| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | Presented by AARP New Jersey | Good Tuesday morning! I'm back after a bout with Covid. It finally got me. I'm vaxxed and boosted, and my symptoms never got worse than a mild cold, other than losing most of my sense of taste. And, don't get me wrong, that does suck. While sitting home and waiting for Covid to pass, I was glued to Ukraine news on my phone. And since post-redistricting New Jersey politics have slowed down a little, I'll spend a little time on that. A couple observations — related to New Jersey, of course. First, it was not just amusing, but a bit of a PR coup for New Jersey's Twitter account to get a shout out as "cool"from Ukraine's official account during the the early stages of an invasion from a major world power. A lot of people on my Twitter timeline speculated that New Jersey was one of just two dozen Twitter accounts Ukraine follows because the state has a significant Ukrainian diaspora. Maybe, but it doesn't follow any other U.S. states. Even ones with bigger, though perhaps not as concentrated, Ukrainian populations. My guess is that's because the two women who built that Twitter account, Pearl Gabel and Megan Coyne, made it famous with their irreverent tweets. Second, I'm not going to pretend to have any special knowledge or insight into the war in Ukraine. But regardless of how this war turns out or drags on, it doesn't take an expert to figure out that it hasn't been the "genius" move by Russian President Vladimir Putin that our former president said it was. For years, a segment of the American right harbored admiration for Putin and his authoritarianism. I remember going to a 2017 a gubernatorial announcement by a pro-Trump candidate and, after he mentioned Putin (I don't remember in what context), I heard a woman in a MAGA hat behind me say "I like [Putin], I like him." That sentiment wasn't isolated. And recently I've seen at least two Republican primary candidates in New Jersey burnish endorsements from former General Michael Flynn, a Putin apologist who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with that regime. Now, as the Russian military struggles to subdue a less powerful neighbor at the expense of its economy and international relationships, even Putin's most ardent apologists aren't coming to his defense. But you have to wonder why these people aligned themselves with the Putin regime to begin with. DAYS SINCE MURPHY REFUSED TO SAY WHETHER HIS WIFE'S NON-PROFIT SHOULD DISCLOSE DONORS: 15 WHERE'S MURPHY? TK QUOTE OF THE DAY: "It's just hard to believe, it is appalling that the state, that Gov. Murphy and his administration haven't stepped in to stop this not only illegal contract under department rules but also an incredible waste of public tax dollars that are desperately needed by the public school children in Lakewood … The Murphy Administration has the power to stop this and to make sure that the board complies with state law in its contracting for legal services." — Education Law Center Executive Director David Sciarra on the Million Dollar Man, Ted DiBia — I mean Lakewood Schools' attorney Michael Inzelbuch's — billing practices. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Former Justice Virginia Long. Missed (because his birthdays is Feb. 29): Assemblymember Jay Webber. TIPS? FEEDBACK? HATE MAIL? Email me at mfriedman @politico.com | | | | A message from AARP New Jersey: New Jersey residents are concerned they won't be able to afford the medicines they need in the future; yet, prescription drug prices continue to rise faster than inflation. It's time to act and pass S329/A1747, which establishes a Prescription Drug Affordability Board. This board is responsible for investigating high drug prices and recommending action to lower costs for consumers. No one should have to choose between paying for groceries and paying for their prescriptions. Take action now. | | | |  | WHAT TRENTON MADE | |
EXCEPTION MADE FOR CAVIAR AT DRUMTHWACKET PARTIES — "NJ may stop dealing with businesses associated with Russia under new bill," by The Record's Katie Sobko: "The bill, which was approved by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, would make people or businesses with ties to Russia and Belarus ineligible for a variety of business deals with the government. The state joins a long list of countries implementing such sanctions in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine last week. Under the bill, New Jersey also cannot invest pension or annuity funds with, bank with, or hold stock, debt or other equity investments with companies or financial institutions tied to Russia or Belarus. 'We need to target Russia's economic pressure points to make them pay a price for launching a war of aggression against a free people and the democratically elected government of Ukraine,' Sen. Paul Sarlo, D-Wood-Ridge, who co-sponsored the bill, said in a statement. Sarlo said New Jersey would be the first state to do this."
