The GOP’s Statehouse vaccine requirement boycott – POLITICO – Politico
Good Monday morning!
New Jersey’s Assembly GOP caucus plans to protest the new Statehouse vaccine requirement by not participating in Thursday’s voting session, David Wildstein reports.
I’m told that Assembly Democrats aren’t backing down when it comes to the requirement — especially with cases trending up in New Jersey and a new variant spreading. But they have hired a vendor to provide rapid tests for any unvaccinated member who wishes to participate on the floor.
Meanwhile, Democrats plan to make the first bill that comes up for a vote an expansion of the child care tax credit — something that passed Assembly and Senate committees this month with no opposition.
I read this as two interpretations of the Nov. 2 election, though they’re not necessarily at odds. Republicans obviously see it as a reaction to mandates. But where’s the line between being anti-mandate and anti-vaccine? The Republicans have reportedly invited anti-vaccine Democrat Jamel Holley to participate in their boycott — a man who has spread conspiracy theories about Anthony Fauci and Bill Gates and is a proud supporter of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., perhaps the nation’s most prominent anti-vaxxer. This comes after the caucus passed over Nancy Munoz to be minority leader, in part because she’s its most pro-vaccine member, having been the only Republican to vote in favor of eliminating the religious vaccine exemption.
By voting first on the child care tax credit, Speaker Coughlin is symbolicaly re-emphasizing what he’s previously said publicly: That voters sent a message about affordability. It also indicates Democrats see how the long closure of public schools hurt them with voters. And if Republicans want to boycott the session over the Statehouse vaccine mandate, they’ll miss that vote.
WHERE’S MURPHY? In Trenton for a 1 p.m. coronavirus press conference then a 2:30 p.m. menorah lighting ceremony
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “If I see a pathway to winning, I’ll run … And I feel like I have the skills and the talent and the ability to be able to make a difference in our party and in the country. And I’m certainly, at 59 years old, not ready to retire. But I’m not going to do it if I don’t see a pathway to winning. So that’s why I’m not making any decision now.” — Chris Christie interviewed about his new book
TWEET OF THE DAY: @DonWinslow: “Dear MSM, You gave @GovChristie huge media coverage for 2 weeks and yet his ‘big’ book didn’t come close to making the NYT bestseller list. No one cared. If Christie cannot sell 12k hardcover books then he’s not a serious candidate or political voice for GOP or Democrats.”
HAPPY BIRTHDAY —Assemblymember Gerard Scharfenberger, New Brunswick’s Keith Jones II. Missed Friday: LD2 Dems Campaign Manager Paul Weborg. Missed Saturday: Connell Foley’s Tom Wester, an important Mahwah Wawa advocate. Missed Sunday: Ewing Councilmember Jennifer Keyes-Maloney, Assemblymember Nicholas Chiaravalloti, Booker aide Gary Williams
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IS THERE SUCH A THING? — School districts’ decision to opt out of free lunch program shuts them out of other services, by POLITICO’s Carly Sitrin: More than 200 New Jersey school districts and charter schools don’t participate in the National School Lunch Program, effectively cutting their communities off from some expanded services that have been made available during the pandemic to help struggling families. Schools that opted out of the program this year or last are now shut out of the federal government’s expanded access to free school lunches for all students — not just those from low-income families — as well as free breakfast for all students, the “Seamless Summer Option,” for grab-and-go meals over the summer and Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) cards that helped families purchase food for school-aged children during the pandemic.
HAVE YOU HEARD OF THIS GUY? — “‘Ed the Trucker’: The Trump Republican who’s riding high in New Jersey,” by The New York Times’ Tracey Tully: “Edward Durr Jr., a Republican who this month toppled New Jersey’s second most powerful lawmaker, had three children under 13 when a mortgage company began foreclosure proceedings on his 1,200-square-foot, one-story home in South Jersey in 1997. Within two years, he and his first wife had filed for bankruptcy, identifying $64,784.99 in debts to J.C. Penney, an insurance company and a bank, court records show. ‘My kids didn’t really know what was going on,’ said Mr. Durr, who dropped out of high school when his father, a self-employed carpenter, got sick and needed help at work. ‘We kind of sheltered them from that.’ Two decades later, New Jersey’s high property taxes and cost of living would become centerpieces of Mr. Durr’s campaign, cementing his improbable win against Steve Sweeney, a Democrat who had held a near-final say over all legislation in Trenton as president of the State Senate.”
