Assembly prepares to approve billions in debt – Politico

Good Thursday morning!

Today, the Assembly votes on Gov. Murphy’s multi-billion dollar borrowing plan.

We’re talking authorizing up to $14 billion, though the state’s immediate need is something like $5 billion — and that’s what would be authorized in general obligation bonds, while the rest would come from federal stimulus loans.

The Murphy administration is in a precarious place right now. The scandal surrounding the Department of Health and the deaths at long-term care facilities doesn’t look to be going away soon. But the latest polls still show Murphy’s approval in the stratosphere, and he has the most persuasive power since he took office two and a half years ago. While Senate President Sweeney is resistant to parts of this borrowing plan, the Murphy administration has been able to get support for it from Speaker Coughlin, key regional factions that often align with Sweeney — Essex for instance — and labor. But the plan, if it passes the Senate, will have to make it through an inevitable court challenge, and most judges don’t have reason to be swayed by approval ratings. Well, at least tenured ones.

There is a potent political attack being waged by Republicans, who point out the borrowing is backed in part by a potential statewide surcharge on property taxes. It should be noted, however, that this provision they’re highlighting is nothing new. In fact, it’s boilerplate in borrowing legislation. Take the 2018 “Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act.” You can see the exact same language on property taxes there.

Then again, unlike this bill, that was approved by voters. And it was for a comparably paltry $500 million.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Violent rhetoric, selfishness and even the crude appropriation of religious symbols conspire to produce a malevolent miasma in which the sin of racism may flourish unchecked. Our society will make no progress in addressing the evil of racism without the will to leave behind the purveyors of polarization.” — Cardinal Joseph Tobin

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: PSEG’s Rick Thigpen, former Senate Democratic spox Jim Manion, Republican consultant Thom Ammirato. Missed yesterday: Pleasantville Council President Judy Ward

WHERE’S MURPHY?: In Trenton for his daily press conference at 1 p.m. Media: 1010 WINS at 4:50 p.m., Ask Governor Murphy at 7 p.m. on your local NPR affiliate

CORONAVIRUS TRACKER: 652 newly-diagnosed cases for a total of 162,068. 122 more deaths attributed to the virus for a total of 11,880.

MS. SMITH STAYS IN TRENTON — Higher ed secretary’s departure means Murphy needs to fill 2 top education posts, by POLITICO’s Carly Sitrin: Gov. Phil Murphy will soon have to fill his top two education cabinet positions after confirming Wednesday that Secretary of Higher Education Zakiya Smith Ellis would leave her post next month to join the front office team as new chief policy adviser. Last month, state Education Commissioner Lamont Repollet announced he would be leaving his post to become president of Kean University as of early July. The two vacancies come at a precarious time for New Jersey’s schools and colleges: The coronavirus pandemic has sent state revenues plummeting, school districts are demanding reopening guidance and colleges are grappling with existential questions about what their campuses will look like this summer and fall.

HINDSIGHT IN 2020 — Murphy: In hindsight, ’there’s no question’ state should have responded differently at LTCs, by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli acknowledged Wednesday that they should have done some things differently when addressing the outbreak of the coronavirus at the state’s long-term care facilities. “If all of us knew in February what we know today, there’s no question we would have, I’m sure, done things in a different manner of some sort,” Murphy said during his daily briefing in Trenton, where he outlined the findings of a $500,000 report the consulting firm Manatt Health put together recommending ways to improve conditions at the facilities. “What I would have done differently is really focus on the resiliency of our nursing home industry and from day one should have looked at that a little more critically,” Persichilli said. “We did not have a full picture of their back-up plans.”

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— “N.J.’s largest teachers union pushing hard for vote on health care overhaul,” by NJ Advance Media’s Samantha Marcus: “New Jersey’s largest teachers union is putting pressure on the Democratic-controlled Assembly to vote on a plan to overhaul educators’ health insurance plans that has stalled in the lower house. The proposal, the result of an improbable deal between rival leaders of the Senate and the powerful New Jersey Education Association, passed the state Senate nearly three months ago but has not been taken up by the Assembly. The NJEA has now launched TV and online commercials and ads promoting the health care overhaul, while encouraging its members to contact lawmakers. ‘We’re making the case, member by member, that this is the right thing to do,’ said NJEA spokesman Steve Baker.”

REPUBLICANS INSIST IT BE TAUGHT IN FICTION WRITING — “New Jersey becomes first state to adopt climate change standards in all subject areas, by POLITICO’s Carly Sitrin: New Jersey has become the first state to incorporate climate change education across all of its K-12 learning standards. The state Board of Education on Wednesday approved incorporating climate change across seven content areas — 21st Century Life and Careers, Comprehensive Health and Physical Education, Science, Social Studies, Technology, Visual and Performing Arts and World Languages — as well as other updates to the state learning standards. The vote, taken during a virtual meeting, was 8 to 4, with one board member failing to vote due to a technological issue. First lady Tammy Murphy announced her initiative on this issue last October and spoke about the need for the standards during Wednesday’s remote board meeting.

