Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing: 4/23/2024
Below is Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing:
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I’d love to see the governor and the governor’s office get louder on this. I’d love to see him play a more active role in this. We’re two years in and constituents have had trouble getting affordable, accessible, legal cannabis.” – Senator Gopal on home grow cannabis cultivation
TOP STORY: Sherrill and Krickus Bond over Ukraine
The state is investing millions in ‘crisis response teams’, according to NJ Spotlight.
The number of certified home health aides continues to decrease in the state, according to NJ101.5.
The first queen snake in the state since 1977 was seen, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Atlantic County Executive Levinson will rename Veterans Cemetery for former Executive Squires, according to Downbeach. The county launched a new website, according to Downbeach.
Bergen County’s Police Academy reopened, according to the Bergen Record.
Rep. Sherrill commended Morris County Commissioner Krickus for his strong support for Ukraine.
Rep. Smith proposed legislation to curb 5G rollouts, according to TAPinto.
ICYMI: Fulop celebrates reservoir trail; Kim leading in Senate race; Murphy addressed the First Lady’s Senate exit; majority reject OPRA changes; animosity growing around Sussex’s Hayden; as state wrestles with ballot decision, appeals rejected stay request, Republicans filed lawsuit to expand ruling to GOP ballots; ballot system brought to electoral maturity; poll shows Dems support Rep. Kim; Quraishi ruled county line unconstitutional
Maggie Moran launched Moxie Strategies along with several senior leaders.
GOP Senate primary candidate Curtis Bashaw slammed Rep. Kim over his TikTok vote.
Rep. Kim was endorsed for Senate by 1199SEIU.
In CD5, Rep. Gottheimer was endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign.
In CD8, Mayor Bhalla announced his support for the GUARD Act.
Five Republicans filed to run in the Sussex County GOP commissioner primary, according to NJ Herald.
Community activist Miguel Diaz called on the AG’s Office to enforce election law regarding campaign signs in Paterson.
ICYMI: Murphy became factor in end of line; Menendez independent candidacy could give GOP best shot; line impact less seismic; Bhalla is going for broke in primary challenge; Sherrill trouncing other 2025 guv Dems; Zisa stepping down; Ciattarelli launched guv candidacy; Bramnick has question for Ciattarelli, Spadea; Bashaw declined to participate in debate; in CD3, Conaway, Murphy battle energized; don’t count out party boss influence just yet
New Jerseyans still seek home cultivation of weed, according to NJ Monitor.
Rampant plastics pollution and health threats take the Statehouse spotlight, according to NJ Spotlight.
The Governor’s tax plan for NJ Transit funding is getting scrutiny, according to NJ Spotlight.
ICYMI: Lawsuit filed alleging state ‘knowingly’ forced casino workers to work in second-hand smoke
An Insider NJ movie review of ‘Civil War’.
Veteran defense attorney Joe Hayden shared his personal recounting of the Bill Musto trial.
Leonard Lance discusses former President Trump on the Julie Briggs Show.
Beware the Ides of March: New Jersey and Rome.
Former Senator and Governor Richard J. Codey shares this thoughts on this year’s presidential race.
Download and read Insider NJ’s 2024 Advance and Insider NJ’s 2024 African-American List
In Wildwood, former Mayor Byron was charged with official misconduct.
In Atlantic City, a judge says he needs the Housing Authority director to testify in a tenant lawsuit, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
In Caldwell, the council agreed to segregate COAH housing, according to TAPinto.
In Camden, big affordable housing changes are coming to Cramer Hill, according to the Daily Journal.
In Collingswood, officials unveiled a plan to fight bias in the high school, according to Burlington County Times.
In Far Hills, taxes will increase, according to NJ Hills.
In Hackensack, the Bergen prosecutor’s office is taking over police internal affairs, according to the Bergen Record.
In Hasbrouck Heights, six candidates declared for the primary, according to TAPinto.
In New Providence, Councilman DeSarno won’t seek re-election, according to TAPinto.
