Booker to kick off ‘Justice for All’ tour as he lags in the polls – Politico

Are we at the point where early state presidential horse race polling means anything?

I’m not sure. But Cory Booker must hope not.

A Monmouth poll released yesterday shows that Booker is seen very favorably by Iowa Democratic voters, with a net favorable rating of 38 percent. But he places eighth in the horse race poll, with just 3 percent support.

Joe Biden is dominating at 27 percent, followed by Bernie Sanders at 16 percent. South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who I may be biased against because he’s my age and I resent my peers’ success, is in third at 9 percent.

Booker came into this campaign with his usual relentlessly positive message. But I wonder if Buttigieg is taking up that column, just like President Trump’s brashness may have helped suck the oxygen out of Christie’s campaign. Buttigieg also out-raised Booker. By a substantial margin. And they both talk a lot about justice.

Well, Booker kicks off his “Justice for All” tomorrow, starting in his home city of Newark. It’s the first time he’s done a campaign event in New Jersey since his kickoff press conference. He’s got many more months to make a dent.

DAYS SINCE MURPHY-ALIGNED GROUP INTENTIONALLY BLEW OFF SELF-IMPOSED DEADLINE TO DISCLOSE ITS DONORS: 102

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Legal marijuana businesses don’t just need banking services, they need insurance in order to operate and seek financing, and insurers need the green light to participate in this emerging market.” U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, who yesterday introduced a marijuana banking bill, and who somehow avoided marijuana puns in the press release. Unless the “green” light is one. Which I doubt.

WHERE’S MURPHY?: No public schedule

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Assemblyman Anthony M. Bucco, NJBIA’s Chrissy Buteas, former Passaic Freeholder Ed OConnell, Atlantic Health’s Matt Marinello

WEED WATCH — Status of marijuana legalization effort unchanged after top Democrats meet, by POLITICO’s Sam Sutton: Gov. Phil Murphy, Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin emerged from a meeting Thursday without making any headway on how to best move a package of marijuana-related bills through the Legislature, according to three sources with knowledge of the meeting. While the meeting was characterized as productive, New Jersey’s marijuana legalization effort is more or less where it was three weeks ago. There’s unlikely to be any movement until closer to May, when both legislative chambers have scheduled voting sessions. Read more here

BUDGET — State income tax revenue up sharply in March, by POLITICO’s Ryan Hutchins: New Jersey income tax collections increased dramatically in March, signaling slow growth in the first half of the year could be erased in coming weeks, according to figures released Thursday by the state Treasury. Gross income tax revenue rose nearly 21 percent in March, year over year, while overall revenue was up nearly 17 percent. Since the fiscal year began in July, income tax revenue is down 3.9 percent, but is forecast to end the year up 2.5 percent. The uptick in March appears to support arguments by administration officials that the earlier drop-off was the result of taxpayer behavior driven by changes in the federal tax code. Read more here

NJ TO TREAT WORKERS LIKE CORPORATIONS: GIVE THEM EVERYTHING THEY WANT IF THEY THREATEN TO MOVE OUT OF STATE — “N.J. law says public employees must live in the state. Here’s how 2,310 workers got a pass,” by NJ Advance Media’s Kelly Heyboer: “When Gov. Chris Christie signed the ‘New Jersey First Act’ in 2011, supporters said the idea was long overdue. If you work for New Jersey — in a state, county, municipal or school district job — New Jersey should be your home, the law said. If you are being paid by New Jersey taxpayers, you should pay state and local taxes and be a state resident. But in the more than seven years the law has been in effect, at least 2,310 public workers have been given temporary or permanent exemptions to live out of state, according to an NJ Advance Media review of state records. About 80 percent of those who applied and had their cases voted on by the committee were granted permission to live elsewhere — usually New York, Pennsylvania or Delaware. Many of the reasons workers want to live out of state are complicated and deeply personal: Divorce. Complex child custody agreements. Crippling debt. Elderly parents. Fatal and debilitating illnesses. It isn’t unusual for applicants to burst into tears as they appear before the committee in Trenton and list their reasons for wanting to live outside of New Jersey. In other cases, public employees were granted permission to live out of state for no reason other than they had a letter from their bosses saying their jobs were ‘critical’ to the state and they would be difficult to replace them if they quit over New Jersey’s residency requirement.” Read more here

WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS — “NJ to review wrongful convictions, cold cases as part of new initiatives,” by The Record’s Nicholas Pugliese: “People imprisoned for a crime they did not commit will get a chance at freedom under a first-of-its-kind state unit to review claims of wrongful conviction, Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said Thursday. Grewal simultaneously announced the creation of a statewide ‘cold case network’ that will focus on solving old crimes using new technologies. Regional task forces will be modeled on a partnership between the Bergen, Passaic and Essex county prosecutor’s offices that last month resulted in an arrest for a rape that happened in Palisades Park 14 years ago.” Read more here

1868 DOES NOT REFER TO GILMORE’S $18.68 MILLION TAX BILL — “Ocean County GOP leader no longer with lobbying firm,” by Jersey Shore Online’s Chris Lundy: “County Republican leader George Gilmore, who recently went to trial on tax evasion charges, parted ways amiably last year with a lobbying firm he was associated with. In addition to being the head of the county GOP, his law firm Gilmore and Monahan did work for many local municipalities. He was also involved with 1868 Public Affairs, a firm that boasts having connections in government that can ‘provide our clients with a powerful voice in the budget and legislative process.‘ Richard Ambrosino Jr., managing partner for 1868, explained that Gilmore was of counsel with 1868, meaning that he had all the rights of a partner but had no equity in the firm. Gilmore’s split from the firm was made official in December of 2018, but he had not done any work for them for at least six months prior, Ambrosino said.” Read more here

OUT OF THE LOOP — “The Meadowlands mess: Fans stuck in the swamp thanks to a missing link,” by The Star-Ledger’s Paul Mulshine: “1980s when there was a big push for development of the Hackensack Meadowlands. I mean, we have swamps at the Jersey Shore, too. But we don’t build sports complexes in them. That was the real problem underlying that mess in the Meadowlands after Sunday’s pro-wrestling show. In a fiasco reminiscent of the 2014 Super Bowl debacle, thousands of fans were left standing in the rain for hours as they waited for trains that didn’t come … So who’s to blame? The people who first decided to build the complex in its current location. That’s who. The theory was that eventually the area would grow to the point that a real, functioning rail station could be built there. Instead, the rail link stalled in its current configuration. It’s a bizarre one.” Read more here

TROUBLE & MONEY — “Engineer who bribed Allentown, Reading mayors ordered to educate others on pitfalls of public corruption,” by The Allentown Morning Call’s Peter Hall: “A former executive at a New Jersey engineering firm will avoid prison despite bribing Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski and ex-Reading Mayor Vaughn Spencer to get public works contracts. In addition to five years of probation and a year of house arrest, Mark Neisser will be required to share the lessons of his experience with others who do business with public officials to help them recognize what he called ‘the line that should not be crossed.’ … Neisser’s attorney Judson Aaron said the firm where Neisser was an executive, T&M Associates in Middletown, N.J., gave generously to political candidates in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. It created a contribution committee and internally tracked which campaigns it had supported. Aaron called it a ‘less-than-desirable system’ that ‘allowed elected officials to pressure people like Neisser to cross a line they would not otherwise cross.’ … Neisser’s guilty plea to the bribery charge is not his first encounter with the criminal justice system. In 2001, New Jersey prosecutors investigated whether Democratic power broker George Norcross III and Neisser, then president of engineering firm JCA Associates, had pressured an employee to punish a political rival. Norcross was not charged, but Neisser and two others pleaded guilty in 2004 to tax offenses for failing to report printing work done for the state Democratic Party.” Read more here

