Holley makes long-shot bid against Cryan – Politico

Good Wednesday morning!

Assemblymember Jamel Holley (D-Union) made it formal yesterday: He’s primarying his former running mate, state Sen. Joe Cryan (D-Union).

Holley, who’s Black, put out an announcement video that portrays him in the mold of Martin Luther King, Jr., RFK (Sr.), John Lewis and Barack Obama. It made only glancing references to the anti-vaccine conspiracy theories he’s spent the last couple years pushing (with some help by RFK Jr.), and none to the false theories he’s promoted about Anthony Fauci and Bill Gates.

“This candidacy for State Senate is not about me. It’s about the boy in Elizabeth whose parents came to this country to seek a better life and many of the same services and support I received when I was young,” Holley said in a statement.

Conspiracy theories aside, Holley may have had something of a chance at getting the line for reelection as top Democrats there hadn’t decided whether to attempt to boot him. It wasn’t an easy decision for them, and they were definitely sensitive about the idea of white Democratic bigwigs throwing a Black incumbent off the line. But he relieved them of that decision.

History shows Holley’s chance of winning an off-the-line primary is exceptionally small. That’s before taking into account his anti-vax rhetoric and Covid denial that plays much better at a MAGA rally. Cryan has the support of basically every major Democrat in the state. And even if there’s a significant anti-establishment vote, Holley will be competing with progressive challenger Jason Krychiw, who teaches biology at Kean University and worked in a virology lab.

“I am a scientist and it is extremely concerning to me how the health and safety of our communities are being put at risk by political ambition,” Krychiw said in a statement. “It is not just about the spreading of conspiracies. It is about every single elected official and party chair who has been silent and allowed them to spread in the first place.”

WHERE’S MURPHY? In Jersey City for a 10 a.m. vaccine site visit, then Trenton for a 1 p.m. coronavirus press conference. Media: CNBC at 8 a.m., PIX 11 at 8:30 a.m.

CORONAVIRUS TRACKER: 3,164 newly-reported positive PCR tests for a total of 650,263. 92 more deaths for a total of 19,916 (and 2,187 probable deaths). 2,872 hospitalized, 544 in intensive care. 254,072 fully vaccinated, or about 2.9 percent of the population.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: TAPIntoNewark’s Mark Bonamo, former Union County GOP Chairman Phil Morin

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “In August, I contacted the Department of Corrections to share concerns about Sergeant Amir Bethea, a Corrections Officer at Edna Mahan. Apparently, no action was taken. Just recently, that same officer, Sgt. Bethea allegedly led a group of officers through the facility where they beat six women. Sgt. Bethea now faces two counts of second-degree official misconduct and two counts of third-degree tampering with public records.” — Assemblymember Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen)

LAUGHING TAFFET — “How a national insurance agency and political insiders work New Jersey’s money game,” by WNYC’s Nancy Solomon: “Acrisure, a multi-billion dollar national insurance company, may have secured government contracts worth millions of dollars by exploiting a loophole in New Jersey’s pay-to-play rules through the acquisition of branch offices once owned by well-connected political insiders that remain on the payroll. Those insiders, and its company employees, subsequently pumped more than $100,000 worth of campaign donations to lawmakers dating back to 2015 and sometimes days before those lawmakers voted on awarding lucrative contracts to Acrisure. Gothamist/WNYC found more than $3 million worth of Acrisure contracts with those county and municipal governments going back [to] 2015, and that only includes about half of the contracts where their value has been publicly disclosed … One of the political operatives who owned an Acrisure-acquired brokerage firm is Gary Taffet. A seasoned political operative, Taffet ran into legal troubles that included a billboard scandal that forced him to resign as chief of staff to New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey in 2003. A year later, Taffet was accused of insider trading in a case that eventually led to a court settlement and no jail time. Taffet broke into the insurance business in 2005 with help from Charles Kushner, the notorious political insider whose son Jared Kushner served as White House advisor to his father-in-law, former President Donald Trump, according to press reports.”