In Plainfield, Mayor Mapp delivered the State of the City address, according to MyCentralJersey.
In Watchung, the council approved the budget, according to NJ Hills.
In Wood-Ridge, three candidates declared for the primary, according to TAPinto.
ICYMI: In Roxbury, BOE decision to rescind transgender protections
In a guest column on Insider NJ, Assemblywoman Reynolds-Jackson writes ‘Health Care Access: We Need to do Better‘
Insider NJ columnist former Senator Bernard Kenny writes ‘America 2024: A Matter of Life and Death‘
In a guest column on Insider NJ, Senator Timberlake writes ‘Heroes Who Walk Beside Us: Congressman Donald Payne, Jr.‘
Insider NJ columnist Bob Hennelly writes ‘Immigrants: New Jersey’s Secret Sauce‘
AROUND THE WEB:
20,000 N.J. lives are still in limbo, because of bureaucratic stupor | Editorial
Star-Ledger Editorial Board
- Gov. Murphy and Attorney General Matt Platkin have announced that they are making great progress in trimming the backlog of unprocessed expungement cases, which translated to a whopping 46,000 people living in limbo when we last visited the issue in February.
NJ residents want transparency in government. That much is clear | Stile
Charles Stile, NorthJersey.com
- Transparency ― opening a public window on the grinding gears of government and party politics ― is all the rage these days. The clamor for a more open, democratic process is most evident in the fierce blowback lawmakers are facing over a plan to gut the state’s Open Public Records Act, a crucial yet imperfect tool used by the public and the press to keep tabs on the inner workings of government.
Matt Arco: Never a dull moment covering N.J. politics
Enrique Lavín, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
- Matt Arco has the distinction, in 2012, of being the first reporter hired by NJ Advance Media, which provides content for NJ.com, The Star-Ledger and other affiliated newspapers.
Legislators fear making Delaware Water Gap a national park could ruin it for many people
Bruce A. Scruton, Newton New Jersey Herald
- Resolutions opposing a redesignation of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area into a national park and preserve, have been filed in the state Assembly and Senate.
‘Don’t give up on us:’ GOP, Dem Assembly women offer hopeful outlook during Morris Chamber lunch
Marin Resnick, NJ Hills
- Kismet. That is how Assemblywoman Michele Matsikoudis, R-Somerset, Morris, explained after meeting – for the very first time – Assemblywoman Garnet Hall, D-Union, Essex, during the lunchtime meeting of the Morris County Chamber of Commerce’s Government Affairs group at Tilcon New York, Inc. headquarters in Parsippany on Tuesday, Feb. 20.
Scenes from a Revolutionary weekend at Jockey Hollow
Jeff Sovelove, Morristown Green
- Life was so rough for women in 18th-century America that many of them opted to follow their husbands to war rather than take their chances waiting at home. “It was considered very unsafe for a women to be left alone with no men nearby to protect them when the men went off to war. Women were very vulnerable and many chose to follow the army for safety,” explained Karen Coyle, who played the role of a camp follower at the weekend’s annual Spring Encampment at Jockey Hollow, part of the Morristown National Historical Park.
How high is the cannabis ceiling for New Jersey, Atlantic City?
Bill Barlow, Press of Atlantic City
- Adults bought more than $800 million worth of legal weed in New Jersey last year, with more growth expected as the market nears the second anniversary of sales and the so-called weed holiday April 20.
Some pregnancy centers are misleading women, N.J. official says
Karin Price Mueller, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
- Women seeking information about abortion services in New Jersey are often misled by businesses that actually try to convince women to keep their pregnancies, a congressman said Monday.
Homeless Voice Concerns at Newark Shelter Called ‘Unique’ Model
Matt Kadosh, TAPinto Newark
- Rodents, bedbugs and fighting among residents are frequently seen at a city homeless shelter that was opened in a vacant hotel about 10 months ago, according to those living there. Concerns about the Hotel Riviera shelter described by residents in interviews with TAPinto Newark this month come amid a severe shortage of affordable housing, and the city’s top homeless services official said the arrangement, which was initially established as a temporary shelter, has become a “key resource” in a broader city plan to get people off the street.