FOR DRE, A CHRONIC PROBLEM — “A road back to the war on drugs? N.J. cannabis law funds controversial police methods’,” by NJ Advance Media’s Jelani Gibson: “After a series of compromises, the law also would direct a portion of cannabis state revenue to local police departments to train more officers to identify impaired drivers — known as Drug Recognition Experts (DREs) — whose methods were being challenged for being scientifically unreliable. Even as the decades-old methods were being challenged in court, the Legislature committed more funding to the programs anyway, a move seen by many as a way to win the support of law enforcement and additional legislators. This week, Scutari, who also has a background as a prosecutor, supports the DRE protocol … Scutari asserted that there was a shortage of DRE officers. After being told in an interview that New Jersey was estimated to have had some of the highest numbers of DRE officers in the nation, according to data from the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), he claimed not to have been aware of that fact … [Attorney Kimberly] Schultz was excited earlier this year to bring her case to the state Supreme Court. Hearings were pushed back due to COVID-19, but restarted in September. She would argue the protocols police use to identify drug impairment weren’t based on valid science. ‘The court hasn’t said that it’s reliable, but you have another branch of government saying that it is,’ Schultz said.”
ALL BARK NO BITE — “Troubled New Jersey prison system lacks permanent leader — and Key watchdog,” by WNYC’s Matt Katz: “New Jersey’s troubled Department of Corrections is without a Senate-confirmed commissioner. The newly empowered prison ombudsperson’s office doesn’t have an actual ombudsperson. And the state’s only women’s prison — the focus of multiple probes due to systemic violence — continues to make headlines for sexual assault involving officers. As Governor Phil Murphy, a Democrat, begins his second term in January, the leadership of the state prison system and oversight of the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for female prisoners remain concerns for lawmakers and prisoner advocates. Eleven correctional officers at Edna Mahan have been arrested for charges related to assaulting women this year alone — and that follows years of investigations detailing a culture of violence at the facility. Murphy’s handling of the crisis — and his commitment to the embattled state corrections commissioner, who eventually resigned — was a controversial flashpoint of his first term. Going into his second term, plenty of questions remain: Who will lead the prison system? Who will take on the critical role of ombudsperson? And when will Edna Mahan close, as he has promised?”
OR NO — Incoming Senate Republican leader blasts Murphy’s Covid relief spending plan, by POLITICO’s Carly Sitrin: Incoming state Senate Minority Leader Steve Oroho is calling the Murphy administration’s proposal for spending pandemic relief funds “overdue” and “grossly incomplete,” declaring it “fails to address key needs for New Jersey.” The administration on Tuesday quietly submitted its plan to spend $252.6 million of the $6.2 billion in federal Covid relief money set aside by the American Rescue Plan Act to the Senate for approval. The money would be used to fund a dozen programs throughout the state. Oroho (R-Sussex), a member of the Joint Budget Oversight Committee, said in a release on Wednesday that the front office’s proposal “only addresses a few hundred million dollars of the billions available, providing the opportunity for the governor and his team to come back with a better plan.” A spokesperson for Gov. Phil Murphy declined to comment.
NO MORE MASTRO JOKES — “N.J. spent $60M to settle lawsuits last year, one of the lowest payouts in years,” by NJ Advance Media’s Blake Nelson: “New Jersey taxpayers had to shell out nearly $60.7 million last year to settle lawsuits, one of the lowest payouts in nearly a decade. Many cases were by state employees who accused bosses of discrimination, at agencies ranging from NJ Transit to the State Police. At the same time, lawyers for the state attorney general’s office were able to pull in more than $95.2 million from people and companies accused of misconduct, an increase from the previous year.”
KURTZ: THERE IS NO CASINO APOCALYPSE NOW — “It’s time to dissolve the casino PILOT bill, not make changes,” by Jesse O. Kurtz for The Press of Atlantic City: “It is time to dissolve the casino PILOT, not make it worse. The Casino PILOT bill is a form of corporate welfare. Casino gambling is authorized in our state constitution only in Atlantic City for the express purpose of revitalizing our local economy. Online gambling needs to support the constitutional goal of redeveloping our city. The current effort to change the Casino PILOT is completely tone-deaf. This is a time to regulate online gambling to ensure more in-person visits to Atlantic City. This is not a time to cut taxes for online gambling, which would be an economic incentive for casinos to undermine the hospitality industry. The current PILOT gives casinos a degree of property tax stability that regular residential and commercial taxpayers do not enjoy. The casino industry is making more money now than they ever have. This last quarter was a record quarter for the casino industry.”