SEEKING UNEMPLOYMENT IS A FULL-TIME JOB — “NJ workers still face steep hurdles filing unemployment claims. Here are some of them,” by The Record’s Ashley Balcerzak: “The thousands of New Jersey workers still unable to resolve problems filing an unemployment claim amid the COVID-19 pandemic face delayed payments of their benefits, which can trigger a cascade of long-lasting, wide-reaching consequences. They face the threat of eviction, and the stain of court records that can follow them as they search for a new home. Medical bills mount. Credit scores worsen. Debt compounds. Even when they finally receive the unemployment payments they are waiting for, the damage done could be difficult to undo. The problems New Jerseyans have experienced with the state Department of Labor and the unemployment system during the pandemic vary widely. Some workers abruptly stopped seeing checks. Others never moved from a ‘pending status’ or haven’t had an interview scheduled to determine whether they are eligible for jobless benefits. Some are waiting for agents to backdate their claims.”

EDNA MAHAN — “Prison guard was focus of complaints before alleged attack at women’s prison, lawmaker says,” by NJ Advance Media’s Joe Atmonavage: “Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle, D-Bergen, said she contacted the Department of Corrections (DOC) in August ‘to share concerns’ about Sgt. Amir Bethea after prison advocates reached out to her office regarding Bethea, who they described as a ‘known abuser.’ Bonnie Kerness, the program director for the nonprofit American Friends Service Committee’s prison program, said she has received a number of complaints in recent months about Bethea’s alleged treatment of inmates and forwarded them to Huttle and the DOC. Huttle said the DOC received her complaint and confirmed the agency would look into it. She said ‘apparently no action was taken.’ ‘The abuse at Edna Mahan is systemic and whatever happened a few weeks ago, I think it could have prevented it if they had taken action and properly investigated who we asked to be investigated,’ Huttle said in a phone interview Tuesday.”

HOPELESS HICKS — “N.J.’s prison leader still has a job. Many lawmakers can’t figure out why,” by NJ Advance Media’s Blake Nelson, Brent Johnson and Joe Atmonavage: “’The department has regressed, not improved, under his leadership,’ state Senate President Stephen Sweeney told NJ Advance Media on Tuesday, after joining every other Democratic senator to call for [Marcus] Hicks’ ouster. ‘This is completely unacceptable — and it starts at the top.’ Legislative sources said they didn’t know why Gov. Phil Murphy was standing by the prison commissioner, although one thought Murphy was waiting for the results of an independent investigation into the alleged beatings last month. Some sources spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss conversations with the governor’s office. Advocates and legislators gathered virtually Tuesday to ramp up pressure. Participants asked residents to call the governor’s office, and more lawmakers signaled they would be open to impeaching Hicks after a Republican assemblywoman said last week she’d introduce a resolution charging Hicks with ‘official misconduct for failing to protect prisoners from serious harm.’ ‘I would hope we have a governor who can act on this instantly,’ state Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg said, because both the department and the women’s prison needed ‘careful, new, appropriate leadership.’”

ALL CHILDREN LEFT BEHIND — Lawmakers, education advocates say rebuilding public education needs to begin now, by POLITICO’s Carly Sitrin: Lawmakers and education advocates in New Jersey are turning their attention to the coming months they say will be spent catching students up both academically and emotionally as the pandemic has forced hundreds of thousands of kids to learn remotely. ‘It’s going to be a slow slog back, but I believe we can do it,’ Assemblymember Mila Jasey (D-Essex) told the Joint Committee on Public Schools during a virtual meeting on Tuesday. The committee heard testimonies from more than a dozen experts and educators, all of whom agreed that getting kids back in school buildings in some capacity is paramount. Though lawmakers and those who testified also acknowledged that without a significant expansion in the availability of vaccines — as well as funding to improve school buildings — districts that are trying to reopen will likely face pushback from teachers and some parents.

