Democrats forge ahead with redistricting amendment after closed-door meetings – Politico

Good Thursday morning!

This morning at 11 — or whatever that turns out to be in Trenton time —  the Senate and Assembly each hold constitutionally-mandated hearings on the redistricting amendment. I’m pretty sure they could have done it together as a joint hearing, but then you wouldn’t have the amendment’s opponents scrambling to testify at both hearings.

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The Democratic caucuses also met separately yesterday to talk redistricting at the Hilton in East Brunswick, where they were greeted in the morning by about 15 activists protesting the amendment. (By the way, even though these redistricting changes would hurt Republicans the most, the activists against it so far have been almost entirely liberal). At this point, it’s far from certain it has the votes to pass either house.

In their presentations to antsy members, Democratic consultant Michael Muller and Assembly Deputy Executive Director Mickey Quinn made the case for writing guidance for the tiebreaking redistricting commissioner into the state constitution, saying former U.S. House redistricting tiebreaker John Farmer in 2011 “ignored traditional redistricting principles, provided personal critique and opinion to drive what he wanted to see from a map plan.” Of course, this amendment only applies to state legislative redistricting, not congressional.

When the Democrats left the Hilton, it was far from clear they had the votes to pass this amendment. What was more clear was that the hundreds of activists, good government groups and academics who have spoken out against the proposal are in lawmakers’ heads — especially after some of the groups played such a large role in the 2018 election. Assemblyman Tom Giblin (D-Essex) summed it up in the quote of the day below.

WHERE’S MURPHY? No public schedule

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross, Dem fundraiser Stephanie Wohlrab, Senate Dems Executive Director Gene Lepore

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Why make enemies if you don’t have to? … I’m not suicidal.” — Assemblyman Tom Giblin on liberal actvists‘ opposition to the redistricting amendment

OUTFIT OF THE DAY — Steve Sweeney’s Paulsboro Wrestling t-shirt and track pants combo at yesterday’s hearing. He also dressed in a tracksuit during at least one of the 2011 redistricting meetings.

I BRINE THE ROADS DOWN IN AFRICA — “Murphy on safari? Governor and family to take 12-day vacation to Africa for the holidays,” by NJ Advance Media’s Matt Arco: “Gov. Phil Murphy and his family will set off late next week for a 12-day vacation in Africa, the governor’s office confirmed. The family is scheduled to spend Christmas in Tanzania, Murphy spokesman Mahen Gunaratna said. They won’t return until after the New Year. The East African country is known for its vast open spaces and parks, including a portion of the Serengeti National Park. Tourists flock there each year for its safaris to catch a glimpse of the so-called big five game — elephants, lions, leopards, buffalos and rhinos. If the family does take part in any safaris it’ll only be to observe animals, according to a Murphy official who said the governor does not hunt.” Read more here

TOOK A LITTLE WHILE TO ANSWER — Murphy aides will testify before committee investigating Alvarez hiring, source says, by POLITICO’s Ryan Hutchins: Half a dozen members of Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration who have been asked to testify before the legislative committee investigating the hiring of Al Alvarez will appear before the panel in the near future, a senior administration official said on Wednesday. The confirmation comes a day after the governor would not directly answer questions about whether the aides would cooperate with the ongoing probe. The Legislative Select Oversight Committee is set to meet on Tuesday, a week after it took hours of testimony from Katie Brennan, an administration official who says she was sexually assaulted last year by Alvarez, then a top campaign aide. Even though top transition officials were made aware Alvarez had faced an allegation, he was hired as chief of staff at the Schools Development Authority. Lawmakers, armed with subpoena power they have not exercised, have asked the following officials to testify: Murphy chief of staff Pete Cammarano, chief counsel Matt Platkin, chief ethics counsel Heather Taylor, deputy chief of staff Justin Braz, deputy chief counsel Parimal Garg and SDA executive director Lizette Delgado-Polanco. Read more here

WHAT WERE YOU THANKFUL FOR? — “NJ Transit riders endure worst November delays in 15 years,” by Bloomberg’s Elise Young: “Nearly a third of New Jersey Transit’s rush-hour trains to and from Manhattan arrived late in November as the agency worked to meet a year-end deadline to install a lifesaving brake system. Just 71 percent of those commuting-hour trains were on time last month, and around-the-clock service systemwide wasn’t much better. Overall timeliness for the trouble-plagued agency plunged to 82 percent, the lowest for a November since at least 2003 and down from 92 percent a year earlier. Of 16,563 trains last month, 18 percent were late, which is defined by arriving 6 minutes or more past schedule, according to a report released today at NJ Transit’s board meeting in Newark.” Read more here

SO MANY PEOPLE WAITING TO TRY MARIJUANA FOR THE FIRST TIME — Sweeney, Coughlin: December marijuana vote appears unlikely, by POLITICO’s Sam Sutton: Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin threw cold water on whatever hopes marijuana legalization proponents might have had for a vote on a recreational cannabis bill by the end of the year. “There’s not going to be a vote on Dec. 17, unless we come to an agreement tomorrow. And I’m more than willing to sit and listen and talk,” Sweeney told reporters Wednesday. Read more here

