and online gaming, but not on bowling, batting cages, and laser tag, as originally proposed, NJ Advance Media's Brent Johnson reported for The deal between the governor and lawmakers includes a 'less than 20% tax' on both online sports betting and iGaming, the report noted. Publicly traded companies in the betting space include Boyd Gaming (BYD), Caesars (CZR), Churchill Downs (CHDN), DraftKings (DKNG), Flutter Entertainment (FLUT), Gan Limited (GAN), Genius Sports (GENI), Las Vegas Sands (LVS), MGM Resorts (MGM), Penn Entertainment (PENN), Rush Street Interactive (RSI), Sportradar (SRAD) and Wynn Resorts (WYNN). Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter Published first on TheFly – the ultimate source for real-time, market-moving breaking financial news. Try Now>> See the top stocks recommended by analysts >> Read More on BYD: Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue Boyd Gaming initiated with a Neutral at JPMorgan International Game signs three-year sports betting pact with Boyd Gaming Boyd Gaming price target raised to $76 from $71 at Stifel Boyd Gaming COO Announces Retirement by Year-End Boyd Gaming COO to step down Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
NJ Transit starts key phase of new Raritan River rail bridge
PERTH AMBOY — The second phase of a massive three-phase project to rebuild NJ Transit's Raritan River Bridge began on a sweltering Tuesday, June 24. "So many of the coastal towns, of which I live in one, are going to be impacted positively by this," Gov. Phil Murphy, a Red Bank resident, said at a groundbreaking ceremony for the project. "We have to remember, this is a bridge that was built when William Howard Taft was in office. "To say that it's overdue to get this sucker into the 21st century is, I think, probably the understatement of the year," he said. This swing bridge is a key crossing, as it connects 17 of the 20 stations exclusively on the North Jersey Coast Line before it meets up with the Northeast Corridor on the way to New York Penn bridge was originally built in 1908 and is two years older than the notorious Portal Bridge, which is being replaced through a $2.3 billion project currently underway in Kearny. About 11,500 commuters use the North Jersey Coast Line on any given weekday, and some 2 million tons of Conrail freight also traverses this route annually. The bridge was shut down for 18 days after Superstorm Sandy in 2012 when it suffered substantial damage from flooding and debris, requiring the deck to be realigned. "That's why when the governor and the Legislature and the [Transportation Department] chairman all got together and said, 'What is the most important project after Portal?' this was the one that was identified," said Kris Kolluri, president and CEO of NJ Transit. Skanska Koch Inc., of Carteret, was awarded a $444.3 million contract in December 2024 to do the second phase of construction on this project, which includes building the lift portion of the bridge and the flanking spans, as well as installing the communications, signal and overhead catenary wire. Skanska — also the lead contractor on the Portal Bridge replacement project — was one of three contractors whose bids were reviewed for the Raritan River Bridge project's second phase, which is expected to be finished around October 2029. George Harms Construction Co. Inc., of Farmingdale, was the contractor on the first phase of the project, which began in May 2020 and wrapped up last year. When that project got started, it was estimated to cost about $248 million. Hardesty & Hanover and Gannett Fleming are the joint venture behind the design of the bridge. AECOM/Mott MacDonald is the joint venture construction management consultant, which was approved for a contract of nearly $34 million in October 2019. The replacement bridge will include a lift feature, instead of swinging open to marine traffic as it does now. It will be 10 feet wider than the current bridge and will be elevated higher than the current one so its profile will be above the 100-year floodplain. Trains will be able to go up to 60 miles per hour on this bridge; currently, they slow to 30 miles per hour. NJ Transit secured a $446 million federal grant for the program, through the Federal Transit Administration's Emergency Relief Program for resilience projects in response to Superstorm Sandy. NJ Transit also said last year that it transferred about $240 million from the canceled Transitgrid power project and put it toward the Raritan River Bridge program, but a question about how that money fits in with the project's financing was not yet answered by an agency spokesman. The third portion of the program will demolish the old bridge. So far, the price tag for the first two phases is more than $692.3 million, well over the entire three-phase original estimate of $595 million. "The biggest variable in this project is cost of steel," Kolluri said. The superstructure will be made of steel, and the concrete piers will also be reinforced with steel. "The cost estimate was developed pre-pandemic and the contracts were awarded post-pandemic, and through the interim period, the cost of steel went up by a substantial amount," he added. This article originally appeared on NJ Transit starts key phase of Raritan River rail bridge
Politico
5 days ago
- Business
- Politico
Rate cushion confusion