Plainfield Names Asokwa Municipality of Ghana as Sister City
David Rutherford, TAPinto Plainfield
- During Thursday’s State of the City address, Mayor Adrian Mapp announced that Plainfield’s sister city is the Asokwa Municipality of the Ashanti region of Ghana. The city of Asokwa is the capital of the Asokwa Municipal District. Mayor Akwanuasa Gyimah was on hand during the address, as well as Elliot Bannor, speaker of the Asokwa Municipal District Assembly.
NJ Spotlight News selected for America Amplified Election 2024 Initiative
Madeline Ference, NJ Spotlight
- NJ Spotlight News will deepen its engagement with communities across New Jersey this year by partnering with other public media outlets across the country in an initiative called America Amplified Election 2024.
A Progressive Perspective: The Emergence of Josh Shapiro and the Passing of Peter Shapiro
Irwin Stoolmacher, The Trentonian
- On November 8, 2022, Josh Shapiro crushed far-right MAGA Republican State Senator Doug Mastriano by 14.8 percent to become Pennsylvania’s third Jewish governor. He had previously served as the state’s attorney general from 2017-23, as a member of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners from 2012-17 and as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representative from 2004 to 2012 where he was first elected at the age of 30.
JCP&L mystery: What caused thousands in Monmouth County to lose power earlier this week?
Erik Larsen, Asbury Park Press
- Jersey Central Power & Light is investigating the cause of a major outage in northern Monmouth County on Monday, which left more than 9,000 customers without electricity and caused traffic signals on Route 36 to go dark at the start of the evening commute.
Murphy celebrates “a full week of declining numbers” then says “status quo of lockdown will remain until new cases and fatalities decrease.” So, which of Murphy’s statements is accurate? He said 2 opposite things in a single paragraph of speaking.
He;s “vacationing” at his villa in Italy, while Covid surges and the state is paralyzed by “remote work”…………translation: NO WORK
That is what happens in practicality when they are “suspending their disbelief” (HR Clinton) in real numbers and going on predictive models to make decisions. And then after doing that, they vote with “feelings.”
lmao imagine supporting lockdowns after the largest mass death event in american history and calling that a feeling driven conclusion? maga chuds never fail to disappoint
keeping up with the news
OK
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keeping up with the news
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So….about those 56 machines in Bergen… <<>>
Murphy running for President is LAUGHABLE. Nased on what??
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Murphy doesn’t want to be the president, he wants to be a state trooper.
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lETS NOT FORGET that during the pandemic Donald Trump sent the MERCY, a fully equipped, COVID prepared Hospital ship to save lives of victims and healthcare workers . But Murphy in his wisdom would rather send Patients back to nursing homes that were ill-equipped to treat these patients so they could die , rather than utilize a life-saving gift and be like NY governor Cuomo, another anti-Trump
tool.
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Gun owners don’t have to talk about guns because they know that they have to come out and vote to protect their constitutional right to bear arms. The Supreme court decision has affirmed that right and somehow our “leaders” haven’t learned how to read.
NJ is one of the most corrupt and racist places to live. There’s “0” accountability for the criminal acts, corruption, and unfair treatment of the people of this state. It starts with our governor who cares less for truth and honesty. Continue to ruin the lives of the citizens of this state.
How about those unintended consequences.
New Jersey mandating that all cars being sold by 2035 be electric is telling us what we can or cannot buy with our own money. There will always be gasoline powered vehicles because of the power produced by internal combustion compared to the power produced by batteries; which is to say the more power the bigger the battery to the point of rediculousness. My thought is that if the state wants fewer gas powered vehicles on the road it should create a mass transit electric powered system that would emphasize convenience for commuters and everyday shoppers. Of course that would mean vehicles weighing tons more because of the size of batteries and that creates a whole other question of where to dispose of them (also for elelectric car batteries), since they are composed of highly toxic materials that can’t be burnt or buried. These are unintended consequences no- one is willing to grapple with until its too late. I think by 2035 th he electric car fantasy will go the same way the offshore wind farm has gone.
