Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing: 12/23/2021 – InsiderNJ
Below is Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing:
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “In the last redistricting map, it was drawn by the Republicans. Thus I conclude that fairness dictates that the Democrats have the opportunity to have their map used for this next redistricting cycle.” – Redistricting Commission tiebreaker John Wallace’s rationale in voting for the Democratic map
TOP STORY: Wallace Picks Dem Map, which Sacrifices Malinowski – Details (The Map!)
The Morning Intelligence Briefing will be on holiday break through January 3rd – we wish all of our readers a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season – see you in 2022!
The statewide cumulative COVID-19 count stands at 1,186,847 cases and 25,948 confirmed fatalities (and 186,365 probable cases and 2,842 probable fatalities) as of Wednesday (an increase of 9,711 confirmed cases, 2,579 probable cases, and 28 lab-confirmed fatalities from the previous day). The viral transmission rate is 1.26. There are 6,370,688 people fully vaccinated.
The Democratic-submitted map was selected by tiebreaker John Wallace yesterday morning for congressional redistricting, which, as expected, extracts Democratic portions of CD7 and reroutes them to CD11 and CD7. The map’s new lines shore up the districts of Democratic incumbents Reps. Sherrill, Gottheimer, and Kim, while making Rep. Malinowski the apparent sacrificial lamb heading into next year’s midterm elections. In rendering his tiebreaking decision, Wallace said that while both delegations’ maps ‘meets the standards proposed at the outset’, he chose the Democratic map since the 2011 map chosen was the Republicans’. NJDSC Chairman Jones heralded the map, saying it ‘sets us on the path to victory’ next year, while GOP commission member Steinhardt said ‘we’re disappointed‘ with Wallace’s vote and rationale and that it ‘isn’t with the spirit of the process‘. The GOP commission members slammed the map as the ‘antithesis’ of being fair, and that they were ‘never given a real change to win’ Wallace’s support.
The NJDOL announced benefit rate increases for 2022.
Middlesex County will acquire 18 acres of open space in Metuchen.
Union County Surrogate James LaCorte passed away. The county settled a second sexual harassment lawsuit from a former jail inmate, according to TAPinto.
Reps. Watson Coleman, Kim, and Sires urged the state to equitably distribute federal infrastructure funding.
ICYMI: minimum wage will increase 1/1; Malinowski wants to break up Build Back Better; SALT relief may be doomed; Booker tests positive for COVID; Murphy marks moment; Sellinger assumed oath as US Attorney; Sherrill, Gottheimer undertaking rites of politics
In CD5, GOP candidate Nick DeGregorio says he will continue his candidacy in the newly redrawn district.
In CD6, Rep. Pallone praised the Congressional Redistricting Commission’s work, and said he’s ‘excited to run in the new’ district.
In CD7, Fredon GOP Mayor Flora says he will run next year in the district, following the redistricting of the town into CD7 from CD5, where he was previously running.
In CD8, Senator Sacco and Mayor Fulop will meet to discuss the congressional and Hudson County executive races, according to Hudson County View. Rep. Sires’ preferred successor, Robert Menendez Jr., is no lock for the nomination, according to NJ Spotlight.
In CD9, Rep. Pascrell will seek re-election next year.
In CD10, Democratic primary challenger Imani Oakley says the final redistricting map ‘represents a victory for our campaign’.
In CD11, GOP candidate Phil Rizzo says the redistricting process has become ‘about advancing the interests of power brokers’, and that he’s ‘not going anywhere’.
In CD12, Rep. Watson Coleman praised the new congressional district map as an ‘opportunity to broaden’ her work.
Governor Murphy will celebrate Christmas out of the country, according to NJ.com.
ICYMI: Morris Commissioner DeFillippo won’t seek re-election, Florance-Lynch will join ticket; Sires: DC ‘becoming a real drag‘; CD10 primary challenger Oakley criticized redistricting process; Essex, Middlesex demonstrate close ties; in CD3, Healey named Velardi manager; in CD5, Pallotta trumpeting endorsements; Murphy huddled with Carville
In Vineland, the AG’s Office is investigating a fatal police shooting.
In Closter, the borough is auctioning a Maserati with proceeds going back to the borough.
In Bogota, a police captain alleged age bias and harassment by the administrator, according to the Bergen Record.
In Chester, the council killed a proposed ordinance at their last meeting, according to NJ Hills.
In Fair Lawn, the council is requiring senior center attendees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, according to TAPinto.
In Garfield, BOE Trustee Mazzola passed away, according to the Bergen Record.
In Newark, Mayor Baraka tested positive for COVID-19, according to ROI-NJ.
In Paterson, schools are going all remote in January, according to Paterson Press. Dozens of police officers are out due to COVID-19, creating a staff shortage, according to Paterson Times.
In Ventnor, Joe Fussner was sworn-in as Police Chief, according to Downbeach.
ICYMI: In Newark, Baraka issues executive order on COVD; in Newark, now-solidified Team Baraka supplants James with Council; Osborne absence turned heads as Baraka contemplates guv run, Rice offers advice to West Ward council candidates, Silva announced campaign team in three-way race, Silva has backing of retiring Amador, while Weber has backing of Baraka; in Bayonne, Nadrowski clashed with colleagues heading into volatile election, launched her campaign for mayor, as insiders brace for battle
AROUND THE WEB:
Jason Nark, Philadelphia Inquirer
- The developer proposing a warehouse in the historic, wooded park didn’t come to the meeting, but the Boy Scouts did. The scouts joined a chorus of area residents, environmental groups, and outdoors enthusiasts in a school cafeteria in this Atlantic County community last week, crammed together for nearly four hours with protest signs and prepared comments.
