Another tough choice for Rabner – POLITICO – Politico

Good Wednesday morning!

Stu Rabner is having to make some tough choices this month. Ten years ago, the chief justice and his court didn’t really have to choose redistricting tie-breakers, as Democrats and Republicans agreed on the picks.

This time, not only did the Supreme Court just have to choose between Democratic and Republican picks for the congressional redistricting tie-breaker, but Rabner will likely have to choose the state legislative redistricting tie-breaker himself.

As you readers know, New Jersey politicians generally care about the state legislative redistricting process more than the congressional one. Well, except for individual House members. Democrats and Republicans submitted a bunch of names to retired justice Stewart Pollock, whom Rabner wanted to vet the choices in case any matched. None did. (Hat tip to David Wildstein for first reporting the names).

So now, unless Democrats and Republicans find someone suitable on each others’ lists, Rabner has this lonely choice to make — one that will affect New Jersey politics for the next decade. And with a bunch of names now floated by Republicans and Democrats, will he feel pressure to pick someone who wasn’t on either list?

WHERE’S MURPHY? Italy. Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver has no public schedule

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Jersey City spox Kimberly Wallace Scalcione, Attorney Kevin Miller, former Star-Ledger reporter Claire Heininger Mehney

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “If Mazzeo, Armato and Fitzpatrick put out a joint statement calling for the traditional swearing in by the Senate President and then make sure he gets it done, I will donate my salary as the Senator for the rest of this term to the Atlantic City Boys and Girls Club. They can either stand with their party bosses or be responsible for over $10,000.00 being donated to help the children of Atlantic City. All they need to do is find the courage to do the right thing for their constituents.” — State Senator-Sellect Vince Polistina

I’M GOING UEZ AT THE ENTERPRISE ZONE — Oliver signs bill to restore and revise state’s Urban Enterprise Zone program, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: New Jersey is bringing a dedicated funding source to its Urban Enterprise Zone program, an economic development effort aimed at improving the small businesses climate in distressed urban communities, under a bill signed into law by acting Governor Sheila Oliver on Tuesday. The newly signed legislation restores and revises the UEZ Program, which looks to bring jobs to urban areas through boosting small businesses. The legislation appropriates $42.5 million toward Zone Assistance Funds, with total funding capped at $82.5 million per year. The funds help small businesses by allowing lower sales tax along with other financial incentives. Sales tax for business purchases of up to $100,000 will also be exempt.

INFORMATION WE COULD’VE USED FRIDAY — “To replenish unemployment fund, Murphy administration raises taxes on businesses,” by The Record’s Dustin Racioppi: “Acting Gov. Sheila Oliver suggested during an unrelated event Monday that the administration plans to see through the tax increase on businesses … After this story published Tuesday morning, [Murphy’s] office said the rates for employers are set in law, ‘making any contribution of federal funds irrelevant in the current fiscal year.’ Darryl Isherwood, a spokesman for Murphy, added that because American Rescue Plan fund were not distributed until May, any contribution to the unemployment fund would have missed a March deadline for the current fiscal year.”

NJ TRAGIC — “Former NJ Transit police officer sues agency, accuses superior officer of sexual assault,” by The Record’s Collen Wilson: “A former NJ Transit police officer is suing the agency, its police chief and another former transit police officer who she said sexually assaulted herin 2013. The woman was assaulted in her apartment by a superior officer despite repeatedly rejecting his advances that night, according to the 50-page lawsuit filed in Essex County Superior Court earlier this month. The lawsuit names NJ Transit, Police Chief Christopher Trucillo and former Deputy Chief Patrick Clark as defendants. At the time of the alleged assault, the woman, who is a member of the New Jersey Army National Guard and completed two tours in the Middle East, was a civilian employee with the Office of Emergency Management at the NJ Transit Police Department. Clark, the alleged assaulter, was a captain in the department at the time.

COMING SOON — Monmouth will release a poll this morning on Murphy vs. Ciattarelli — the first public poll on the race in quite a while. I think the most recent was this one.