Good morning and welcome to the weekly Monday edition of the New York & New Jersey Energy newsletter. We'll take a look at the week ahead and look back on what you may have missed last week. MANY CUSHIONS — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy's administration has created so many overlapping credits to deal with rising energy rates it's now hard to keep track of them and where the money is coming from. Some of the money is basically a loan from utility companies that customers have to pay back. Some of it comes from surcharges and fees that customers have already paid or will pay to the state but that some customers, particularly low- and moderate-income households, are getting back as targeted rate relief. Republicans have criticized Democrats for focusing on rate relief without tackling larger supply-demand issues that have driven up the prices in the first place. To clarify, here's each major bucket: $30 for two months, all residential customers: These are utility bill deferrals given by utility companies at the BPU's request. The credits will come off the July and August bills for all of the state's 3.9 million residential customers. The $60 must be paid back in $10 interest-free installments over the next six months, from September through February. $100 once, all residential customers: This comes out of the $430 million ratepayer relief package Gov. Phil Murphy and legislative Democrats announced just before the June primary election. The package includes monies from the state's Clean Energy Fund, the BPU's share of Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative proceeds, and the Solar Alternative Compliance Payment account. The BPU still needs to approve the details of this one. About $150, low to moderate income customers: Another chunk of money that comes out of the $430 million package. About 280,000 customers are expected to receive a $25 per month bill credit paid for by state subsidies from August through February. $20 to $200 per month, low-income customers: This money comes from the universal service fund, which is funded by ratepayers, and is generally for households with income at or below 60 percent of the state median income. The BPU recently approved a plan to increase the minimum and maximum credit, which was $5 and $180 in past years, and is pushing to enroll far more people because 80 percent of people who are eligible are not enrolled. — Ry Rivard HEAT WATCH: New York and New Jersey along with a large swath of the country are bracing for a brutal heat wave to kick off summer — just in time for primary day in New York. Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency in 32 counties, including New York City, after Saturday's thunderstorms and heavy rains knocked out power and drenched parts of upstate New York. Outages impacted more than 50,000 people, according to Hochul's office. Three people, including two children, were killed in Oneida County after a tree fell on their homes. New York's grid operator says the state has plenty of power to meet demand on the system during the heat wave. Some schools have announced modified schedules. Hundreds of cooling centers will be open in New York City as voters head to the polls. New Jersey's grid operator, PJM, issued an emergency alert saying it may require all generators to operate at maximum output capability. The projected demand for Monday, as of Sunday, was 160 GW. The 13-state grid's all-time, one-day highest power use was more than 165 GW in summer 2006. — Ry Rivard ICYMI: LOVETT TO HOCHUL: Former Daily News and New York Post scribe Ken Lovett is joining the Hochul administration. Lovett, a former Eichor Strategies consultant, will serve as a senior communications adviser for energy and environment — a crucial issue area for Hochul ahead of her reelection bid. The governor has discussed energy projects with President Donald Trump, conversations that have included a controversial pipeline and wind energy efforts. Lovett, a former senior adviser at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, will serve as a direct adviser to Hochul and communications director Anthony Hogrebe. 'Nobody knows state government better than Ken Lovett, and we're thrilled to have his experience and expertise as we continue to bring Governor Hochul's message to New Yorkers.' — Nick Reisman — Lovett authored an opinion piece a few months ago praising New York's progress toward renewables and supporting Hochul's exploration of nuclear energy. HAPPY MONDAY MORNING: Let us know if you have tips, story ideas or life advice. We're always here at mfrench@ and rrivard@ And if you like this letter, please tell a friend and/or loved one to sign up. Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You'll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day's biggest stories. Here's what we're watching this week: MONDAY— Gov. Kathy Hochul makes an announcement at the New York Power Authority's Niagara Power Project, 11 a.m. — Environmental activists hold a press conference and rally on the 'Formosa Four' protesters' case ahead of a court hearing, 8:15 a.m., the lawn of Livingston Town Hall and Municipal Court, 357 S. Livingston Ave., Livingston, New Jersey. — The New Jersey budget deal is expected to drop early this week, with a vote expected mid to late week ahead of the June 30 deadline. TUESDAY— NYSERDA's board has committee meetings, starting at 10 a.m. WEDNESDAY— The Long Island Power Authority board of trustees meets, 11 a.m., LIPA Office, 333 Earle Ovington Blvd., 4th Floor, Uniondale. — The New York State Energy Planning Board meets, 1 p.m., Albany Capital