N.Y. says replace the narrow Outerbridge Crossing, but N.J. has to agree to a study first
Larry Higgs, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
- New Jersey is the decision maker on whether the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will study expanding the four lanes of the 93-year-old Outerbridge Crossing to handle increasing volumes of traffic.
This is How NJ’s High Taxes Hurt Its Economy, Report Says
David Matthau, NJ1015
- A new study finds New Jersey is at the top of the heap, ranked number one, when it comes to having the worst business tax climate in the nation. Janelle Cammenga, a policy analyst with the nonpartisan Tax Foundation, says the report looks at every state in America and “no surprise to you or to most folks in New Jersey I’m sure, New Jersey once again ranks 50th due to its combination of high rates and complex tax structure.”
Morris Township governing body approves zoning for Red Bulls soccer complex
Mario Filler, Morristown Green
- The Red Bulls soccer team advanced one giant step closer to the finals Tuesday in Morris Township. By a unanimous vote, the Township Committee amended the zoning for the former Honeywell tract to include a sports training facility. Previously, the site was limited to office and laboratory development.
Jonathan D. Salant, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
- New Jersey Democrats came out on top Wednesday when the independent redistricting commission adopted their proposal on how to redraw the state’s 12 congressional districts. Retired state Supreme Court Judge John Wallace Jr., the commission chair, cast the deciding vote in favor of the Democratic map map over a competing proposal offered by the panel’s Republican members.
Rutgers’ students, faculty will study how to defend soft targets from terrorist attacks
Steve Janoski, NorthJersey.com
- Rutgers University will join a group of nine other universities to study how best to fortify “soft targets” such as hospitals, malls, schools and stadiums against criminal and terrorist assaults. The consortium will be funded through a series of U.S. Department of Homeland Security grants over the next decade, according to Rutgers.
New congressional district map largely a victory for Democrats
Nikita Biryukov, NJ Monitor
- Democrats won a victory Wednesday when the New Jersey Redistricting Commission approved the party’s preferred new congressional map after the tiebreaker, former Supreme Court Justice John Wallace, backed the party’s map in what was otherwise a party-line vote.
NJ redistricting: You may have a new congressional representative in your Jersey Shore town
Mike Davis, Asbury Park Press
- Do you know who your congressional representative is? The New Jersey Redistricting Commission on Wednesday officially picked a proposed congressional district map proposed by Democrats that will shuffle a number of Jersey Shore towns among the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th Congressional Districts.
GOP Redistricting Commissioners: “Republicans were never given a real chance” (OPINION)
GOP Redistricting Commissioners, Save Jersey
- Our map was designed to empower New Jersey voters. The final map is the antithesis of that. Our map provided voters, including minority voters, with meaningful opportunities to impact elections and met or exceeded every other standard we were provided. With 5 majority minority districts and 9 districts with a minority voting age population above 30%, the distribution of minority population among all districts accurately reflects the state’s diverse nature.
Do warmer Decembers mean the end of chances for a ‘white Christmas’ in NJ?
David M. Zimmer, NorthJersey.com
- In New Jersey, visions of a “white Christmas” may be more likely in your dreams. However, waking up to a blanket of snow on Dec. 25 may be no less likely than usual, despite established evidence that Decembers are warming in the Garden State. “It was rare, even when it was colder in December,” said David Robinson, who oversees the Rutgers NJ Weather Network. “It’s just kind of hard to get it to snow a lot in December because the ocean nearby is still pretty mild.”
Judge shoots down request for two years of police data in Morristown weapons case
Kevin Coughlin, Morristown Green
- A judge on Tuesday denied a public defender’s request for two years of Morristown police reports, ruling they were irrelevant to the case of a man accused of tossing a handgun into a dumpster while fleeing from detectives in December 2019.
Testy day in Trenton: Assembly Republicans obstruct Dems’ legislative plans
Colleen O’Dea, NJ Spotlight
- New Jersey’s Democratic-led Legislature on Monday started the last session of 2021 with more than 250 measures on the agenda, but Republicans made certain things weren’t going to happen either quickly or smoothly in the Assembly.
Construction company postpones Andover hearing, blames omicron COVID variant
Kyle Morel, New Jersey Herald
- The public hearing for a proposed construction storage facility on Stickles Pond Road will now extend into 2022 after the Land Use Board announced yet another postponement Tuesday. Board Chair Paul Messerschmidt said the board received an emailed letter from BHT Construction representatives at 2:05 p.m. Tuesday asking for that day’s hearing to be pushed back to next month because of concerns about a recent increase in COVID-19 cases.
Edison school board considers options for J.P. Stevens High School renovation, expansion
Cheryl Makin, MyCentralJersey.com
- The township Board of Education is evaluating three proposals to address overcrowding at J.P. Stevens High School. Pradeep Kapoor, director of sustainable design, and Kurt Vierheilig, director of design, for DMR Architects of Hasbrouck Heights, presented the proposals at the Nov. 23 board meeting. Each proposal includes changes to three areas — a front of school renovation, a classroom wing expansion and a courtyard enclosure.
Marlboro and Jackson parents use children’s shoes to protest COVID vaccine, mask mandates
Joe Strupp, Asbury Park Press
- Dozens of parents used their children’s shoes to voice opposition to mask mandates and potential vaccine requirements, in a silent protest outside of Marlboro Memorial Middle School. Saying the shoes symbolize students negatively affected by masking and potential vaccine requirements — which they claim violate rights, breathability and learning — parents Tuesday lined them up, pair-by-pair, outside of the building prior to the regular Board of Education meeting.
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