— “NJ readies for green future but says little about costs“

—“COVID restrictions didn’t produce unfair trial, N.J. Supreme Court rules”

—“NJ lawmakers urge Murphy to crack down more on unemployment fraud”

—“Science group urging NJ to limit suspected carcinogen in drinking water”

—“Ciattarelli challenges Murphy to an early debate”

—Deputy secretary of higher education leaving Murphy administration

—“Both parties angle for a clean sweep in the 2nd Legislative District”

THEY DEAR CRITICIZE DEAR LEADER? — Dem Senate panels demand answers on Biden’s ‘failures’ in Afghanistan, by POLITICO’s Andrew Desiderio: Three Democrat-led Senate committees are vowing to investigate the Biden administration’s bungled withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, as officials scramble to evacuate American citizens and Afghan allies. Statements from the leaders of the Senate’s Intelligence, Foreign Relations and Armed Services committees reflect the widespread bipartisan anger over what is widely perceived as a chaotic and poorly planned exit from America’s longest war. It’s concluding with a historic rush to power by a militant group that the U.S. has spent trillions of dollars and sacrificed American blood to stave off for two decades. “I am disappointed that the Biden administration clearly did not accurately assess the implications of a rapid U.S. withdrawal,” Senate Foreign Relations Chair Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) said in a statement. “We are now witnessing the horrifying results of many years of policy and intelligence failures.”

IT’S MORE OF A SHELBYVILLE IDEA — “Feds give key approval for Newark airport’s $2B monorail replacement,” by NJBIZ’s Daniel J. Munoz: “Federal officials gave Newark Liberty International Airport’s owners a key nod to move forward on the $2 billion replacement of its decades-old monorail. The Aug. 13 decision by the Federal Aviation Administration – which approved the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s environmental assessment of the ecological impact of the monorail replacement – marks the clearing of a key hurdle for officials who plan to start groundbreaking next year. Port Authority officials envision the 2.5-mile train system will replace the original AirTrain, which opened in 1996 and has remained “vulnerable to frequent breakdowns and delays,” reads a statement from the bi-state agency.”

—“NJ leader of program that aided Afghan women watches events unfold. It’s ‘sickening’”

—“N.J. drug companies are targeted by lawmakers in congressional spending bills”

—“‘We all have a personal responsibility’: HHS Secretary Becerra in NJ pitches COVID vaccine”

BY THEN THE VACANCY IS LEARNING TO WALK — “Judges rule towns can wait up to 16 months to fill vacancies, in blow to political parties,” by New Jersey Monitor’s Nikita Biryukov: “An appellate panel handed local political parties a stunning loss Tuesday after ruling municipal governing bodies in towns with partisan elections can keep vacant seats open for roughly 16 months. The three judges’ ruling is a reversal from a lower court decision that ordered Paul Coates, the Linden Democratic municipal committee’s pick for the vacant 8th Ward seat, be seated immediately after a roughly four-month-long standoff between the party and local elected officials, all of whom are Democrats … It’s not clear whether Coates will petition the New Jersey Supreme Court for an appeal — his attorney did not immediately return a request for comment — but the ruling could have wide-ranging implications for representation at the local level. A ruling that provides for legislative counsel discretion on filling of vacancy can be exploited when one party is the majority on the council and the other party has a vacancy,’ said Ben Dworkin, director of Rowan University’s Institute for Public Policy & Citizenship. ‘The majority can exacerbate its power by simply taking its time and not filling the other side.’”

LET WEEDMAN STAFF IT — “Trenton cannabis meeting in ‘jeopardy’ as complaints mount against clerk Conlon,” by The Trentonian’s Isaac Avilucea: “A crucial meeting about legal weed businesses may be cancelled, costing the city millions in a new revenue source. The meeting may be scrapped because the clerk’s office is on the verge of collapse, multiple city officials said. Employees are transferring in and out. Others are out on leave while the blowups continue. Clerk Matthew Conlon, who already faced an outside investigation from a law firm into his conduct, faces continuing allegations of bullying and intimidation of his staff, which has now been reduced to a skeleton crew … The staff shortage has put a crucial meeting in “jeopardy” as a state deadline looms for Trenton to adopt regulations for adult-use cannabis businesses throughout the city, according to records obtained by The Trentonian.”