Center. — The Hudson River PCBs Superfund Site community advisory group meets, 1 p.m., Saratoga Town Hall, 12 Spring St., Schuylerville. AROUND NEW YORK — Republican Long Island lawmakers want to save the clean energy tax credits that Congress looks poised to kill. — Newsday details the lobbying efforts that defeated a plastics and packaging reduction measure in the final days of session. — Duane Lake residents still fighting to get inclusion in septic replacement program. Around New Jersey — New Jersey lawmakers scrutinize energy-hungry data centers. — More pollution expected from New Jersey sites. — Roselle Park employees fear retaliation as town shutters site of possible toxic exposure. What you may have missed PACKAGING FALLOUT — POLITICO's Marie J. French: State lawmakers whiffed on an aggressive measure to reduce plastic and packaging waste in New York on the final day of Albany's legislative session. The Assembly did not pass the sweeping proposal to mandate reductions in packaging by producers and charge them for disposal costs. Supporters had hailed it as the strongest proposal in the country while business opponents argued it would lead to higher consumer costs and the unavailability of some packaged food products. STORAGE BIDS — The BPU approved new subsidies for batteries at its board meeting. The subsidies are dubbed the Garden State Energy Storage Program. The bid period opens next week. According to the board order, the state will target procuring 'at least 1,000 MW of transmission-scale energy storage over the course of multiple solicitations.' The first solicitation aims to award 350-750 MW by Oct. 31, with a prequalification process commencing on June 25 and final bids due Aug. 20. The board will have one or more rounds of bidding in 2026. — Ry Rivard E-BIKE BATTERY RETURNS: The Assembly gave final passage to a measure expanding the state's battery recycling requirements to cover e-bike batteries. Problems with lithium-ion e-bike batteries have caused deadly fires in New York City, with some fires starting in the waste stream once those batteries are thrown out. This bill would address disposal, requiring manufacturers of the batteries to work with retailers to accept back depleted batteries. The Department of Environmental Conservation would consult with the New York City Fire Department and others before developing regulations. Firefighters have raised concerns about the measure, proposing restrictions on accepting batteries at residential and mixed-use locations, Republican lawmakers said during the debate on the bill. 'It endangers the lives of people living in those buildings,' said Republican Assemblymember Michael Durso. Assemblymember Deborah Glick, who sponsored the bill, said she hopes the consultation requirements address some of those concerns. She said the bill would improve safety overall by removing these batteries from the waste stream. 'We have no restrictions on the sale, the repair, or the charging in any of the locations currently,' Glick said. 'They're charging them now and there are no regulations, so it seems to me this is a fairly modest proposal.' — Marie J. French 100-FOOT RULE PASSES — POLITICO's Marie J. French: Property owners looking to hook up to the state's existing gas system would face higher costs under a bill headed to Gov. Kathy Hochul's desk. Lawmakers passed an incremental measure Monday aimed at reining in the expansion of gas service. The bill requires that residential customers pay the full cost of any new pipeline to connect to the gas system. Right now, utilities pay for up to 100 feet of new pipe and pass those expenses on to other ratepayers. 'If you are putting up a new home, you should pay for the connection. That's all this says,' said Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon, the sponsor of the bill. 'And the connection, by the way, should be paid for by the person who's putting it in, instead of your neighbors — which is not a good way to get off on the right foot with your neighbors.'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
I-80 fully reopens through New Jersey after sinkhole repairs
Interstate 80 has fully reopened through New Jersey after months of repairs and delays due to sinkholes. The sinkhole problem began in December 2024, at first leading to a brief fix before more holes opened and authorities shut down I-80 eastbound entirely in February. 'I am thrilled to see all lanes of I-80 open safely this weekend so we can ensure that New Jerseyans can get to where they need to go efficiently and safely,' Gov. Phil Murphy said Thursday in a statement. I-80 eastbound reopened in full on Saturday. The westbound lanes reopened June 14. The extensive delays, beginning in February, created a nightmare route for anyone traveling through Wharton and for residents of the town about 30 miles west of Central Park. When the project began, officials said the delays would continue indefinitely. But in April, a timeline was set to complete the construction by mid-June. 'I want to thank the thousands of New Jerseyans who have been impacted by these sinkholes for their patience as we worked to secure this roadway,' Murphy said in his statement. The sinkholes were caused by an abandoned mine under the road — one of 600 such mines throughout New Jersey. When the first sinkhole opened in December, crews tried to patch up the single gap and reopen the highway, only to find more and larger holes opening two months later, forcing the larger operation.