—“From taxes to guns to abortion, here’s what to expect from Gov. Murphy’s second term”
—“Gov. Murphy got his COVID booster shot and says you should too”
—“Female prisoners in N.J. will get more health care services behind bars and after release”
— “Delayed by COVID-19, task force announces HIV/AIDS plan”
—“A Jersey guy wrote the book on COVID vaccinations | Mulshine”
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—“Which types of NJ Transit trains are the most likely to leave you stranded? Read the score card”
—“Outside spending made New Jersey’s 2021 gubernatorial race second most expensive ever”
—“Refugees who fled strife abroad started over in NJ, but are homeless yet again after Ida”
—Snowflack: “Book review: Chris Christie to the rescue?”
—“PETA promotes ‘ThanksVegan’ with image of Cory Booker (PHOTOS)”
HIS SUSPENSION MIGHT EVEN BE UNPAID — “NJ cop allegedly ran over pedestrian, brought body home to mother,” by NJ 101.5’s Michael Symons: “A Newark police officer has been charged with reckless vehicular homicide for allegedly hitting a pedestrian on the Garden State Parkway – then leaving, coming back, putting the victim in his car and ultimately returning to the scene with the victim’s dead body. Louis Santiago, 25, of Bloomfield was off-duty at the time of the Nov. 1 incident. He has also been charged with desecrating human remains and other related charges, acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens II announced … Prosecutors say that at around 3 a.m. on Nov. 1, Santiago was driving a 2005 Honda Accord northbound on the Garden State Parkway near Exit 151. They say he failed to maintain his lane and drove onto the road’s right shoulder, where he struck Damian Dymka, 29, a nurse from Garfield … Prosecutors allege that neither Santiago nor Guzman called 911 or rendered aid. Instead, they left and returned to the scene multiple times before loading Dymka into the Honda and removing him from the scene. Santiago then took the body to his home in Bloomfield where he, his mother and Guzman allegedly discussed what to do with the body, according to prosecutors. Eventually, Santiago went back to the scene. Santiago’s father, a lieutenant in the Newark Police Department, called 911 and reported that his son had been in an accident. When the New Jersey State Police arrived, Dymka was dead in the back seat of the car.”
IF HE GETS PRISON TIME HE’LL BE CALLED ATTICA FINCH — “Spencer Finch, the Paterson officer arrested on assault charges, is fired,” by The Paterson Press’ Joe Malinconico: “The city has fired veteran Paterson police officer Spencer Finch, who faces pending misconduct and assault charges in an incident last May that was recorded by another cop’s body camera. Finch’s termination marks a break from Paterson’s long-standing practice of placing cops accused of crimes on paid leave until after the court cases against them get resolved. Finch’s firing also represents the first instance in which a body camera recording was cited as evidence in criminal charges against a Paterson police officer. ‘We are ushering in a new era of accountability in Paterson,’ said Mayor Andre Sayegh.”
THE ELANTRA OF NUCLEAR REACTORS — “Hyundai joins Holtec in plan that could put small reactor at Oyster Creek,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Amanda oglesby: “A subsidiary of South Korean automaker Hyundai and the nuclear company Holtec International have partnered to build a nuclear plant prototype that could be placed in Lacey in the future. Holtec International, the Camden-based company that is decommissioning the former Oyster Creek nuclear plant, announced the new partnership this week. The companies are working to build Holtec’s SMR-160 plant, a “small modular reactor” meant to reduce costs for nuclear power and re-energize nuclear’s place in electricity markets. Holtec expects its SMR-160 prototype to be complete by 2030. The company has also expressed interest in its Lacey property as the site for the prospective reactor.”