—“As New Jersey plans to legalize weed, growing it at home is still off-limits” Read more here

—“Republican Barbarula runs on his experience in LD25” Read more here

—“Voting by mail should be easier, group says. Don’t N.J. legislators want a more inclusive democracy?” Read more here

—“Mullen pushes Murphy on nuclear power” Read more here

THE NUTS-AND-BOLTS OF GOVERNING. LIKE GOING TO AT LEAST ONE WATERSHED MEETING? — “Amid a quiet campaign start, Cory Booker turns to policy and planning, instead of inspiration,” by The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jonathan Tamari: “Sen. Cory Booker is used to making a splash. But his presidential campaign is off to a subdued start, lacking the viral moments and media attention the New Jersey Democrat typically attracts. Now he’s trying something less glamorous. After an initial roll out centered on his biography and inspirational message of unity, Booker and his aides are stressing the nuts-and-bolts aspects of campaigning and governing. On a conference call Thursday they emphasized staffing levels and early campaign hires, and on Saturday Booker will launch a ‘Justice for All’ tour to fill out his policy agenda and bring it to critical states, including Iowa, Georgia and Nevada.” Read more here

TRANSGENDER BAN — “She wanted to come out as a transgender teen. First, she weathered Trump’s military ban,” by The Record’s Christopher Maag: “It was a Tuesday in August 2017 when President Trump announced by tweet he would ban all transgender people from the American military. No one but Valerie Cabrera knew this Tuesday would change the course of her life. Most people knew Cabrera as a 14-year-old boy. As a boy, she attended confirmation class at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Vernon Township, Sussex County. As a boy she planned to spend this Tuesday on a football field, playing the euphonium and practicing drills with the Vernon Township High School Vikings marching band. Someday, Cabrera hoped, she would continue her family’s tradition of military service by joining the Marines. Someday she would have a meaningful career helping others, settle down and marry a nice girl. This Tuesday, however, Cabrera could barely get out of bed. Getting up meant hiding the young woman she knew she was. It meant pulling on the black pants of her uniform, like all the other boys in the band. ‘I didn’t even want to get up because I’m going to have to put on these clothes and pretend to be somebody else,’ said Cabrera, now 16. ‘It was exhausting. I didn’t want to play that role anymore. I didn’t want to live anymore. I definitely thought of suicide. Our country, built on the Constitution’s promise that each of us may ‘secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves,‘ is about to take a big step backwards. On Friday, Trump’s order banning transgender people from joining the military is scheduled to take effect.” Read more here

—“Sherrill engages reporters on Picatinny Arsenal” Read more here

INMATE DEATH — “Death at Essex County Jail is under criminal investigation,” by WNYC’s Matt Katz: “The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office has opened a criminal investigation into the death of a 41-year-old inmate at the county jail last August, WNYC has learned. The probe is looking at ‘indications of neglect and record falsification’ in the death of Lucas Vieira, who was being held on a parole violation, according to a report on the incident obtained under the state’s open records law. The case echoes the findings of a WNYC investigation last year about the high rate of inmate deaths in New Jersey’s county jails, and it calls into question the effectiveness of the Murphy Administration’s promise to increase oversight of the facilities…The method of suicide/death’ section of the form was redacted, but a note underneath revealed the criminal investigation into the matter by the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.” Read more here

THERE SHE GOES — “N.J. considering new funding for Miss America, just not in Boardwalk Hall,” by The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Amy S. Rosenberg: “This weekend, two women will face off in Boardwalk Hall to determine a champion: Claressa Shields and Christina Hammer, two undefeated middleweights, in a competition touted as the biggest fight in women’s boxing history. Yes, Boardwalk Hall has definitely left Miss America behind. But has the state of New Jersey? The New Jersey Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, which swore off a Miss America subsidy that had grown to $4.32 million a year by 2018, is again considering kicking in money, said Matt Doherty, CRDA executive director, just not for Boardwalk Hall. Both the Miss America Organization and the CRDA, which oversees Boardwalk Hall, agree that the iconic venue where Bert Parks sang There She Is and decades of teary Miss America’s walked the runway, is way too pricey for the struggling competition mired in an existential crisis.” Read more here

