| | | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | Presented by Anbaric Development Partners | The state Supreme Court on Tuesday asked congressional redistricting tiebreaker John Wallace Jr. to better justify his decision two weeks ago to side with the Democrats' map. Wallace infamously said that even though the Democratic map scored better on his "partisan fairness" measurement, that didn't factor into his decision. Instead, it was "simply because in the last redistricting map, it was drawn by the Republicans." With Republicans suing, the court wants to hear more. Meanwhile, Republicans have a press conference this morning to talk about their case. My gut feeling is it's a long shot that the court will throw out the map. Regardless — and luckily for Democrats — Wallace's logic is not binding for the next redistricting process: Redrawing New Jersey's 40 state legislative districts. Because if it was, we wouldn't have to bother going through the process. Just as Republicans drew the last congressional district map, Democrats drew the last state legislative district map. All state legislative redistricting tiebreaker Philip Carchman would have to do is promise Republicans his vote if they draw a map that meets his standards. And unless the Supreme Court sides with the Republican argument, the Democrats would just have to respect Carchman's authority. WHERE'S MURPHY? In Long Branch with the Pallone brothers for an 11 a.m. library funding announcement, then in Woodbridge for a 4:15 p.m. snow briefing, followed by Middlsex and Union County reorganization meetings. QUOTE OF THE DAY: "New York is a much more recognizable, powerful and valuable brand than New Jersey. … Defendants have intentionally advertised and branded the Giants and Jets falsely, to increase their gross revenue and value of their franchises. Many NFL fans would not attend live games of the Giants or Jets if they were warned in advance that they play in the State of New Jersey." — A lawsuit filed by Manhattan resident Abdiell Suero against the Giants and Jets, which contends that the home team fans have been "insulted, ridiculed, harassed, tormented, and bullied" by other teams' fans because of this. Via Law360. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Assemblymember Vince Mazzeo, Assemblymember Anthony Verrelli, New York magazine writer/NJ native Olivia Nuzzi UNHAPPY ANNIVERSARY: One year ago, there was a violent attempt to overturn the presidential election, fanned by the false rhetoric of the president who lost it and some members of his inner circle. Let's not forget that. TIPS? FEEDBACK? HATE MAIL? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com | | | | A message from Anbaric Development Partners: It's a New Year and the need for swift action to address climate change is clearer now than ever. Anbaric believes in New Jersey's clean energy goals and stands ready to work together to accelerate the growth of the state's offshore wind industry. That's why we were thrilled to submit a robust bid package to deliver an efficient, cost-effective transmission system that protects the environment and the ratepayer. Learn more. | | |
|  | WHAT TRENTON MADE | | HORIZONTAL JOB MOVE — "Sen. Loretta Weinberg expected to resign early to join Horizon Blue Cross board, sources say," by NJ Advance Media's Susan K. Livio: "State Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, one of New Jersey's most influential lawmakers who announced early last year she's retiring, will resign ahead of her planned departure to accept a position on the board of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, NJ Advance Media has learned. Outgoing Senate President Stephen Sweeney is expected to appoint her to the position by the end of the week, according to three sources with knowledge of the pending action. Horizon, the largest health insurer in the state, is overseen by a 17-member board. Directors are paid a $77,000 a year retainer. It means Weinberg will need to resign to take the post because a state legislator cannot serve on a state board. Her term as a state senator ends Tuesday. Sweeney, who was defeated in November's election, also leaves Tuesday." FLASHBACK — "Horizon bill creates new patronage opportunities for governor, legislative leaders" IT WILL NOT BE AN EXACT REPRODUCTION — Weinberg: New bill to replace Reproductive Freedom Act likely to be introduced Thursday, by POLITICO's Daniel Han: Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg said Wednesday a bill to replace the controversial Reproductive Freedom Act is expected to be introduced Thursday. "There will be a bill dropped that has some good things and some shortcomings," Weinberg said in an interview. Details of the bill are still being worked out, though it would definitely enshrine existing state case law affirming a woman's right to an abortion into state statute, Weinberg said. — "N.J. lawmakers ready to protect abortion rights but back off plan to mandate insurance coverage" THE ERA OF 'WE'LL TAKE YOUR WORD FOR IT' IS SEMI-OVER — Comptroller: EDA has made 'substantial progress' to improve tax incentive programs, by POLITICO's Katherine Landergan: The state Economic Development Authority has made "substantial progress" to improve the way it administers New Jersey's tax incentive programs, but more must be done to ensure businesses are not improperly receiving the awards, according to a report released Wednesday. In 2019, the Office of the State Comptroller found a lack of oversight as to how the state awarded tax breaks to businesses, and made 21 recommendations for improvements. According to the report issued Wednesday, the comptroller's office said the EDA had implemented 11 of the 21 recommendations, partially implemented seven and failed to implement three. OFF THE WATERFRONT — New Jersey moves to exit Waterfront Commission, by POLITICO's Ry Rivard : New Jersey is moving ahead with plans to pull out of the 70-year-old Waterfront Commission, a bi-state agency tasked with keeping the ports around New York Harbor free of organized crime. In late December, Gov. Phil Murphy's administration sent a letter to the commission, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and congressional leaders declaring that New Jersey is withdrawing from the agreement that established the commission, a move that will effectively kill the agency. That Dec. 27 letter — sent by Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver, who was serving as acting governor while Murphy was on vacation — starts what is supposed to be a three-month wind down of the state's involvement in the commission. THE UNDESERVED UNDERSERVED — Test results show New Jersey's underserved students need 'strong' support, by POLITICO's Carly Sitrin: New Jersey's underserved students are in "strong" need of educational support — a reflection of national trends and achievement gaps that have been present for years, but exacerbated by the pandemic, according to the latest data from the state Department of Education. Initial results from the state's standardized "Start Strong Assessments" administered to students last fall show Black students, Hispanic students, economically disadvantaged students, students with disabilities and students still learning English scored well below their white, Asian, neurotypical and wealthy peers. Younger students also scored lower on the tests than older students. — "School groups urge Gov. Phil Murphy to extend N.J. school mask mandate past Jan. 11" NJ TRANSMIT — "About 700 NJ Transit workers test positive for COVID. How is it impacting service?" by The Record's Colleen Wilson: "About 700 of NJ Transit's 12,000-person workforce are unable to work after testing positive for COVID-19 as the agency maintains greater than 90% service levels on rail and bus. Before the omicron variant swept the nation this holiday season, NJ Transit's peak number of positive cases among workers was 299 on April 27, 2020. At that time, the agency had dialed back its schedule and ridership levels were down by as much as 95% compared with pre-pandemic numbers … [Spokesman Jim] Smith said NJ Transit is maintaining 97% of full weekday scheduled rail service and 94% of full weekday scheduled bus service despite the spike in positive cases." FOR OLS, IT'S NOT 'OH HELL YES' — "Lawmakers seek overhaul Of Office Of Legislative Services, starting with replacement of top staffers," by New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein: "The Legislative Services Commission has scheduled a special meeting for Friday to authorize a search committee to find a replacement for Peri A. Horowitz, the OLS executive director, and for the legislative counsel, Jason Krajewski. Horowitz and Krajewski have not sought to leave, and their replacement will be involuntary. The New Jersey Globe has learned that Democrats and Republicans have agreed that they want new leadership in the OLS. Lawmakers cited negative interactions with the senior staff and dissatisfaction with their work." HEY, AT LEAST THERE AREN'T MOBILE MORGUES — "NJ COVID hospitalizations still spiking, but patients recovering faster than in first wave," by The Record's Lindy Washburn: "For COVID patients who are hospitalized, this wave of the pandemic — the omicron wave — is different. They are likely to spend less time in the hospital — five to eight days, compared with 10 to 15 in previous surges. They are less likely to need intensive care or a ventilator. High-flow oxygen to aid breathing is more common, while ventilator use has shrunk to a third or less of ICU patients. And the vast majority recover. This time around, there are no morgue freezer trucks." — " 'We're living in wild times': NJ businesses throttled by omicron as workers catch COVID" — Murphy will pre-record State of the State for delivery on Tuesday — " Ambulance services warn of devastation if NJ staffing rule lapses" — "2 unvaccinated guests led to 8 infected with COVID. Nursing home rules must change. | Opinion" — " Judge dismisses lawsuit by fired SDA worker who claimed racial discrimination, retaliation" — "Public defenders could soon be free for minors'" — " Special education advocates seek court order to keep N.J. schools open" — "One dead, others hospitalized as icy roads cause hundreds of crashes in North Jersey" — " 104 state nominees remain unconfirmed, most with no Senate hearings on the horizon" | | | | BECOME A GLOBAL INSIDER: The world is more connected than ever. It has never been more essential to identify, unpack and analyze important news, trends and decisions shaping our future — and we've got you covered! Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Global Insider author Ryan Heath navigates the global news maze and connects you to power players and events changing our world. Don't miss out on this influential global community. Subscribe now. | | | | |