—ACLU backing Pou bill to credit inmates for time served during pandemic

—“N.J. voter registration plummets during coronavirus pandemic”

HAMMING IT UP — Peaceful Newark rally could help boost profile for Booker opponent, by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: The overwhelmingly peaceful anti-police brutality protest that drew thousands to Newark on Saturday has shined a positive light on a city that still bears the scars of deindustrialization, white flight and some of the worst civil unrest of the 1960s. Larry Hamm, chief organizer of the protest, credits the fact that Newark remained calm while violence broke out elsewhere to a combination of Newark’s history of racial strife, involvement of local elected officials, a light touch by local law enforcement and recent police reforms. The positive attention could increase the profile of Hamm, who’s running for U.S. Senate in next month’s Democratic primary against Cory Booker, a former Newark mayor who’s seeking reelection after his presidential campaign failed to gain traction. ‘The thing is this, I am not doing anything different than I would if I was not running for U.S. Senate,’ Hamm, a Newark native who now lives in Montclair, said in a phone interview. ‘There is no one that can look at my history and say ‘Larry Hamm only did this because he was running for U.S. Senate.'”

—“Menendez addresses George Floyd murder: ‘Is this the America we want to live in?’” by Sen. Robert Menendez for Hudson County View: “Never before in my lifetime has a president ordered military force against American citizens exercising their First Amendment rights to peacefully protest. President Trump did it. For a photo op. At a time when our nation yearns for real leadership and a unifying voice, this president has chosen to incite more violence and inflict further suffering. The President’s actions were immoral, unconstitutional, unlawful and a sickening, self-serving abuse of power. This isn’t Castro’s Cuba, Putin’s Russia, Maduro’s Venezuela or communist China where strongmen have routinely used force to quell dissent and stifle a free press.”

—“Kennedy criticized for link to Super PAC”

—Snowflack: “Sherrill happy to see Rep. King defeated”

—Steinberg: “Can Tom Kean, Jr. effectively repudiate Trump and win on the politics of inclusion?”

FULOP’S FORMER FIXER’S FIX — “Longtime political fixer Bertoli, credited with Fulop’s ’13 victory, hit with tax evasion charges,” by Hudson County View’s John Heinis: “Longtime Hudson County political operative and fixer Tom Bertoli, often linked to Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop… has been hit with tax evasion and related charges … Thomas Bertoli, 62, a North Bergen native currently residing in Matawan, has been charged by complaint with two counts of tax evasion, one count of corrupt interference with the administration of the Internal Revenue laws, and one count of failure to file a tax return, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced. Bertoli operated The Doormen Inc., City Street Associates LLC, and Urban Logistics LLC. Individually and through his companies, Bertoli obtained payments from clients for services provided, including payments from developers and construction firms for expediting services on real estate development and construction projects, primarily in Jersey City, according to the criminal complaint.”

NEW JERSEY’S CAPITAL CITY — “‘I’ve had all I can stand’ Trenton council prez McBride says after 12-year-old girl among 3 shot,” by The Trentonian’s Isaac Avilucea: “It sounded like another painful chapter in the capital city’s history revisited. Sisters were playing in a neighborhood park Wednesday morning when a gunman opened fire eight times on a group of people gambling. In the hail of bullets, a 12-year-old girl was shot in the stomach and had ‘12 inches of her intestines taken out’ during emergency surgery at Capital Health Regional Medical Center, Trenton council president Kathy McBride said at yet another news conference called to discuss gun violence.”

IN NJ POLITICS THIS IS KNOWN AS A PENSION — Task force suggests how Newark can launch universal basic income program, by POLITICO’s Katherine Landergan: A task force examining the viability of a universal basic income pilot program for Newark is releasing the findings of its report on Thursday with the goal of getting cash into the hands of some of the city’s residents later this year. The 30-page report, a copy of which was obtained by POLITICO, spells out several potential scenarios for the program. Under one option, 500 participants would randomly be assigned to receive either $250 per month or $500 per month for 18 months. Another option would give 1,000 participants either $500 per month or no cash benefit for 18-months. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who has spearheaded the push for a pilot program says universal basic income is more relevant now than ever before.

