| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | One of the nicest things an editor ever said to me was that I gave readers "meat and candy." So here's some candy. When Assemblymember John McKeon ordered a "Baby on Board" sign for his daughter and son-in-law after the birth of his first grandchild last summer, he received it in a box he estimates was 20 times the item's size. There's a good chance you've experienced something similar. But unlike you (well, most of you), McKeon is a legislator. So naturally he just introduced a bill to ban shipping small items in big boxes. The bill would bar large retailers — some of whom have a big footprint in this state — from shipping items in boxes that are more than twice their size, with fines of $250 to $500 per offense. Read more about it here. QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Please don't compare us to California." — state Sen. Ed Durr during a Senate Environment and Energy Committee meeting when someone testified that a bill to punish lead paint manufacturers was similar to California regulations WHERE'S MURPHY: In Newark with the vice president at 11:30 am HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Former Statehouse reporter Samantha Marcus. Saturday for West New York Commissioner Cosmo Cirillo, Burlco' Jim Logue. Sunday for Atlantic County Commissioner Caren Fitzpatrick, Bloomberg's Stacie Sherman TIPS? FEEDBACK? HATE MAIL? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com |  | WHAT TRENTON MADE | |
CHECK YOUR VITALES — "Murphy should not end mask mandate in schools and child care, N.J. Senate health chair says," by NJ Advance Media's Brent Johnson: "The chairman of the state Senate's health committee told NJ Advance Media on Thursday he sharply disagrees with Gov. Phil Murphy's decision to lift New Jersey's statewide coronavirus mask mandate inside schools and child care facilities next month. State Sen. Joseph Vitale, D-Middlesex, said he's especially irked Murphy, a fellow Democrat, is removing the requirement in child care centers because children under 5 are not eligible to be vaccinated yet and remain 'exposed.' 'The world is different for children,' Vitale said in a phone interview. 'And this removal of the mandate should not have happened at all.'"
—"Another N.J. school district [Camden] will continue to mandate masks after state lifts requirement"
LUNCH LAUNCH — " N.J. would expand free breakfast, lunch for students under new plan pushed by Assembly speaker," by NJ Advance Media's Brent Johnson: "New Jersey would expand the state's free breakfast and lunch program for students from lower-income families under the latest set of proposals state Assembly Democrats are pushing to reduce hunger in the Garden State, the house's leader told NJ Advance Media. State Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex, said the 10-bill package is the fourth batch of measures Democrats who lead the lower house of the state Legislature have sponsored to tackle food insecurity. Coughlin noted 1.2 million of New Jersey's 9.2 million residents struggle to afford food — including 400,000 children … The central measure, A2368, co-sponsored by Coughlin, is called the Working Class Families' Anti-Hunger Act, which make more than 26,000 additional students from working-class and middle-class families in New Jersey eligible for the state's free or reduced breakfast and lunch program. Currently, families who are at 200% of the federal poverty level qualify. This would increase eligibility to those at 185% of the level. 'That 15% makes a big difference,' Coughlin said." TRANSPORTATION — "NJ Transit $2.65B budget approved, but why does one board member continually vote 'no'? " by The Record's Colleen WIlson : "James D. Adams is starting to sound like a broken record. But one that crescendos every time it skips. During Adams' three years on the NJ Transit board of directors, he has been the lone 'no' vote on the agency's budgets, a pattern he continued Wednesday. Adams has made a few simple requests of agency officials over the years regarding the budget preparation. He wants the board to have more involvement in its creation so issues can be discussed in more depth. He also wants to see budget options, to dissect different ways of dealing with fiscal challenges. And finally, he wants to end the practice of cannibalizing the capital fund. This year, he tripled down on these requests, particularly the last one, saying in no uncertain terms: 'This practice must stop.' … The biggest culprit of NJ Transit's faulty budgeting is a more than 30-year habit of annually moving hundreds of millions of dollars from the capital fund to balance the operating budget. Although this practice of filling budget holes is forgivable and, perhaps, unnoticeable for a couple of years, it has now become a glaring addiction the agency can't seem to quit." —"As ridership creeps up, NJ Transit board votes on Hoboken crash settlement, Transitgrid " UNCARCERATION — " N.J. releases more than 200 prisoners over COVID concerns," by NJ Advance Media's S.P. Sullivan: "Many of the inmates released Thursday walked out of back doors and into the arms of family, but others had nobody to turn to for support. Elizabeth Granovsky, who runs a re-entry office in Elizabeth, said her organization would triage the most basic needs of these inmates, hunting down copies of birth certificates and Social Security cards, helping arrange job interviews and drug treatment. 