| | BIDEN TIME | | MEET THE NEW BOB, SON OF THE OLD BOB — "Like an English king of old, Menendez provides for his heir," by The Star-Ledger's Tom Moran: "It is not unusual for a father to clear a career path for his son, so forgive Sen. Robert Menendez for his paternal instincts. But surely it is a symptom of this state's political dysfunction when a wholly unqualified 36-year-old man who has never run for political office, Robert Jr., can waltz into Congress without a fight, as if accepting a royal inheritance. To help your kid land a job interview and buy him a new suit is one thing. To hand him a seat in Congress, and thereby elbow out more qualified contenders, is something else … [I]t's revealing that Menendez Jr. is declining to answer questions about it, or to discuss his political views. Still, for obvious reasons, Menendez Jr. has won the snap endorsement of every major Democratic player in the district, from local mayors and party chairmen to Sen. Cory Booker and the governor himself, who strained on Monday to pretend this was not nepotism." MERCKY ETHICS — "These N.J. companies that condemned Jan. 6 pro-Trump riot backed lawmakers who tried to overturn election," by NJ Advance Media's Jonathan D. Salant: "Two New Jersey companies, Johnson & Johnson and Merck & Co., were among the corporations condemning the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection by supporters of then-President Donald Trump. Johnson & Johnson said the riot 'sought to undermine the very fabric of our democracy' and paused its campaign contributions in response. Even before the insurrection, then-Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier discussed withholding donations from Republican lawmakers refusing to certify Joe Biden's victory. Since then, both companies' political action committees have opened their checkbooks for the House Republicans who embraced disproven allegations of voter fraud and voted a year ago Thursday to reject the state-certified electoral votes that made Joe Biden the 46th president." SPLITTING THE VOTE — "Democrats may be the least of Kean's worries," by InsiderNJ's Fred Snowflack: "Fueled apparently by the new map and still giddy over the party's relative success last fall, more Republicans are expressing interest in the CD-7 seat. Top on the list by virtue of his current position would be Erik Peterson, an assemblyman from LD-23. Like all of the recent challengers, Peterson appears to be to the right of the more centrist Kean. This would be an obvious advantage in a primary, but it fades quickly if the right wing vote is split among a number of candidates." — " House Republican leaders just made Tom Kean Jr. a top priority to topple N.J. Democrat" | | | | A message from Anbaric Development Partners:   | | |
| | LOCAL | | UNVACCINATED POLICE TO BE LIMITED TO FOUR PART-TIME JOBS — "Proposed policy would see unvaccinated Hudson County workers use own time if they get COVID-19," by Hudson County View's John Heinis: "A new proposed personnel policy would have unvaccinated Hudson County workers use their own time if they contract COVID-19, or be placed on unpaid leave if they don't have any, as well as pay for mandatory biweekly testing out of pocket. 'Any partially or fully vaccinated employee who tests positive for COVID-19 will be able to recover on county time for up to 80 hours, but only as needed, without use of his or her time." TWO OBJECTIVE, EASILY-MEASURABLE GOALS — " Edison's youngest, first South Asian mayor takes office with two main goals," by MyCentralJersey's Suzanne Russell: "When Samip "Sam" Joshi, the township's new mayor, was sworn into office on Saturday, he announced two main goals for himself and his administration— the need for unity and a government that works for its people. In a speech at his alma mater, J.P. Stevens High School, Joshi, a former Township Council vice president, said Edison is home to every culture, religion, ethnicity and every economic status. 'And because of this, we have a multitude of different viewpoints and different priorities that we must navigate. The demographics of Edison reflect greater America and because of this, we are uniquely positioned to be a catalyst of unity in our society — but it is up to us to bring that change,' he said. Joshi, 32, is the township's youngest mayor and the first South Asian to hold the position." WRIGHT AND WRONG — "Superior Court Judge reassigned after scuffle with Newark mayor," by New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein: "Superior Court Judge Carolyn E. Wright was reassigned last month, just three days after a contentious meeting with Newark Mayor Ras Baraka to discuss juvenile justice programs went in the wrong direction. Essex County Assignment Judge Sheila Venable unexpectedly summoned Wright to a Zoom