FINALLY, SOMETHING IS AIRBORNE BESIDES THE VIRUS — “Atlantic City Airshow to provide ‘economic shot in the arm’ after pandemic,” by The Press of Atlantic City’s Ahmad Austin: “Putting everything in place for the Atlantic City Airshow has been a stressful ordeal over the past few months. To Greater Atlantic City Chamber President Michael Chait, that stress was missed after the COVID-19 pandemic shelved the 2020 show. ‘It feels great,’ Chait said, ‘because it’s an economic shot in the arm for the destination. That’s the way we’ve always looked at the airshow. It’s an enormous amount of work that requires collaboration from dozens of business, government agencies, members of the military (and) nonprofits.’ Wednesday’s return will be the 18th time the airshow has come to the city. It traditionally brings more than 100,000 to the city’s beaches and Boardwalk, and is often of the biggest events in the city all year.”

GET VACCINATED TWICE TO PAY FOR YOUR SANTACON OPEN CONTAINER FINE — “In Hoboken, municipal employees could earn $1,000 incentive for getting COVID-19 vaccination,” by Hudson County View’s John Heinis: “The Mile Square City’s local relief plan will bolster their coronavirus response, provide, rent relief, alternative transportation, infrastructure improvements, and much more, as HCV first reported. One allocation that stands out as unique is $600,000 in financial incentives for municipal workers to get inoculated. If the plan as a whole is approved by the city council tomorrow, this would allow a $1,000 payment per employee, city spokeswoman Marilyn Baer said.”

IMMIGRATION — “Essex jail no longer housing ICE detainees for first time in years, as advocates push Murphy to end detention contracts,” by NJ Advance Media’s Ted Sherman: “Four months after Essex County officials said they were terminating a controversial contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, there are no longer any ICE detainees at the county jail. County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo said as of noon on Tuesday, they were not housing anyone on immigration detainers.”

WARREN COUNTY — “Domestic violence victim suing prosecutor over being named,” by The AP’s David Porter: “A New Jersey woman who killed her abusive ex-fiance can proceed with a lawsuit that claims her rights as a domestic violence victim were violated when a county prosecutor publicly identified her, an appeals court ruled Tuesday. The suit alleges the woman’s civil rights were violated in 2016 when former Warren County Prosecutor Richard Burke identified her after a grand jury declined to indict her. A lower court had dismissed the suit, saying the prosecutor was informing the public about the completion of a criminal investigation.”

THE ZACH BRAFF INSTITUTE — “Citing slave ownership, N.J. district to change name of Jefferson school,” by NJ Advance Media’s Chris Sheldon: “By this time next year, Jefferson Elementary School in Maplewood will have a new name as school district officials were looking to cut the school’s tie to one of America’s founding fathers due to his affiliation with slavery. The South Orange Maplewood Board of Education approved a resolution Monday to rename the school to one that will ‘ensure and model an inclusive, welcoming and respectful learning environment’ by the 2022-23 school year. The resolution stated that the school ‘bears the name of an enslaver committed to upholding the institution of slavery’ and that the board would ‘no longer hold up an enslaver as a role model for students of the South Orange Maplewood School District.’”

—“NJ students call for reduced policing in schools with #CounselorsNotCops campaign”

—“Pleasantville votes against syringe access programs in the city”

—“Atlantic County elections board finishes recount, staff now tabulating results”

—“In New Jersey, local lobbying goes undisclosed”

—“‘An answer to my prayers’: Mom of 6 earns HS diploma as bullets fly on her Paterson street”

TAG TEAM WON’T BE BACK AGAIN — “Married detectives with N.J. state police forfeit jobs for allegedly lying about bar fight,” by The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Robert Moran: “Married detectives with the New Jersey State Police on Monday agreed to forfeit their jobs to resolve a criminal case alleging that they filed false reports about their involvement in a bar fight last year in North Wildwood, the state Attorney General’s Office announced Monday. As part of a deal, Gregory Ogden, 52, who was a detective sergeant first class, and Dorothy Ogden, 46, who was a detective sergeant, both of Hammonton, were entered into a pretrial intervention program, prosecutors said.”

R.I.P. — “In loving memory: Thurston Briscoe, WBGO programming director”

—“Skip COVID vaccine for personal reasons? Rowan University faculty group wants option gone”

—“State Police K-9, trooper injured in NJ Turnpike confrontation”

—“NJ State Police trooper faces prison after stalking female drive”