'In this world, you need ID for everything,' said Jim McGreevey, the former New Jersey governor who has since become an advocate for former prisoners. Typically, the organization involves formerly incarcerated people in nine months of intensive assistance and three years of additional monitoring. But, Granovsky added, 'they're going to be a client with us forever, until they choose not to be.'" HOLLYWOOD SUBSIDIES — "NJ approves $41.7M for film, TV incentives; $100K in startup subsidies," by NJBIZ's Daniel J. Munioz: "New Jersey approved nearly $41.7 million in state subsidies under its popular film, television and digital media production tax break program, and nearly $100,000 for a low-interest loan program for startups in the Garden State. The tranche of eight different awards came amid a marathon of state subsidies and other relief programs and economic proposals heard Feb. 9 by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority at its first board meeting of 2022." —" These charts show where NJ stands when it comes to kids and vaccines" —"Gov. Phil Murphy extends public health emergency. Here's what it means for NJ" —Moran: "Murphy's punt on school segregation to face court scrutiny" — Senate committee forms task force to study use of New Jersey's forests —" In letter, Fulop says dividing Jersey City into 3 legislative districts violates state constitution" —"Death of the snow day? NJ lawmakers consider letting schools go remote for bad weather" —"Monmouth, Morris, Middlesex center of final redistricting hearing" —"N.J. immigrant workers fund sees 6K new applications" —"Democratic National Committeewoman urges legislative commission to use off-year election data"
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KEAN SEARCHES DESPERATELY FOR AN ELEVATOR — "N.J. Republicans opposed calling Jan. 6 riot 'legitimate political discourse.' But one top candidate is silent," by NJ Advance Media's Jonathan D. Salant: "Prominent New Jersey Republicans criticized their national party for calling the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection 'legitimate political discourse' and censuring the two House GOP members helping to investigate the riot. But Tom Kean Jr., the candidate given the best chance of flipping a Democratic-held House seat in New Jersey this fall, has remained silent. One of the two current New Jersey House Republicans said he supported the resolution, and the other wouldn't comment on it."
DARLING OF THE RIGHT — " Darling won't run for congress in NJ-11," by New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein: "Morris County Surrogate Heather Darling has decided not to challenge Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair) in New Jersey's 11th district. 'It's just not the right time,' she told the New Jersey Globe. 'It doesn't make sense to me.' …. That leaves six candidates in the race to take on Sherrill … Assemblywoman Aura Dunn (R-Mendham) is still considering a run against Sherrill. Her candidacy could be a game-changer in a crowded field." — Schumer and Booker call for Senate input on cannabis decriminalization bill —" Presidents and federal lawmakers should be banned from owning stocks, N.J. congressman [Andy Kim] says" | | LOCAL | |
WITH POLITICAL NON-PROFITS, SOME POLITICIANS DITCH CONTRACT TRACING — "With end of N.J. school mask mandate, some districts also ditch quarantines, contact tracing," by NJ Advance Media's Rob Jennings: "As New Jersey school districts have started to announce decisions to make masks optional when the state mandate ends March 7, some are also going a step further by ending required quarantines after close contact with an infected person and opting to no longer contact trace positive cases. In Marlboro, the schools superintendent notified parents that the district will switch to a mask optional policy. In addition, effective immediately, students are no longer required to quarantine following an in-school exposure to someone who has COVID-19 … Howell Schools Superintendent Joseph Isola said the school district, starting Thursday, is no longer contract tracing, meaning that in-school close contacts are no longer being required to quarantine … The New Jersey Association of School Administrators is not taking sides on quarantining. 'Our guidance is to work with your local health department to make the best decision you can,' Richard Bozza told NJ Advance Media on Wednesday."