meeting on December 14 where Baraka was voicing his objections to the implementation of ankle bracelet monitoring of juveniles charged with crimes, and to some of Wright's decisions involving the detainment of young alleged offenders. … [T]he conversation between Wright and Baraka became heated, with the judge blaming some of the issues on the Newark Police Department. Following the conclusion of the meeting, Wright, seemingly unaware that the Zoom meeting was still active and participating from her home, launched into a tirade against Baraka, apparently to her husband, Armando Diaz, a retired Essex County Sheriff's officer." THROWING SHADE — "'This is not a political hatchet job': Howell manager accused of power grab by mayor," by The Asbury Park Press' Alex N. Gecan: "Mayor Theresa Berger has accused Township Manager Brian Geoghegan of an 'unlawful' power grab after Geoghegan took over appointment power for more than a dozen positions. The township's attorney has said the change simply brings the township into compliance with state law and its own ordinances. Whatever the reason, several members of the Shade Tree Commission and Environmental Commission have had their terms cut short." CROSS TALK — " Wall school board officials rip critic who declined seat after winning election," by The Asbury Park Press' Joe Strupp: "Emotions boiled over during what was to have been a short ceremonial Board of Education meeting Tuesday when one board member called board critic Betsy Cross 'a fraud' and the board attorney said Cross had lost credibility for declining to take a seat on the governing body while choosing to continue attacking members. 'The irony here is overwhelming, that in the moment you have an opportunity to serve this community on this board, you declined,' said Board Attorney Athina Cornell. 'And then you come here to complain about issues and raise issues that you have no basis for. Declining the opportunity to serve negatively impacts your credibility, it is very clear.'" THE TOXICITY OF OUR CITY, OUR CITY — "Clerk blasts tabloid as Trenton council considers restoring yanked legal ads," by The Trentonian's Isaac Avilucea: "The city clerk claimed Trenton's daily tabloid newspaper has 'no redeeming news value' and is 'exploitive' of women, urging legislators not to restore the newspaper's legal advertisements. Government officials yanked legal advertisements from The Trentonian last year because they were upset with critical news coverage of the city's elected leaders. They'll decide this week whether to restore ads to both dailies after going only with The Times of Trenton last summer. Without a hint of self-awareness, city clerk Matthew Conlon said Tuesday the daily tabloid was 'not a healthy entity, its citizens or the municipal government.' He slammed it for running 'semi-nude' photographs each day of the Page Six girl, a longtime staple that has no bearing on the tabloid's coverage of the Trenton area and its leaders." — Gusciora calls council's proposed redevelopment ordinance a 'power grab' — Hurley: " Atlantic City mayor is acting small with political retaliation stunt" — "Fired Paterson principal files lawsuit claiming BOE defamed him" — " Protesters rally in Paterson over fatal police shooting of Thelonious McKnight" — "Judge orders Trenton to pay $200K, keeps emergency radio system on" — " Hillsborough schools chief takes leave amid prosecutor's office investigation" — "Seven local regions, including Atlantic City, considered 'food deserts'" — " Clifton seeks to add three police lieutenants to reduce $1.3M in OT, some raise questions" — "Judge blocks milltown school board member from taking oath" — " Op-Ed: There is no hard data available to support approving $241M Hoboken school referendum" | | | | 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. | | | | |
| | EVERYTHING ELSE | | — "[Rowan] University to open N.J.'s 1st school of veterinary medicine" — " As COVID cases surge, religious leaders say faith is no barrier to getting vaccine" — "Huge beachfront indoor waterpark coming to Atlantic City" | | | | A message from Anbaric Development Partners: Anbaric is proud to be a leading developer of electric transmission projects and the primary advocate for a transmission-first approach to offshore wind – in New Jersey and across the east coast. Anbaric has the experience needed to deliver offshore wind energy across New Jersey with an efficient, cost-effective transmission system.
That's why Anbaric was thrilled to submit a robust portfolio of projects to achieve New Jersey's clean energy goals in response to New Jersey's first-in-the-nation solicitation for offshore wind transmission. Anbaric's proposal will efficiently deliver wind power to shore, protect the environment, coastal communities, and the ratepayer, and can be developed to accompany the growth of the offshore industry. Anbaric is proud to be working with incredible partners, including Ferreira Construction, a seasoned New Jersey utility and civil contractor, to make this vision a reality.
Read more about what Anbaric's bid package means for the future of clean energy. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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