THEN HOW AM I GOING TO SOOTHE MY T-ZONE? — New Jersey lawmakers move to ban vape products, tobacco sales at pharmacies, by POLITICO’s Sam Sutton: New Jersey lawmakers are considering prohibiting pharmacies from selling tobacco, e-cigarettes and vape products. On Tuesday, the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee advanced a bill, NJ S1144 (20R), that would impose an escalating series of fines on pharmacies that stock tobacco products on their shelves. The vote was 5-3, with all five Democrats on the committee voting for the bill. While an earlier iteration of the bill had been backed by public health groups like the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association, business organizations and the Big Tobacco firm Altria lobbied heavily to prevent its passage. Some of the opposition came from the New Jersey Retail Merchants Association and the New Jersey Food Council. While those groups don’t represent pharmacies specifically, some grocery stores and retailers offer pharmacy services at their locations. Amendments adopted by the committee on Monday were designed to assuage some of those groups.

—“N.J. school leaders push state to cancel standardized testing”

R.I.P. — “Harry McEnroe, 8-term Essex assemblyman, dies at 90”

—“N.J. hotline tells callers they can’t book a COVID vaccine appointment over the phone, residents say”

—New Jersey will allow PPP loans to be exempt from state taxes

—Proposal to overhaul state’s campaign finance laws gets good reception from ELEC

—Planned Parenthood: Why no movement on Reproductive Freedom Act?

—“NJ asks feds to help restore ravaged beaches: ‘I’m just very concerned”

—“Jersey Shore beaches were torn apart by winter storm; N.J. urges feds for emergency aid”

—“County political parties saw drop in fundraising last year”

—“NJ to resume evictions in commercial foreclosures”

IF SEN. BLUNT VOTES NO HE HAS TO CHANGE HIS NAME — “Even with impeachment and COVID, Senate can end federal cannabis ban, Booker says,” by NJ Advance Media’s Jonathan D. Salant: “Senate Democrats plan to use their hard-earned majority to confirm President Joe Biden’s Cabinet appointments, pass a coronavirus stimulus bill of as much as $1.9 trillion, and try overhaul campaign finance, voting and ethics laws. They will also seek to end the federal ban on marijuana and help communities ravaged for decades by the War on Drugs. ‘Every year we make a stride towards getting it done,’ Democratic U.S. Sen. Cory Booker told NJ Cannabis Insider in an interview before the Senate began its second impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. ‘This year, I’m very excited, with Democrats in the majority in the Senate and the House and the White House, we’ll be able to get something really significant done.’”

—Community health centers to begin receiving vaccines directly from feds

R.I.P. — “World War II flying ace, Bridgewater activist Bob Vaucher dies at 102,” by MyCentralJersey’s Mike Deak: “Bob Vaucher, who had a lifetime of devotion and service to his country and community, died Sunday at the age of 102. Vaucher, who lived on Foothill Road for seven decades, had a distinguished record as a pilot in World War II, flying 117 combat missions, and earning two Distinguished Flying Crosses, five Air Medals, eight Battle Stars, and 13 wartime commendations and citations. After the war, he was active in Bridgewater, founding the Foothill Civic Association, which kept a close eye on Bridgewater issues for several decades, from the construction of Bridgewater-Raritan High School, the routing of Interstate 287 through the township to development and land preservation.”

FREEDOM OF BEACH — “Wildwood towns consider beach tags as crowds — and maintenance costs — keep growing,” by The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Julie Coleman: “Wildwood beaches are famous for their sprawling coastlands, party atmosphere, and free admission — but that last bit could be changing in the next few years. Mayors of all three of the Wildwood towns — Wildwood, North Wildwood, and Wildwood Crest — are considering implementing beach tags or some other tourism fee as the cost of maintaining the beaches skyrockets and puts a heavy burden on property owners whose taxes pay for much of the upkeep. The Wildwoods are one of the few South Jersey beaches that don’t use beach tags. ‘We already have a beach fee — it’s called taxes,’ Wildwood Mayor Pete Byron said.”