SUPREME COURT: LAST ONE IS ROTTEN EGG — “’Last in, first out’ policy protecting NJ teachers with seniority will stay put,” by The Record’s Hannan Adely: “New Jersey’s “last in, first out” policy that protects teachers with seniority from losing their jobs isn’t going anywhere. The New Jersey Supreme Court said it won’t review a lower-court ruling that had dismissed a lawsuit challenging the long-standing policy. The decision ends a two-year battle to overturn the statute. ‘We are incredibly disappointed that public school parents whose children have suffered ongoing harm due to antiquated layoff laws have been denied their day in court,’ the Partnership for Educational Justice, the group that filed the lawsuit, said in a statement.” Read more here

NJ LAWMAKERS SCARED TO VOTE FOR LEGAL WEED AS THEY WATCH MONEY ROLL IN FROM AN ACTUALLY ADDICTIVE HABIT — “Sports betting in N.J. nears $1B in total wagers after monster November,” by The AP: “New Jersey’s sports betting market is closing in on the $1 billion dollar mark after less than six months of operation. Figures released Wednesday by the state Division of Gaming Enforcement show New Jersey’s casino and racetrack-based sports books took in over $330 million worth of bets in November.” Read more here

—Ingrid Reed: “Constitutional amendment to alter redistricting rules a setback” Read more here

—“Schaffer opposes legislative leadership’s redistricting proposal” Read more here

—“Scramble for funds as more money allotted to preserve open space, farmland in NJ” Read more here

—”South Jersey lawmaker seeks to stem gun violence with ER programs” Read more here

—Wirths: “I’m an ex-business owner and now an Assemblyman — here’s a better idea for a fairer minimum wage” Read more here

—“Phil Murphy talks business, $15 minimum wage in Parsippany” Read more here

—“Atlantic City casino revenue increased 20 percent in November” Read more here

—“Former Passaic judge stripped of pension” Read more here

—“Edna Mahan: Bill would assist victims of sex assault inside women’s prison” Read more here

—“NJ police abuse: We fixed some problems, but more cops charged, more millions spent” Read more here

—NJ Transit approves purchase of 113 new rail cars at cost of $669M Read more here

THEY GO TO JARED — “What does it take to become Trump’s chief of staff? Jared and Ivanka’s approval,” by POLITICO’s Gabby Orr: “President Donald Trump will weigh several criteria as he searches for his next chief of staff, including loyalty, political skills and management experience. But there’s one thing any potential hire must do: win the approval of Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. Trump’s son-in-law and daughter, who are also White House advisers, want a political ally in the chief of staff job, and they are using their unrivaled influence to ensure they get one, according to seven former and current White House officials … Their influence could dim the chances of some candidates for the post, White House aides and allies say, including one of Trump’s favorites — Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), who is not close with the thirtysomething couple. They are also opposed to the prospect of former Trump deputy campaign manager David Bossie taking on the role. It’s also an obstacle for former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who put Kushner’s father behind bars as a federal prosecutor in New Jersey.” Read more here

WHAT THE LEFRAK? — “Trump, Kushner, LeFrak could potentially benefit from federal ‘opportunity zones’,” by NBC’s Laura Strickler and Stephanie Ruhle: “The Trump Organization, the family real estate interests of presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner and Trump friend Richard LeFrak, a New York developer, could all benefit from a new federal program that has designated `opportunity zones‘ in `economically distressed‘ areas around the country and offers tax benefits for developers. Kushner’s family already owned real estate on the Jersey Shore, but spent an extra $13.15 million in Long Branch after the area was deemed an opportunity zone by the Treasury Department in April according to Bloomberg News … Kushner also has existing properties in two Maryland opportunity zones, while the Trump Organization owns a New Jersey golf course inside another … Richard LeFrak has a $4 billion, 183-acre massive development called SoLe Mia in North Miami that is now right in the middle of a zone … In New Jersey, ‘the selection of the zones was done through an objective, transparent and rigorous process based on a formula,’ said a spokesperson for Gov. Phil Murphy, adding that the governor’s office weighed income, unemployment rates and existing neighborhood investments.” Read more here

—“America’s corporate boards still dominated by white males, according to survey by N.J.’s Menendez” Read more here

—“Early 2020 Cook ratings favor NJ Democrats” Read more here

R.I.P. — “Ocean County Freeholder John C. Bartlett Jr. dies at 71,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Erik Larsen: “John C. Bartlett Jr., one of the most consequential political figures in Ocean County history, who presided over an era of unprecedented growth and helped establish 27 county parks, died Wednesday morning at his home in Pine Beach. He was 71. Bartlett was first diagnosed with colorectal cancer nearly three years ago. After chemotherapy and radiation treatment at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia in 2016, the cancer was in remission until his doctors discovered that it had metastasized earlier this year. By August, Bartlett was mostly bedridden and in pain. Bartlett, the longest-serving freeholder in New Jersey who had been in office since 1980, attended his last meeting of the Board of Freeholders on Aug. 29 to announce that he was ending his bid for re-election this fall.” Read more here