MAKE SURE YOU CHECK UNDER YOUR BED FOR ANTIFA — “’F— him! He’s the problem!’ APP reporter tells about his arrest at George Floyd protest,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Gustavo Martinez Contreras: “‘F— him! He’s the problem!’ That’s all I heard before an Asbury Park police officer tackled and arrested me Monday night while I was doing my job covering a protest and exercising my First Amendment rights … Just a moment before, I had recorded on my cellphone how several police officers tackled and arrested two minors who were retreating from advancing officers. … Another police officer assisting in the arrest slapped my phone out of my hand saying, ‘take down his f—ing phone.’ … My badge was still dangling from my neck when we arrived at the Belmar Police Department headquarters, which was helping to process some of the people arrested at the protest … Belmar police were respectful throughout. They gave us thermal blankets and water when we told them we were cold and thirsty. About an hour into my detention there, a plainclothes police officer came to my cell to ask me some questions. He wanted to know if I was with Antifa, the anti-fascist movement President Donald Trump is blaming, without evidence, for stirring up the riots. He asked if I knew what Antifa was and if I had been invited to join Antifa at some point during the protest.”

—“Society of professional journalists condemns the arrest of N.J. reporter”

COVOID — “For first time since early April, a N.J. county reports no new cases of the coronavirus,” by NJ Advance Media’s Chris Franklin: “For the first time since April 5, no new positive coronavirus cases were reported in Cape May County Wednesday. The county also said that as the number of testing locations has increased, and that the rate of positive test has decreased — to 2.5% for the week of May 17 to May 23.”

SUE AC — “N.J. city settles another police misconduct lawsuit. It has paid out nearly $8M over the last decade,” by NJ Advance Media’s Joe Atmonovage: “Atlantic City settled another lawsuit alleging civil rights violations by members of the police department in April for $125,000, according to a settlement agreement obtained by NJ Advance Media. The lawsuit centered around a traffic stop in February 2017 in which a video shows an Atlantic City police officer threatening two black men, telling them if they keep talking his 90-pound K-9 is going ‘to come out and rip the f— out of you.’ Officer Glenn Anthony Abrams Jr. pulled over 22-year-old Antoine Jones and his passenger, 21-year-old Brian Wilson, at Mediterranean and Pennsylvania avenues. Another officer, Andrew Jaques, soon arrived on the scene … The newest settlement by the casino town brings the total amount of money the city has paid out related to lawsuits against its police department to at least nearly $8 million since 2010, according to an NJ Advance Media analysis.”

BIG BROTHER ISN’T WATCHING YOU — “Few of Paterson’s 100 police street cameras are actually working, say numerous cops,” by The Paterson Press’ Joe Malinconi: ”The vast majority of the city’s 100 street surveillance cameras — devices used by police officers to solve and prevent crimes — are not working, according to numerous Paterson law enforcement officers. City officials have acknowledged there are chronic problems with the cameras but Public Safety Director Jerry Speziale declined to exactly how many currently are in operation for security reasons. In an effort to gauge the extent of the malfunctions, Paterson Press recently made a public records request for recordings from all of the police department’s street cameras. In response, the city provided video recordings for six of the 100 cameras.”

PATERSON — “In race decided by 8 votes, 50 ballots rejected because county didn’t have voter signature,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “In Paterson’s 2nd Ward council race, where just eight votes separate the two candidates, 50 people who cast mail-in votes in the May 12 election had their ballots rejected because the Passaic County Board of Elections didn’t have their signatures in the database. Vote-by-mail ballots were sent to these voters by the county clerk, but when the 50 ballots were returned, election officials had no signature on file to compare it to and refused the vote. In that race, incumbent Shahin Khalique leads Mohammed Akhtaruzzaman, 1,729 to 1,721, with 440 votes for Frank G. Filippelli. Akhtaruzzaman is seeking a recount.”

—“Montclair mayoral candidate Baskerville files challenge to results”

—“Trenton has murder No. 15, community activist pushes for return of Manzo”

—“Willingboro peaceful protest not ’an event, but a moment’”

—“Protesters march through Parsippany to demand justice for George Floyd”

—“Jersey City’s grand development plan for Hackensack River waterfront includes 35% affordable housing”

—“Montclair weighing bike lanes, street closures during pandemic”

—“Wyckoff’s clerk to retire after 31 years of service”

COUGH COUGH GOOD — “Coronavirus was good for Campbell. Now people are going back to work. Will they ditch the soup?” by The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Harold Brubaker: “It’s no surprise that Campbell Soup Co. had strong sales growth in its most recent quarter, as coronavirus restrictions forced Americans to stay home and slurp more soup, among other items. The question is whether the Camden-based company will be able to hold on to a large enough portion of those consumers to generate long-term growth for a 20th century giant of packaged food that has struggled to grow for decades. Campbell has a ‘unique opportunity’ to solidify its relationship with millions of people who have turned to its canned soup and other products to help them through weeks of COVID-19 lockdowns, Mark Clouse, Campbell’s president and chief executive, said Wednesday during a conference call with analysts.”