Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing: 8/3/2021 – InsiderNJ
Below is Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing:
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “As the Republican ticket in New Jersey of 2021, that will probably help. The first rule of picking a running mate is, ‘Do no harm.’ And (Ciattarelli) did no harm.” – Professor Ben Dworkin on Jack Ciattarelli’s selection of former Senator Diane Allen as his LG running mate
TOP STORY: Ciattarelli Picks Former Senator Allen as His Running Mate
The statewide cumulative COVID-19 count stands at 909,057 cases and 23,887 confirmed fatalities (and 132,102 probable cases and 2,719 probable fatalities) as of Monday (an increase of 937 confirmed cases, 216 probable cases, and 1 lab-confirmed fatalities from the previous day). The viral transmission rate is 1.43. There have been 10,887,115 COVID-19 vaccinations administered (with 5,309,241 people fully vaccinated).
Governor Murphy announced that all workers in certain state and private healthcare facilities and high-risk congregate settings will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or subject to regular COVID-19 tests.
The Cape May Chamber of Commerce called on President Biden to speed up plans to reopen the border with Canada, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
Senator Menendez announced the departure of State Director Raphael Chavez-Fernandez, who was appointed by President Biden to a VA post.
Rep. Watson Coleman reintroduced the ‘Improving Diaper Affordability Act’.
Rep. Gottheimer announced federal investment in local North Jersey projects.
Rep. Sherrill urged the World Trade Center Health Program to expedite the decision to include uterine cancer as a covered condition.
The NJSIAA named Derryck Sellers an Assistant Director.
ICYMI: Murphy, Persichilli ‘reserve the right to take more drastic action, including a statewide mask mandate’; Parkway rest areas renamed for NJ icons; Murphy took shot at anti-vaxx ‘talking heads’; Murphy signed ‘Laura Wooten’s Law’; Murphy struck at Ciattarelli: ‘enough already‘; Bruck announced leadership team; Menendez, Booker hailed the Child Tax Credit; judiciary moved towards weed cases expungement; Gottheimer expresses confidence on infrastructure bill
Senator Weinberg named Shane Mitchell as her Chief of Staff.
The New Jersey Historical Commission Board approved nearly $4.9M in grant funding in this year’s budget.
ICYMI: Lampitt expressed support for masks in schools; ABC-NJ welcomed DeLuca as Gov’t Affairs Director; Oroho radiates statewide vibe; chariot race begins to succeed Kean as GOP Leader; Supreme Court to decide on redistricting tiebreaker (iLine post)
In Jersey City, Councilperson Solomon called on the BOE and Mayor Fulop to institute mandatory vaccinations for all school and municipal employees. Ward C Council candidate Tom Zuppa raised $15k at a fundraiser, according to Hudson County View.
In Keansburg, Kitchen, Siciliano, and Varvar announced their candidacies for Board of Education seats.
In Ocean Township, Gilman, Parlamas, and Clayton announced their candidacies for Board of Education seats.
In Mount Holly, Mayor Jones called for the resignations of Main Street officials following allegations they misspent federal COVID-19 funds for personal gain.
In Paramus, the Democratic council candidates criticized the GOP council incumbents over their condemnation of the municipal budget tax increase.
In Rutherford, the borough and Bergen County reached a deal on the transfer of the Williams Center from county ownership to borough ownership.
In Newton, the AG’s Office released video footage and 911 audio relating to a fatal police-involved shooting last month.
In Bernardsville, the recreation master plan has drawn suggestions, according to NJ Hills.
In Camden, residents are taking charge of cleaning up parks, according to the Burlington County Times.
In East Brunswick, a controversial development was approved by a court, according to MyCentralJersey.
In Ocean City, Mayor Gillian pitched a $42M public safety project, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
In Phillipsburg, the town will consider renaming a park in honor of a residents who ‘lost his battle with addiction’, according to Lehigh Valley Live.
In Sayreville, the mayor is suing the BOE, according to MyCentralJersey.
In South Brunswick, cannabis sales are banned, for now, according to MyCentralJersey.
In Summit, the council moved forward with establishing a temporary dog park, a passion project of the late Councilman Gould, according to TAPinto.
In Tenafly, schools are working to revamp Holocaust education, according to the Bergen Record.
In Watchung, opinions vary on the council ethics breach report, according to NJ Hills.
In Wood-Ridge, the council approved hirings, promotions, and appointments, according to TAPinto.
