| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | Good Thursday morning! The never-ending North Jersey vs. South Jersey Democratic battle that's sometimes punctuated by periods of uneasy peace took a new turn yesterday. Democratic state chair LeRoy Jones, who leads the Democrats' state legislative redistricting team, ousted former Senate President Steve Sweeney from his spot on the commission, replacing him with Kivvit's Laura Mators. You may recall that the state committee chairmanship fight of 2020 was all about redistricting appointments. Jones also fired the two Democratic operatives on the commission with close South Jersey ties: Michael Muller — who was one of the top strategists on the Democrats' successful 2011 redistricting team — and Mickey Carroll. The immediate justification for this was the deep mistrust between the two South Jersey Democrats — Dana Redd and Jeff Nash — and the rest of the congressional Democratic redistricting team. The South Jersey commissioners sought map changes late in the process to certain districts that other Democrats perceived tailored to South Jersey interests. They worked it out in the end but Democrats, already suspicious of each other, didn't want to take the chance with the legislative map — especially with Sweeney having such an obvious interest in a district he no longer represents. But it's more than that. The South Jersey Democratic delegation was weakened by the loss of two Senate seats — including Sweeney's — and four Assembly seats in the last election. They've been on the losing end of the Middlesex Democrats' rise to power, as we saw when they were cut out of the 2019 deal that eventually made Jones state chair. For years, the South Jersey Democrats' ability to stay in lockstep allowed them to capitalize on the balkanization of the Democratic machines farther north. I'm sure the Democrats up north will have their internecine fights, but they're a lot less concerned about their South Jersey counterparts. Sweeney told NJ Advance Media he might sue. Read more about Sweeney's ouster here. QUOTE OF THE DAY: "South Jersey's run the party for the last decade or so. They had a hell of a run, that's for sure." — State Sen. Richard Codey, whom Sweeney ousted as Senate president and then removed his congressional redistricting pick HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Murphy spox Alexandra Altman, PR guru Karen Kessler, attorney Ryan Goodwin, Herb Conaway aide Mitch Zupk WHERE'S MURPHY? In Paterson for an 11 a.m. "public safety announcement." Media: "Ask Governor Murphy" on your local NPR affiliate TIPS? FEEDBACK? HATE MAIL? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com
| | | | JOIN FRIDAY TO HEAR FROM GOVERNORS ACROSS AMERICA : As we head into the third year of the pandemic, state governors are taking varying approaches to public health measures including vaccine and mask mandates. "The Fifty: America's Governors" is a series of live conversations featuring various governors on the unique challenges they face as they take the lead and command the national spotlight in historic ways. Learn what is working and what is not from the governors on the front lines, REGISTER HERE. | | | | | |  | WHAT TRENTON MADE | | CADDLE CALL — Hit man admits to killing former Jersey City council candidate in murder-for-hire case, by POLITICO's Matt Friedman and Katherine Landergan: A 61-year-old Philadelphia man admitted in federal court Wednesday to his role in the 2014 killing of a former Jersey City council candidate at the behest of political consultant Sean Caddle. During a 45-minute virtual hearing, Bomani Africa pleaded guilty to "conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce and using an interstate facility to commit m urder-for-hire." He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Africa, a Paterson native, admitted to killing Michael Galdieri, a former Jersey City Council candidate who was the son of the late state Sen. James Galdieri. Galdieri was an associate of Caddle, a Democratic political consultant who was active in New Jersey politics up until his guilty plea Tuesday in the murder-for-hire scheme. — " Killer and victim in murder-for-hire scheme had deep ties to Hudson, politically and personally" GOOD NEWS — " N.J. reports 143 COVID deaths, 6,023 cases. Hospitalizations, transmission rate continue falling," by NJ Advance Media's Brent Johnson: "New Jersey on Wednesday reported another 6,023 COVID-19 cases and 143 confirmed deaths, pushing the state's death toll for this month over 2,000 confirmed fatalities. But the state's seven-day average for new confirmed positive tests fell to 7,735, down 43% from a week ago and 35% from a month ago as the recent wave driven by the omicron variant continues to decline. The seven-day average for confirmed cased peaked at 27,914 on Jan. 10. The highest single-day total of positive tests was 33,459 on Jan. 7." — " N.J. public worker pension fund missed goals in 2nd half of 2021" — " State unemployment office 'service' needs major overhaul | Opinion" — "Women leaving prison in N.J. now have a health center just for them"