A FOURTEEN POINT PROCESS – “N.J. district will restart renaming of Woodrow Wilson school, says process will be ‘inclusive’,” by NJ Advance Media’s Steven Rodas: “Nearly a year and a half after first announcing the change, the Camden school district has restarted the process of renaming Woodrow Wilson High School … A renaming committee of over 100 members — including parents, local activists, and school administrators — was then formed and met over Zoom to discuss options. Among the contenders for the new name at the time was the late Civil Rights giant, U.S. Rep. John Lewis; former President Barack Obama and late Camden school board president Martha Wilson. East High School and Camden East (or East Camden) High School were also under consideration. However, the school district paused plans at the end of the summer, saying it had to focus on the new school year given COVID-19 protocols. During the Oct. 26 school board meeting, district officials said the process will start anew with a 10-person committee led by Elton Custis, board member and chair of the policy and government subcommittee”
—“Change in requirements prompts delay in Atlantic City master plan release”
—“Sussex County extends contract with Morris County to house inmates”
—“After over 100 years, Wildwood, NJ boardwalk is undergoing repairs”
—“Paterson school secretary sues over in-person work requirement amid COVID-19 pandemic”
—“Paramus mayor gets legal victory in lawsuit over hiring of son as police officer”
—“Into the west: Collisions of times past, present and future in Kelly v. Onyema”
—“Dover passes ordinance to allow recreational marijuana businesses”
MEDIA — “Whitmer was pushed out of top newspaper job,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “In late 2019, reporter Sue Livio had begun working on a story regarding allegations of sexual harassment against the head of New Jersey Cannabis Industry Association. That put Livio on a collision course with Whitmer, who had formed a business partnership with the association and it’s president, Hugh O’Beirne. Whitmer had invested heavily in a subscription-based product, NJ Cannabis Insider, and in plans for a joint public event with the association where the two would split the revenues. An upcoming event was expected to produce revenue for NJ Cannabis Insider and improve Whitmer’s profits in the project, two sources confirmed, who sought to kill Livio’s story in order to protect his business relationship. ‘Sue pushed back and (editorial page editor) Tom Moran supported her and said the story had to be written,’ one of their co-workers confirmed. ‘Kevin yielded and the story was written, but the damage had been done.’
HOW DARE YOU EXPECT UNIVERSITY STUDENTS TO READ THE WORK YOU’VE PRODUCED? — “Rutgers confronts its history of slavery, with mixed results,” by WNYC’s Arun Venugopal: “At the students’ insistence, university officials conceded—with then chancellor Richard L. Edwards acknowledging complaints that the university had ignored its past, ‘such as that our campus is built on land taken from the Lenni-Lenape, and that a number of our founders and early benefactors were slave holders’ He launched the Committee on Enslaved and Disenfranchised Populations in Rutgers History in 2015, and out of that came the Scarlet and Black Project, an exploration of the experiences of Blacks and Native Americans at New Jersey’s largest university. The project yielded a rich trove of research and stories, including ‘Scarlet and Black: Slavery and Dispossession in Rutgers History’ a volume edited and written by Rutgers scholars. The first of three historical volumes, it takes an unsparing look at how the university’s colonial-era founders and the institution itself benefited from the slave economy, and the central role that enslaved men and women played in the construction of what was then known as Queens College. Rutgers was founded in 1766. But, just five years after the debut of the Scarlet and Black Project—a reference to the university’s colors as well as the African Americans directly impacted by the history—many Rutgers students are unaware of the work, or their school’s history.”
TENAFLY SHALL HERETOFORE BE KNOWN AS ‘WAP NEW YORK’ — “Inside Cardi B’s new home: No it’s not in NYC, it’s in New Jersey,” by The New York Post’s Mary K. Jacob: “Cardi B revealed earlier this month that she has officially moved into her dream home in the city of New York. The only issue? It’s in New Jersey. The artist, a native New Yorker, took to Instagram on Nov. 2 to share with her fans the news that she had purchased a freshly constructed home. ‘These days I don’t just live [in] one place, I’m everywhere due to my work. One thing for sure: I needed a home in my home city of NY!’ wrote Cardi B, 29, in the caption … But the home is actually located in the suburbs, in the Garden State — which is, by car, about 45 minutes from Manhattan and 25 minutes to Washington Heights, where she grew up.”
“See It: Bear closes front door At New Jersey homeowner’s request,” by CBS 2: “A woman in Vernon had an encounter with a bear you have to see to believe. Susan Kehoe says she took a video Monday night of a bear she calls ‘Mr. Doorman.’ She says the bear has learned to close her front door. In the video, Kehoe asks the bear, ‘Close the door, please.’’ Sure enough, the bear grabs the door knob in his mouth and begins to shut the door, but not all the way at first. After a few more requests, the bear completes the task.”
—“Bally’s facade is all rosy again. Can its future be, too?”
—“American Dream needs to do well this winter season. Here’s how they’re trying to lure people in”