CAMDEN RISING — “Facing $27 million deficit, Camden School District plans to close schools and cut 300 jobs,” by The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Melanie Burney: “Facing a $27 million budget deficit, the Camden City School District may close two schools and an annex, relocate about 900 students, and cut several hundred jobs, acting superintendent Katrina McCombs said Wednesday. McCombs released details of a sweeping reconfiguration plan after a union leader sounded an alarm on possible closings and cuts. She cited a budget gap for the next school year and said, ‘The district continues to make hard fiscal choices.’” Read more here

SOCIAL MARIO BROS. — “Englewood Cliffs mayor calls affordable housing a ‘socialist scheme’” by The Record’s Katie Sobko: “After four years, the borough may soon go to trial in a lawsuit brought by a developer over prospective affordable housing on the former Unilever campus. First filed in 2015, the suit could give Normandy Real Estate Partners the authority to intervene in the borough’s affordable-housing negotiations and build 600 residential units at 800 Sylvan Ave. About 100 of those could be affordable units. Mayor Mario Kranjac has strongly opposed residential development on the site, and this week the Republican mayor called New Jersey’s affordable-housing laws ‘wrong and unconstitutional’ and a ‘socialist scheme.’” Read more here

TORT-URE REFORM — “Sheriff wants judge to dismiss lawsuit filed by ex-officer who once played a dominatrix,” by The Journal’s Terrence T. McDonald: “A closely watched court case between Hudson County Sheriff Frank X. Schillari and a now-ex sheriff’s officer who played a dominatrix in adult films may be thrown out because of two herniated discs. An attorney for Schillari and the county will ask a judge on Friday to dismiss the whistleblower lawsuit filed by the ex-officer, Kristin Hyman, because she did not appear for a scheduled deposition and her attorney missed deadlines to provide pretrial documents. Hyman’s attorney, Douglas C. Anton, blamed the delay on two herniated discs he suffered in December … The county suspended Hyman without pay the day she filed her lawsuit, a week before she was scheduled to graduate from the police academy. The sheriff’s office cited Hyman’s prior employment playing a dominatrix in fetish films, saying she had not disclosed those jobs when she applied. Hyman argued that she had and stressed that she never appeared naked, never performed sex acts and never used her real name.” Read more here

—“Woman who tore down N.J. dentist’s sexy Playboy bunny display faces criminal mischief charge” Read more here

—“Paterson cops’ hospital assault victim sues city for $4 million” Read more here

—“Human waste has been leaking from Belmar’s sewers into the Shark River” Read more here

I LIKE TO BE IN NEW JERSEY. OK BY ME IN NEW JERSEY. TUITION IS FREE IN NEW JERSEY. OFFICIALS BOUGHT FOR SMALL FEE IN NEW JERSEY. — “Steven Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’ Maria on stage in Lodi this weekend,” by The Record’s Peter D. Kramer: “Friday is big for Clifton’s Rachel Zegler. It’s opening night for ‘Shrek,’ her last musical at Immaculate Conception High School. It’s also her last day as a student in the halls of the Catholic girls school in Lodi. That’s because Monday is even bigger. It’s Zegler’s first day as a film actress, playing Maria in Steven Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story.’ Filming on the iconic musical remake … is slated for summer. Zegler will finish her studies online and plans to take part in the June graduation ceremony as the class salutatorian. Spielberg chose Zegler, a pint-sized powerhouse standing 5 feet 3 inches (in heels), from more than 30,000 who auditioned.” Read more here

— “New Jersey preschoolers have highest autism rates ever in the nation” Read more here

Correction: Murphy’s event yesterday was in Trenton, not New Brunswick. I regret the error.