| | BIDEN TIME | | KIND OF A BIG DEAL — Supreme Court confirmation fight to make history in 50-50 Senate, by POLITICO's Marianne LeVine and Burgess Everett: Democrats' razor-thin majority will have to make history to confirm Stephen Breyer's successor to the Supreme Court. A 50-50 Senate has never done it before. As the White House considers candidates to replace the retiring justice, they'll need a judge who is guaranteed to garner support from every member of the Democratic caucus. That raises the stakes for the confirmation battle, but also provides some comfort for Democrats: as long as they stay unified, Republicans can't stop Breyer's successor from being confirmed. Republicans scrapped the 60-vote threshold on high court nominees in 2017. — " Pascrell calls for federal investigation of Passaic's massive chemical plant fire"
| | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president's ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | | | | LOCAL | | SETTLEMENT LIKELY TO BE LESS THAN INZELBUCH'S ANNUAL PAY — " Lakewood schools to settle lawsuit filed by fired district employee," by The Asbury Park Press' Joe Strupp : "The Board of Education plans to settle a lawsuit filed a year ago by a former district administrator who claimed she had been unfairly terminated for exposing alleged wrongdoing and cooperating with potential FBI investigators. Terms of the proposed settlement have not been released. The agreement is on the agenda for Wednesday night's school board meeting, noting only it is a 'settlement agreement' in the case. Helen Tobia, 58, is the district's former supervisor of Social Studies, Fine Arts and Pupil Personnel Services. In January 2021, she filed a two-count complaint in state Superior Court, Monmouth County, alleging she was fired in 2016 because she acted as a whistleblower. … The real reason she was fired, Tobia charged, was that she had become a whistleblower who exposed alleged wrongdoing." HE FOUGHT THE LAW AND THE LAW WON — " Former Paterson Mayor Joey Torres empties his campaign account to make donation," by The Paterson Press' Joe Malinconico: "Former Mayor Joey Torres emptied his campaign account last month by making an $8,739 donation to a substance abuse treatment program in the city. Some local political figures see the move as an indication that Torres — who was forced out of office in 2017 after being convicted of official misconduct — doesn't plan to run for mayor in May. They noted that candidates with impending political plans usually roll over the money from a previous campaign fund into a new one, rather than give it away. 'I think it's a sign he's not going to run,' said Councilman Luis Velez, who is among this year's mayoral contenders. But Torres said he hasn't decided what he will do in the upcoming election. 'We'll see,' he said." — " Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh donates to former adversary Maritza Davila's campaign fund" HOW THE TABLES HAVE TURNED: NOW MR. WILSON IS THE MENACE — " Camden's Woodrow Wilson High School renamed Eastside High ," by The Philadelphia Inquirer's Melanie Burney: "Camden's Woodrow Wilson High School will now be called Eastside High to break from the segregationist views and practices of the former president and New Jersey governor. School District Superintendent Katrina McCombs announced the new name for one of its two traditional high schools at a board advisory meeting Tuesday night. It was approved by a 6-2 vote; one board member was absent." 'PLANTATION' LANGUAGE OR NOT, TRENTON GOVERNMENT IS DEFINITELY NUTS — " Trenton councilwoman derides Black union leader as a 'sellout'," by The Trentonian's Isaac Avilucea: "Councilwoman Robin Vaughn accused a high-ranking city union official of being a 'sellout' and told him to keep 'tap dancing' for Mayor Reed Gusciora's administration. Her comments at last week's council meeting were directed at AFSCME Local 2286 treasurer Paul Harris. Harris, who is Black, called the insult 'plantation-era language' in a phone interview Tuesday. 'There's a lot of ways to take it,' Harris said. I hope she doesn't mean I'm selling out people of color. It crossed my mind. That's plantation-era language. She's saying I sold out to 'the man' and I'm tap dancing to the music that they're playing.' The exchange happened toward the end of Harris' public comment, after he called out Vaughn for laughing while he addressed the legislative body." — " McBride accuses Trenton blogger of calling her 'c**t,' clerk to contact Facebook over insult" RENT — "How much can your rent go up in NJ? It depends on whether your town has rent control," by The Record's Ashley Balcerzak: "Newark is one of about 100 New Jersey municipalities that have rent control rules designed to preserve affordable housing stock in a high-cost state. Those rules often come with exceptions and allowable increases intended to protect landlords. Although New Jersey doesn't have statewide rent control, as Oregon does, the Garden State has the highest number of towns in the country with rent control rules in place, ahead of New York's 63, California's 18, and Maryland's one, according to the Urban Institute, a Washington D.C.