DECK TOWN HALL WITH JOBS FOR HOLLY — "Holly Schepisi's appointment as rate counsel stirs disagreement in Park Ridge ," by The Record's Shalyah Brown: "State Sen. Holly Schepisi will serve as rate counsel for the Park Ridge utility board after her appointment at a council meeting Wednesday night. Schepisi's appointment, in a 5-1 vote, was not without controversy, however. Mayor Keith Misciagna and some members of the utility board objected to the process by which she was chosen, claiming the council handpicked the senator after abruptly changing an ordinance to remove the utility board's power to select a candidate. 'The council has changed the way we hire the rate counsel for the utility board. We have never done it this way in about 50 years — they have completely cut out everyone from the decision-making process,' said Misciagna, a Democrat." NORCROSSARAGUA — "Camden is so 'desperate' for teachers, it's searching internationally to fill critical ESL and bilingual roles," by The Philadelphia Inquirer's Melanie Burney: "Struggling to fill vacancies, the Camden school district plans to search abroad to hire teachers for its bilingual and English as a Second Language classes for the 2022-2023 school year. 'We have to do something different,' said Superintendent Katrina McCombs. 'Yes, we are desperate.' Like school districts around the country, Camden has experienced a teacher shortage worsened by the pandemic, with positions from bus drivers to substitute teachers difficult to staff. This year, Camden has been unable to fill 28 of nearly 700 teacher positions, said McCombs, which include three bilingual and one ESL position, she said. In a district where 53% percent of its 6,800 students are Latino and 14 percent are English-language learners, the school board last month approved a pilot program to begin exploring recruitment internationally. Details for the program are still being worked out, and specific countries have not been determined, McCombs said." WARD IS NOT BOND — "Edison Mayor Sam Joshi flip-flops on proposal to change township government," by MyCentralJersey's Suzanne Russell: "Just months after a campaign pledge to support a township council ward system, Mayor Sam Joshi has reversed his position hours before the issue was set to be discussed by the governing body. Joshi, who was sworn into office last month, announced Wednesday afternoon that a proposed ordinance scheduled to be introduced at Wednesday's township council meeting would 'divide the township into several different sections, creating areas with distinct boundaries and forcing neighborhoods to continuously compete against each other for limited taxpayer resources and services.'" AC — "Council votes Devlin off ACMUA board after 6-hour Wednesday night hearing," by The Press of Atlantic City's Michelle Brunetti Post: "City Council voted 4-3 to remove Municipal Utilities Authority Chairman John Devlin from his paid position on the authority board after a second meeting that lasted for more than five hours … Devlin's attorney, David Castellani, began his case in defense of Devlin on Wednesday with testimony from an insurance broker to the board, and a fellow board member, both of whom described Devlin as an organized board leader and spirited debater, but denied his manner was bullying or inappropriate … In the Tuesday night hearing George Frino, the attorney arguing for removal, put on his case. Frino said Devlin had attempted to undermine the efficiency and orderly operation of the authority through improper influence on the selection of vendors and other means." RED FACTIONS — "Split Red Bank council rejects mayor's choice for new member, chooses another," by The Asbury Park Press' Olivia Liu: "A divided Borough Council voted 3-2 to pick Angela Mirandi as the new council member to take over the vacant seat left by Erik Yngstrom, who resigned in January, after rejecting the mayor's suggested candidate. During Wednesday night's council meeting, council members Michael Ballard, Jacqueline Sturdivant and Edward Zipprich voted for Mirandi to join the council, while Councilwoman Kathy Horgan voted no and Councilwoman Kate Triggiano abstained from voting. Both said they were not informed of any of the nominated candidates' backgrounds until after the vote took place. All six members of the council are Democrats, but the party has been split." RAIN DROPS KEEP FALLIN' ON MY HEAD — "Why the cost of the Ocean County Justice Complex addition has ballooned to $70 million," by The Asbury Park Press' Erik Larsen: "The projected cost of a planned addition onto the Ocean County Justice Complex has increased from an estimated $50 million two years ago to more than $70 million today, due to a variety of factors that include inflation and international supply chain issues. One senior county official has even questioned whether the project in its present form should move forward at all. Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy said the 1980s-era criminal justice complex on Hooper Avenue is in poor condition and he questions the logic of adding anything onto it. In the past, Mastronardy has had to contend with human waste raining down into his third floor office suite from the jail on the fourth floor." —"Trenton gets $5M grant for futuristic MOVES transit system" —"Randolph school district cuts Rosh Hashana days off, community to protest changes" —"Howell shelled out over $500,000 to lawyers fighting Congregation Kollel antisemitism case" —" Andre Sayegh pushing for Paterson council support for $9.5M for sewers, public safety" —"Hudson County Board of Commissioners maps has Jersey City represented in 7 of 9 districts" —"Montclair's deal with Glen Ridge for firefighters is supposed to be a 'win-win.' Is it?" —"Morris hopefuls debate "
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AND YET… — "What state has the most Wawa stores? Oh, you know the answer," by The Burlington County Time' Jim Walsh: "Looking for a Wawa? That shouldn't be hard in New Jersey. With the opening of a new store here Thursday, Wawa now has 272 locations in the Garden State. That's more than any other state in which Wawa operates, a company representative noted."
—"'I NEED HELP!!!!' Nursing home was running out of supplies, food, state says, as operator faces new charges" —"N.J. cops make a whole lot of OT. Why female officers aren't getting a fair share" —"Early release opposed for terminally ill prisoner convicted in 1993 courthouse killing of Newark cop" —"Big George Clinton P-Funk birthday homecoming show in Newark is getting bigger"
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