ICYMI: In Morristown, Cresitello ruled ineligible to run; in Camden, Reyes-Morton wants salary suspension for mayor until budget is signed; Randolph Columbus Day decision sparked implications that will linger; in Paterson, Murphy endorsed Sayegh for re-election; in Parsippany, Musella says Dems ‘don’t have Trump to hide behind‘; in AC, council voted to end needle exchange program; in Trenton, Gusciora gearing up to run for re-election; in Newark, city welcomed home Army Lt. Colonel Erica Clark-Muhammad; in Belleville, Melham endorsed Ciattarelli, expressed disappointment with Murphy
AROUND THE WEB:
Chat Box: What the governor says
NJ Spotlight News
- In the final Chat Box of the season, David Cruz talks with Gov. Phil Murphy about the top issues facing New Jersey — everything from fears of a new wave of the coronavirus pandemic to the economy, jobs, taxes and more. Plus, the road to the November gubernatorial election.
OPINION: Diane Allen is Ciattarelli’s Best Decision So Far | Cirucci
Dan Cirucci
- I’m absolutely thrilled with the selection of Diane Allen as Jack Ciattarelli’s running mate. She is a stellar choice for Lieutenant Governor. A hugely successful state senator who won again and again in a sprawling suburban district, Diane Allen is a proven vote getter. Like Jack himself, she knows how to win over independents and Democrats.
Hundreds of Hudson County police called to Red Bull Arena in Harrison to break up ‘melees’
John Heinis, Hudson County View
- Hundreds of Hudson County police officers were called to the Red Bull Arena in Harrison yesterday to break up “melees” that saw about a dozen people sustain superficial injuries.
Don’t take away tools for police chiefs to assess crime-fighting performance | Opinion
John Zebrowski, Special to the USA TODAY Network
- There is now legislation before Gov. Phil Murphy that would prohibit law enforcement agencies from considering the number of arrests made and citations issued when evaluating a police officer’s professional performance. The proponents of this legislation say there are many other ways to evaluate officers’ performance other than measuring the number of summonses and arrests. The New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police agree.
Ocean County got about 100 COVID-19 ‘breakthrough’ infections in the past week
Erik Larsen, Asbury Park Press
- Among the almost 273,000 Ocean County residents who have been fully vaccinated, there have been more than 400 confirmed COVID-19 breakthrough infections — almost a quarter of which were diagnosed in the past week alone, said county health Commissioner Gerry P. Little.
Will arrested conductor be replaced on NJ Transit board? Four seats await Murphy nominations
Colleen Wilson, NorthJersey.com
- Two and a half years after signing a law to reform NJ Transit by expanding the board to ensure that the agency works “for commuters,” Gov. Phil Murphy still has not filled three of those board seats. And a fourth was vacated Thursday.
Passaic County One-Stop Center threatens to fire employees if they don’t get Covid-19 vaccine
Paterson Times Staff
- The Passaic County Workforce Development Center and One-Stop Career Center is mandating all its employees get vaccinated against Covid-19 by October. Employees who fail to get vaccinated could face termination. Employees will have to get their first dose before September 1. And must be fully vaccinated before October 1, according to an email sent to employees by Lauren Murphy, director for the Passaic County Workforce Development Center.
NJBIZ Conversations: Acting Consul General Khawar Nasim
NJBIZ Staff
- New Jersey and Canada usually get along famously. Canada is the Garden State’s top customer, as it is for many states — buying more than the next two foreign markets combined. And those markets — the U.K. and China — are no slouches. But as with most relationships, there can be some bumps. One recent blip was the New Jersey Buy American Act, signed by Gov. Phil Murphy in June.
If you can’t name the branches of government, now your kid can help you
Star-Ledger Editorial Board
- If you have a tween in your household, be forewarned: Civics class will become part of their world in the fall of 2022, which means teachers have only 13 months to figure out how to coax responsible, informed, civic behavior from kids whose opinions are shaped by their parents’ TV habits.
Is NJ Gov. Murphy moving closer to mandating COVID vaccines for state employees?
Scott Fallon, NorthJersey.com
- As the Biden administration and some states began to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for government employees last week, Gov. Phil Murphy remained non-committal, commenting only with his trademark, “No news on that yet.”
New Democratic State Committee chair discusses governor’s race, COVID-19 response
Michael Aron, NJ Spotlight
- LeRoy Jones is officially the new chair of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee. He’s taking the helm from former chairman John Currie at a crucial time for the party. Jones is a former assemblyman and leads the powerful Essex County Democratic Committee.
In a delicate dance with unions, Murphy moves with caution on mandating vaccines | Stile
Charles Stile, NorthJersey.com
- Data and science, Gov. Phil Murphy says, have always dictated his decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic. But campaign politics have also become an unspoken variable in his decision making.
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