Stephen Brickman
206 Stonehenge Dr
Phillipsburg,NJ 08865
Stephen.Brickman@gmail.com
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The military serving in the Middle East represents every state in the Union. Those are our sons and daughters, Moms and Dads and yet we are very little to protect them, or REALLY retaliate when they’re attacked. Governor Murphy is the Chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, and past chair of the National Governors Association and yet you never hear him mention about any requests either organization makes to Biden to be more aggressive about protecting our kids in harms way. It’s as though it doesn’t seem to matter to them. No wonder we look so weak to the rest of the world.
Teaneck property taxes pays for the school budget. Teaneck High School students walk out. Is a Hamas military shuffle march property tax bill included?
I’m a conservative and I do believe life begins at conception but the problem is that each mother is responsible for that life and it is in the realm of her mental and physical health that she will either bring it to term or abort it. This should not be a political decision and should not be be dictated by thousand of strangers. The Supreme Court turned it over to the states but it still remains personal for the mother and her family.
I don’t think it should be an “agenda item” for any political party. A state medical society may want to impose a time frame within which an abortion can occur but even that may be subject to the mother’s doctor’s discretion.
I say just quit discussing it and leave it up to the mother a father.
Voting should be based on understanding what’s actually happening and knowing who would make life safer and more livable. The only way to do that is to get both sides of the information remembering there are always two sides to a story. Mainstream media in my area includes the Star Ledger and the Easton Express. If you look at the bylines of the opinions you will find writers from the Washington Post and Bloomberg, both notoriously on the left. Even the political cartoons are a dead giveaway. CNN and CNBC are also left leaning. So what are the options for getting opinions and news from the right? Fortunately cable news has Fox, which is near center, and Newsmax, and NewsNation which are full right. Watching these even just occasionally will show a much broader picture and give the reader more information with which to make an informed voting decision. And remember you DONT have to vote party if you feel there’s a wiser choice.
The governor signed off on having Narcan available in all schools grades 9 through 12. But what about the idea
of having Narcan available in ALL SCHOOLS in New Jersey?
How’s his for an idea? Uncover the identities of the un-elected advisors to Pres. Biden, and publish their names. That way there is actually someone to blame when we lose valuable lives from unanswered attacks by terrorist organizations. We know Biden isn’t making these decisions on his own. My guess is that these advisors will quit the team rather than take the heat for poor decisions, revealing a big weakness in this administration. It might lead to improvements to the decision-making process.
Note to Concealed Carry permit holders: make sure you subscribe to one of the insurance companies that specialize in CCP, ie: US LAW SHIELD. If you ever have to fire your weapon , that has to be the first phone call you make. The second is 911, the third is your family. With so many new permit holders there will probably be an increase in discharges until word gets out that it’s actually unsafe for criminals to be in New Jersey and crime will take a nosedive.
Now unless you have a conviction in your background you can get that CCP and really defend yourself and your family. And more women are applying which is great for family defense. The stats that record gun violence will have to be re-organized into guns used for crime and guns used to prevent crime. A lot of get-always here because sometimes just brandishing a firearm is enough to stop a crime. But it should be reported anyway..
The liability limits for taxi cabs are extreme starting July 1. It was a plan in place through the insurance banking committee and it was abruptly changed with an amendment. The guys are barely making a living today and you’ve increased their insurance. What’s fair is fair and this is not it was an incremental increase, which was fair, and was removed by the governor please refer back to the original plan
Iowa gets it right. What better school security is there than trained, armed teachers with concealed carry permits. You wonder what parents and local government officials when they oppose this idea. Apparently they would rather wait for some demented individual, either a student or maybe an ex student pulls out a handgun of his backpack , or a long gun out of a duffel and starts firing do they can call it in and wait for help to show up. This move would save many lives and I would heartily endorse this idea nationwide. Of course I’m just an average gun owner who believes that our kids are our most valuable asset and need real protection.