-based think tank." — " Denied housing in NJ because of your criminal background? Here's where to report it" HEAD FOR THE HILLS — " Gloucester commissioner resigns ," by New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein: "Gloucester County Commissioner Dan Christy will not seek re-election to a fourth term this fall and has resigned his seat. He is stepping down following a promotion at the Carpenters Union, where he has served as an international representative. He's now the Eastern District Representative for the International United Brotherhood of Carpenters. 'Commissioner Christy, recognizing that this would prohibit him from continuing the level of service the taxpayers need and deserve, has nobly tendered his resignation,' said Frank DiMarco, the director of the Gloucester County Board of Commissioner." THEY'RE SAYING COFFIN FLOP'S NOT A SHOW — " Comcast doesn't want you know they dropped MSG Network & MSG Plus, county exec says," by Tom DeGise for Hudson County View: "Imagine getting home from the grocery store and finding out you paid for something you didn't get. Then imagine the store refuses to give you what you paid for – or even refund your money. Or, if you're a Knicks fan like me, imagine not being able to watch your favorite basketball team after being assured you would be able to. If you pay for television, you don't have to imagine that scenario – it's most likely already happened to you." — " $21.6M project to restore N.J. school destroyed by Ida passes with overwhelming support" — " Neptune settles second harassment lawsuit with cop; total payout close to $1M" — " Paramus borough administrator, attorney are out as new Republican majority takes reins" — " Echoes of the mayor's race in Ocean City Council election" — " Hoboken BOE responds to referendum: 'Our aim is to create an equitable educational experience'" — " North Bergen judge accused of groping woman testifies: It was inadvertent"
| | EVERYTHING ELSE | | HOLY CRAP — Emails reveal how issues of race tore Holy Name leadership apart after battling COVID, by The Record's Lindy Washburn: "Holy Name medical center in Teaneck stood at the epicenter of New Jersey's hottest zone of contagion during the first wave of the state's COVID crisis. As coronavirus infections again surged to unprecedented heights in recent months, Holy Name contended with a new crisis — one of its own making. Its two top executives, who brought national recognition to their community hospital's valiant fight against COVID, became embroiled in a battle over allegations involving the hospital's treatment of some Black medical staff. In July, Holy Name's CEO, Michael Maron, suspended the chief medical officer, Adam Jarrett. He did so after Jarrett told the hospital board that Maron had ordered him to take actions that were 'immoral and illegal' — including a demand to 'get rid of' a Black doctor Maron had called a 'troublemaker.' After that, Jarrett disappeared from the hospital." — " Top doc leaves N.J. hospital after 'misunderstanding,' internal investigation" 1/5200TH OF ITS STATE TAX BREAK — "Owner of former N.J. nuke plant fined for 2nd security lapse," by The AP's Wayne Parry: "For the second time in as many months, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has fined the owners of a former New Jersey nuclear power plant for security-related violations. The agency said Wednesday it fined Jupiter, Florida-based Holtec Decommissioning International $50,000 for security violations at the former Oyster Creek nuclear power plant in the Forked River section of Lacey Township. The fine involved a company employee working as an armorer at the plant. In an investigation that concluded in March 2021, the NRC determined the armorer 'deliberately failed to properly perform required annual material-condition inspections of response unit rifles, and falsified related records.'" A SORDID HISTORY — " How Indians in Jersey City fought back against the terror of 'Dotbusters' in the 1980s," by The Record's Ricardo Kuelessar: "Navroze Mody left Hoboken's Gold Coast Café around 11 the night of Sept. 27, 1987. It would be the last minutes of his life. The Jersey City resident was walking back home with a friend when he heard the taunts of 'Kojak' and 'Baldy.' The teenagers pursuing yelled racial slurs, too, then beat Mody unconscious with bricks and other objects. His white friend, William Crawford, was unharmed. Mody was taken to a nearby hospital. He died four days later. His death came during a dangerous time for Indian immigrants and people of Indian descent who settled in Jersey City. But it also rallied those newcomers in a way that could be instructive today, as Asian Americans face a new wave of attacks sparked by racist rhetoric and the coronavirus pandemic." — " Track 'forever chemicals' in NJ drinking water " — Eight years after clean up plan was announced, EPA says work will begin at Superfund site"
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