JOEY SPRUNG FROM THE POUCH — “State: Paterson’s Jose ‘Joey’ Torres released from prison at 8:11 a.m.” by The Paterson Press’ Joe Malinconico: “Former mayor Jose ‘Joey’ Torres was released from state prison at 8:11 a.m. on Wednesday after spending 392 days behind bars on a corruption charge, New Jersey corrections department officials confirmed. Torres was released from the state’s Central Reception and Assignment Facility on Stuyvesant Avenue in Trenton, where he served his sentence after spending a brief time at the Hudson County jail immediately following his sentencing in November 2017. Torres, who turned 60 while incarcerated, pleaded guilty to having city workers paid overtime by the taxpayers do renovations on a beer distribution business owned by his daughter and nephew. Torres had been sentenced to a maximum of five years. But the plea agreement that resulted in Torres’ conviction provided the former mayor with the opportunity to get released after a little more than a year behind bars.” Read more here

SAYREVILLE IT AIN’T SO — “Councilman says he resigned for career opportunities. It turns out he accepted bribes at Bloomberg HQ,” by NJ Advance Media’s Alex Napoliello: “A Sayreville councilman who said he resigned to pursue other career opportunities pleaded guilty to bribery a month before his resignation, NJ Advance Media has learned. Ricci Melendez, who served on the borough council for six years, pleaded guilty on Oct. 23 to receiving a commercial bribe, a second-degree offense, in New York City criminal court, according to a complaint. Melendez, 40, accepted an unspecified bribe in January 2015 from a confidential informant without the consent of his employer, Bloomberg LP, the complaint said. The crime occurred in Bloomberg’s headquarters at 731 Lexington Avenue in Manhattan. Melendez took the bribe ‘with the understanding that such benefit would influence his conduct in relation to Bloomberg LP’s affairs,’ the complaint states.” Read more here

FBI TO INVESTIGATE NO-SHOW JOB — “Atlantic City Mayor Gilliam a no-show for first City Council meeting since raid,” by The Press of Atlantic City’s David Danzis: “Mayor Frank Gilliam Jr. did not show up at Wednesday night’s City Council meeting. Earlier in the day, his office said he was scheduled to attend. The meeting was council’s first since Gilliam found himself in the cross-hairs of a federal investigation.” Read more here

TRENTON — “Sources: Trenton police director takes back resignation,” by The Trentonian’s Isaac Avilucea: “She’s back. In the only Michael Jordan moment she has had in her turbulent tenure, Carol Russell on Tuesday reneged on her decision to step down as acting police director, according to multiple sources. The Mayor Reed Gusciora administration denied that Russell ever resigned her post following a 4 p.m. meeting Monday at City Hall that a spokesman would only say was held so city officials could discuss ‘police business.’ The administration’s denial is contradicted by what three high-level city sources with knowledge of the situation, along with multiple police sources, have corroborated to this newspaper: Russell agreed to resign Monday, only to take it back a day later.” Read more here

—“Could Jersey City council rule help doom payroll tax?” Read more here

—“Trenton council president says ‘community has right to know’ about Russell resignation” Read more here

—“Paterson: State approves $30M tax credit for train station project” Read more here

—“Paterson weighs tax appeal settlement for struggling Center City Mall” Read more here

—“Ventnor firefighter latest to plead guilty in vast prescription fraud scheme” Read more here

—“North Bergen voters say ‘yes’ to $60 million bond for schools realignment plan” Read more here

—“How tax breaks at Cedarbridge in Lakewood could help struggling schools” Read more here

—“Superdome sports complex plan gets Brick board’s approval” Read more here

—“Bedminster settles police officer whistleblower lawsuit for $450K” Read more here

NO. WE HAD TO SUFFER. THEY DO, TOO — “Down With Homework, Say U.S. School Districts,” by The Wall Street Journal’s Tawnell D. Hobbs: “School districts across the country are banning homework, forbidding it on certain days or just not grading it, in response to parents who complain of overload and some experts who say too much can be detrimental. … The goal of the changes is to give students more time to read, sleep and spend time with family, especially at the elementary level, school administrators say. ‘Student wellness is becoming a much larger issue,’ said Mark Toback, superintendent of Wayne Township Public Schools in Wayne, N.J., which had its first homework-free weekend in October with two more scheduled.” Read more here

MURDER IN SAN JUAN — “7 years after a N.J. banker was gunned down in Puerto Rico, a murder plot emerges,” by NJ Advance Media’s Ted Sherman: “The mysterious murder of New Jersey banker Maurice J. Spagnoletti, who was gunned down seven years ago on a busy San Juan expressway in Puerto Rico, was tied by federal prosecutors Wednesday to a ring of drug traffickers allegedly responsible for at least two other murders. U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez told The Associated Press that the gang targeted Spagnoletti in the June 2011 shooting because he was investigating improper bank transactions involving one of the suspects who allegedly was laundering money through Doral Bank in San Juan, where Spagnoletti was then working.” Read more here

— “Catholic Church set to unveil compensation fund for sex abuse survivors” Read more here

—”NJ woman charged with enslavement, accused of forcing woman to work 9 years with no pay” Read more here

—“Cannabis group, Stockton University announce partnership” Read more here