—“These Jersey Shore towns made more money on beach tags in 2020 than the year before”

BLM BLTS — “Paterson Black Lives Matter will give free lunches to first responders — including cops,” by The Paterson Press’ Joe Malinconico: “Police officers — the targets of numerous Black Lives Matter protests across the country — are among the first responders who will be eligible to get free lunches from a BLM activist group in Paterson on Tuesday. Zellie Thomas, leader of the Paterson BLM movement, said the ‘solidarity rally’ and distribution of 100 free meals are designed to ‘show appreciation for first responders and front-line workers’ during the pandemic.”

WHEN THERE’S NOT ENOUGH LASAGNA TO GO AROUND — “Police body cam footage captures heated verbal altercation at Garfield BOE meeting,” by The Record’s Katie Sobko: “An angry dispute last month between two school board trustees and a member of the public drew police to the city’s middle school, where officers found the three men outside, still agitated and spewing insults … the school, three officers found a member of the public named Anthony Erekat and two board members, Frank Barber and Everett Garnto, in a verbal confrontation. Police body camera footage shows Garnto and Barber near the entrance of Garfield Middle School when officers arrive. The argument continues as Erekat and Barber are heard yelling, Erekat calling Barber a ‘coward’ while Barber shouts back to ‘get the [expletive] out of here.’ Erekat is seen stepping away with the officer and explaining that he went to the meeting to call for Barber and Garnto to resign. He tells the officer they became agitated and describes the scene as ‘WWE wrestling without the music.’ As they move farther from the door, Barber continues to yell, at one point shouting, ‘Go back to Lodi so they can shove a [expletive] broomstick up your ass.’”

SURE IS EASIER THAN ADAPTING THE PARTY TO THE COUNTY’S CHANGING ATTITUDES AND DEMOGRAPHICS — “‘It’s a fair fight now’: Morris GOP votes for new county line on primary ballots,” by The Daily Record’s William Westhoven: “Committee members voted 305-143 during a virtual meeting Saturday to end the era of open primaries, a move supporters of the measure say is needed to contend with increasing Democratic footing in a county that has long been a Republican stronghold, said Vice Chairman Peter King. Morris County was one of three GOP county committees in New Jersey yet to adopt a party line. ‘We were fighting with one hand tied behind our back for many, many years,’ King said. ‘Now we are going to be able to fight the same way as the Democrats. It’s a fair fight now.’”

—“Cumberland, state court fight over jail goes to trial in about 2 weeks”

—“Lawsuit blames disabilities on pollution in Gloucester, Salem counties”

—“Trenton council could face Morelli suit, Walter asks judge to toss complaint”

—“Hoboken approves ordinance limiting what third-party food apps can charge restaurants”

EVERYTHING ELSE

LAWSUITS — “‘I felt abandoned’: Catholic priests turn to defamation lawsuits to fight sex abuse claims,” by The Record’s Deena Yellin: “Catholic leaders from the Vatican to America have acknowledged a long history of abuse by some clerics, too often excused or even covered up by top officials. But as the Church vows to be more transparent, some innocent priests have been swept up in the accusations as well, defense attorneys say. New laws in New Jersey and elsewhere lifting the statue of limitations on decades-old claims have made it more difficult for the wrongly accused to defend their reputations, they say. ‘In my view, it’s unconstitutional to put people under a microscope’ after so many years have passed, said James Porfido, a criminal defense attorney in Morristown. ‘It shifts the burden of proof to the defense.’ More than 240 lawsuits have been filed against New Jersey’s five Roman Catholic dioceses since Dec. 1, 2019, when a new law extended the statute of limitations for sex abuse cases. That followed a 2019 report by the dioceses themselves identifying 188 priests who had been ‘credibly accused’ of sexual misconduct.”

SO HOT RIGHT NOW — “N.J. real estate is hotter than ever. Everything to know about buying and selling right now”

—“Ranking N.J.’s most dangerous highways for crashes