Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing: 2/6/2020 – InsiderNJ

The United States Senate voted to acquit President Trump of the charges outlined in the articles of impeachment, falling far short of the 67 votes needed on both articles (48-52 and 47-53). Senators Menendez and Booker voted guilty on both articles. Senator Booker called it ‘one of the saddest moments in Senate history’ and that the Senate ‘shut its doors to the truth’.

The Murphy Administration announced a shared services milestone, with over 1,000 agreements since the beginning of 2019.

Rep. Pascrell walked out on President Trump’s State of the Union speech on Tuesday night, tweeting ‘this man’s presidency is a national tragedy’, according to the Bergen Record. Pascrell castigated the expansion of the travel ban, calling it ‘one of the most grotesque aspects of a catastrophic presidency’.

NJDOE Commissioner Repollet is under consideration for Kean University president, according to Politico NJ.

Facebook permanently shut down the ‘Rise Up Ocean County’ page, which had been accused of anti-Semitism, according to the Asbury Park Press. Governor Murphy and AG Grewal applauded the page’s removal, saying ‘we appreciate that Facebook has now decided that this kind of hateful rhetoric has no place on its platform’.

Atlantic County freeholders are weighing their options as they consider a resolution to designate the county a 2nd Amendment sanctuary, according to the Press of Atlantic City.

A former Corrections office was sentenced to 84 months in prison for distributing child pornography.

WalletHub released it’s 2020 New Jersey Car Insurance Report.

ICYMI: Payne skipped SOTU, Menendez incredulously shakes head at Trump’s lower drug prices line, Whitmer gave shout-out to Murphy; Menendez impeachment floor speech, Booker impeachment floor speech; Biden’s Iowa performance could have consequences as Jersey leaners could potentially pivot; Codey says Biden best battleground hope; Murphy announced Shabnam Salih as the Director of Office of Health Care Affordability and Transparency; Insider NJ’s key pieces; Insider NJ’s Who’s Up And Who’s Down: Week of Trump’s Rally; Sherrill hosted town hall, was guest of Bill Maher; Insider NJ War Room: Trump Rallies In Jersey

In CD1, GOP candidate Claire Gustafson says Rep. Norcross should ‘stop whining about this impeachment nonsense‘ and challenging him on his sponsorship of the embattled 2013 tax incentive legislation.

In CD2, Democratic primary candidate Brigid Harrison announced her support for the federal marijuana legalization.

In CD3, GOP primary candidate David Richter blasted rival Kate Gibbs over contributions from labor unions, calling on her to return donations from IUOE. Richter said the labor union ‘tried to undermine the election of President Turmp’ by endorsing Hillary Clinton in 2016. Gibbs is a Deputy Director with ELEC825. GOP primary candidate Tony Porto applauded the Senate’s vote to acquit President Trump, saying ‘finally, this purely political and intellectually dishonest perversion of a solemn constitutional process has failed’.

In CD5, GOP primary candidate Frank Pallotta called on Rep. Gottheimer to call on Speaker Pelosi to apologize for her ‘disgraceful SOTU conduct’ on Tuesday night, after which she ripped up the text of President Trump’s speech. Pallotta released a web video calling on Gottheimer to ‘stand up’ to Pelosi.

In CD11, GOP primary candidate Rosemary Becchi was endorsed by the Essex County GOP.

ICYMI: Alonso, Gilber fired from DNC Host Committee after sidelining amid toxic work culture allegations; Auth entering CD5 GOP primary; Union Dems backing Lourdes Leon for freeholder; Triggiano endorsed Sanders; Morris GOP taps Selen as freeholder, race turned nasty in final days; Schepisi won’t run for gov; Holley raised $100k at fundraiser; Pelosi coming to Norcross kickoff; Richter transitioned to CD3, Gibbs ‘not stepping aside for anybody‘, Richter says ‘I don’t think I’m stepping on anyone’s toes‘

In Camden, East Orange, Newark, New Brunswick, the cities rank in the bottom percentile of the median credit scores of residents according to a WalletHub survey of over 2500 cities.

In Englewood, a scheduled council meeting on affordable housing turned into a lengthy harangue by Mario Kranjic, according to the Bergen Record, while the GOP blasted Democratic council members for not showing up and preventing a quorum for an official meeting to be held.

In Jersey City, Mayor Fulop announced that voters will decide in November on the establishment of an Arts and Culture trust Fund.

In Holmdel, committee members wants Committeeman Critelli to pay back almost $10k for a contract awarded to his company that he voted for in 2013, according to NJ.com.

In Mahwah, the council will discuss censuring the mayor over his behavior at a party, where he admitted to getting drunk and sleeping in a township employee’s bed, according to the Bergen Record.

In Fair Lawn, a DPW worker is suing the town, claiming he got PTSD while on the job, according to the Bergen Record. The town plans to move forward with a single-use plastic bag ban, according to TAPinto.

In Metuchen, the town tapped Melissa Perilstein as its borough administrator, according to MyCentralJersey.

In Franklin Township, Somerset Freeholder Director Robinson addressed the violence plaguing the town, saying elected officials ‘have failed you’, according to TAPinto.

In Middle Township, residents are questioning what the township will do with $800k from the auction of a new liquor license, according to the Press of Atlantic City.

In Atlantic City, the BOE is still looking for a new meeting place, according to the Press of Atlantic City.

In Readington, the state approved a medical marijuana farm, according to MyCentralJersey.

In Paterson, the city approved $326k in pay for retired Police Chief Oswald, according to the Paterson Press.

In Bernards Township, both parties are seeking candidates to run for two seats on the township committee, according to TAPinto.

In Bedminster, the GOP will screen candidates, according to NJ Hills.

In Colts Neck, the town built a new $12.5M town hall, according to the Asbury Park Press.

In Little Ferry, new Police Chief Walters was sworn-in, according to the Bergen Record.

In Hoboken, the city is considering raising the hourly parking rate in the business district, according to Hudson County View.

In North Bergen, Police Chief Dowd will retire and will be succeeded by Deputy Chief Fasilis, according to Hudson County View.

In Palmyra, redevelopment of Route 78 is moving forward, according to Burlington County Times.

In Edgewater, a RentCafe study finds the municipality leads the state in apartment complexes with gym facilities.

In Somerville, the borough requested the state to lower the speed limit on Route 28 to 25mph, according to MyCentralJersey.

In Hamilton, the township will ‘go red‘ on Friday to promote awareness of Women’s Heart Health.

In Westfield, the BOE took steps forward to approve the state’s policies and procedures for transgender students, according to TAPinto.

In Millburn, residents expressed concern about the county’s proposed construction of an amphitheater at Turtle Back Zoo, according to TAPinto.

ICYMI: In Jersey City, Watterman potential mayoral challenger; in Maplewood, Murphy held town hall; in Paterson, Abdelaziz ready to defend his seat

N.J. Supreme Court will hear case on Jersey City school district’s deal to pay union reps’ salaries

Joshua Rosario, The Jersey Journal

• The fight over whether the Jersey City Public Schools can use taxpayer money to pay teachers union representatives is heading to the state Supreme Court.

Former Jersey City BOE member wants state to remove current trustee studying in China

Joshua Rosario, The Jersey Journal

• Former Jersey City Board of Education Trustee Matt Schapiro filed a complaint with the state Department of Education seeking to remove Trustee Mussab Ali from the school board. Schapiro, who resigned in July to move to California, said Ali shouldn’t be serving on the nine-member board because he currently lives in China and state law requires board members to live in the districts they serve.

Here’s how New Jersey’s Congressional delegation reacted to Trump’s State of the Union

NJTV

• President Donald Trump stood before a Congress and a nation sharply divided by impeachment and used his State of the Union address to extol a “Great American Comeback” on his watch. That’s just three years after he took office decrying a land of “American carnage” under his predecessor.

Residents continue to probe medical marijuana business potential at Trinca

Jennifer Jean Miller, NJ Herald

• Several residents expressed concerns during Monday’s Green Township Committee meeting about the potential of a medical marijuana cultivation facility moving in to the Trinca Airport property after the 81-year-old airport closes on Sept. 1.

EHT police to hold meeting with Zion Park residents after fatal shooting, attempted robbery

Molly Bilinski, Press of Atlantic City

• After a fatal shooting and an attempted robbery in the Zion Park section of the township, police announced a meeting next week to address residents’ concerns.

Mom and autistic child spent six days in a hospital ER. She wants a new law to help others

Kim Mulford, Cherry Hill Courier-Post

• Jaime Trabbold is under a deadline. In 2018, her 9-year-old son, Ronnie, spent six days in a South Jersey emergency department raging and in the midst of a suicidal crisis. Diagnosed with autism and bipolar disorder, Ronnie was sedated with medications every six hours while waiting for an appropriate treatment facility.

Was Phil Murphy campaign ‘toxic’? Top staffers not talking after misogyny allegation

Dustin Racioppi, Trenton Bureau

• In interviews, in writing and in speeches before hundreds of people, Gov. Phil Murphy has made it clear for weeks that people may talk openly about pervasive “sexism and abuse,” even if it happened on his watch.  Facing sustained scrutiny over the work environment of his 2017 campaign, Murphy pushed in his State of the State speech last month for people to “start speaking up and speaking out whenever they witness injustice.”

Op-Ed: Coming to Terms with Women and New Jersey’s Toxic Political Culture

Lee Keough, NJ Spotlight

• New Jersey’s reputation for having a toxic political culture regarding women is broadening beyond its borders. And as it ripples out, it will only add to the country’s negative perception of New Jersey as a place where politics is wholly corrupt.

Mullane: State of the Union good news for GOP, bad news for progressives

JD Mullane, Burlington County Times

• A Gallup poll has great news as President Trump delivered his State of the Union address to congress: Satisfaction with race relations has improved.

Verano, MPX and Columbia Care to begin medical cannabis cultivation in NJ

Gabrielle Saulsbery, njbiz.com

• Verano in Readington, MPX New Jersey in Pleasantville, and Columbia Care New Jersey in Vineland were granted medical cannabis cultivation permits, the New Jersey Department of Health announced Tuesday. This marks the permitting of five of the “new six” medical cannabis businesses awarded licenses by New Jersey in December 2018. There has been movement in this space multiple times in the last two months.

‘It’s a trap!’ Why ‘Chewbacca roar contest’ fliers have been spotted around Philly and South Jersey.

Stephanie Farr, Philadelphia Inquirer

• If you called the phone number on the “Chewbacca roar contest” fliers recently plastered around Philly and South Jersey to leave your best impression of Chewy from Star Wars, you made a Wookiee mistake. Turns out the “contest” — which offered a $50 prize for the funniest or best impression of Chewbacca left on the phone number’s voice mail — was a prank. One committed by a Padawan, at that.