—"Curaleaf moves to quash rumors that executives' ties to Russia may lead to sanctions" COURT COMES OUT AS BIPARTISAN — "Chief Justice Rabner wants to protect the NJ Supreme Court from partisanship," by The Record's Charles Stile : "Rabner announced he will not assign an appellate court judge to temporarily fill the Supreme Court seat vacated by retiring Justice Faustino J. Fernandez-Vina, a Republican. Calling up the most senior, next-in-line replacement — in this case, Clarkson Fisher Jr., a Democrat — would tilt the court's partisan balance beyond the boundaries of its 74-year history, Rabner argued. It would give the Democrats a lopsided 5-2 advantage … Rabner is effectively trying to insulate the court from being perceived as a partisan weapon. It's a decision steeped in irony. After former President Donald Trump fulfilled his vow to stack the U.S. Supreme Court with conservatives, Rabner, a Democrat, is preventing a Democratic/liberal takeover of the New Jersey court … It is against this backdrop that Rabner's statement can be seen as a kind of reassuring public service announcement. Rabner is saying that's not how the high court in Jersey rolls. It is a court bound by a bipartisan tradition, not ideology." THEY CAN'T EVEN SELL SHAKE — " N.J.'s cannabis commission can't shake discrimination, fraud allegations," by NJ Advance Media's Jelani Gibson : "On Feb. 3, during Black History Month, the state Cannabis Regulatory Commission sent out a celebratory tweet. It didn't go over well. The comments section was immediately barraged by a host of people asking one fundamental question: How many Black people had been licensed to grow and sell weed? The CRC has refused, multiple times, to release the specific number of licenses, claiming it has no data available to do so. At the same time, the state agency that regulates the industry is also dealing with a lawsuit that alleges fraud in the diversity certifications it uses to score license applicants. Black and Hispanic populations in New Jersey and elsewhere bore the brunt of collateral damage in the War on Drugs. That the CRC either has no data to show, or worse, won't share it, has frustrated state lawmakers, activists and minority business owners — many of whom are the very same people who were harmed by the drug war. Joshua Alb, a former cultivator who honed his skills in the California market, runs New Jersey-based cannabis education company Cannademix. He found the CRC's explanation hard to believe. 'What continues to happen is a continuous loss of trust in the government,' said Alb." DO YOU REALLY WANT TO E.R.T. ME? —Senate panel advances bill to provide towns with money to help reduce property taxes, by POLITICO's Katherine Landergan : The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee advanced legislation Monday that would return money from a tax on utilities to municipalities to help them lower property taxes … The state has siphoned energy tax dollars from towns and cities for the past two decades. The New Jersey State League of Municipalities estimates that since 2002, $14 billion has been diverted from towns to the state budget. The legislation: The bill, NJ S330 (22R), would increase the amount of money distributed to towns by $330 million over two years. The legislation requires towns to use the new funds to reduce their property tax levy. The committee advanced the bill, 12-0. The League of Municipalities, the lobbying arm for towns, has long advocated for this bill. Democrats who control the state Legislature have pledged to make affordability a top priority in the new legislative session. —Bill that indexes tax brackets for inflation clears Senate committee HACKENSACK MERIDIAN TO CHANGE NAME TO 'THE SACK MERIDIAN' — Hackensack Meridian giving workers another 3 months to get booster shots as mandate deadline passes, by POLITICO's Daniel Han: Hackensack Meridian Health, one of New Jersey's largest health systems, is punting non-compliance penalties for Gov. Phil Murphy's Feb. 28 booster mandate for health care workers to June, effectively adding three months for workers to get boosted. Details: In an email to employees obtained by POLITICO, Hackensack Meridian said Monday that Murphy's booster executive order allows for "flexibility," in how non-compliant workers will be penalized. THIS IS HOW LEGISLATORS TROLL FOR FUN — " Lawmakers propose bill bringing self-serve gas to New Jersey," by NJ 101.5's Michael Symons: "The bill would let gas stations offer self-serve but require those with more than four dispensers to continue to have full-service gas pumps. It is sponsored by Assemblywoman Annette Chaparro, D-Hudson, Assemblywoman Carol Murphy, D-Burlington, and Assemblyman Ned Thomson, R-Monmouth … The idea of allowing self-serve gas bubbles up regularly, most recently after Oregon dropped its prohibition, leaving New Jersey as the final state without it. Then-Gov. Jon Corzine proposed a pilot program on the New Jersey Turnpike in 2006 but backed off within a week after a torrent of opposition. Gas stations used to oppose self-serve gas but have long lobbied for the change and launched a campaign called Fuel Your Way NJ in support of the bill. The campaign says retailers believe the price of gas in New Jersey will be reduced by at least 15 cents per gallon if the law is changed." —NJ Transit fares will remain flat for fifth consecutive year —"If the state 'requests' that you keep quiet, does that require you to remain silent? Court says no" —" N.J. hospitals want COVID booster deadline for health care workers extended" —"Advisory council would target $641M from opioid lawsuits to treatment, prevention " —"Masks not required on N.J. school buses starting March 7, Murphy says. But some already ditching them" —"Jimenez says she's gunning for another term" | | | | 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 | |
—"Obamacare sign-ups hit record in NJ as Murphy extends enrollment deadline for some"
—"Christie swipes at Trump for calling Putin a 'genius' over Ukraine invasion" | | | |   | | |
| | LOCAL | |
INZELBUCKS — "Lakewood $1M school board attorney monthly fees shrink after APP report," by The Asbury Park Press' Joe Strupp: "Board of Education attorney Michael Inzelbuch, whose $1 million taxpayer-funded annual income has drawn criticism from state educators, legal observers and even Gov. Phil Murphy, has reduced his monthly pay, according to district invoices … Inzelbuch's income has dropped by an average of $26,000 a month. The Press investigation found that during the first eight months of 2021, Inzelbuch received $731,198 in district payments, or an average of $91,400 each month. But in the final four months of the year Inzelbuch received $261,235, or an average of $65,309 each month. That is a 28.5% drop from the prior period. For the first six months of the 2021-2022 school year, which is billed from July to June, he received a monthly average of $71,938. If that trend continues, Inzelbuch would make $863,250 for the 2021-2022 school year, below the $1 million-plus he took home during each of the two previous school years."
MODEL UN IS ABOUT TO GET THAT MUCH MORE REALISTIC — "How a little earbud is changing life for foreign-born kids at Bergen County school ," by The Record's Kristie Cattafi : "Natalie Conoscenti needs to anticipate every single word she's going to say in her seventh grade science class the day before she teaches it. The extra work isn't a preparation tactic for her lesson plan, but a necessity. The entire lesson needs to go through Google Translate for the majority of her class to keep up and follow along. Just one unanticipated question on the body's skeletal system lesson can derail her plan and take precious minutes away from in-person instruction … But after winning a $5,000 technology grant, Conoscenti landed on a way to bridge the gap and save time. New York-based Waverly Labs had an affordable translation solution. The Ambassador is a set of two earbud pieces that connect through the internet for $149 and can translate in real time 20 languages and 42 dialects … Palisades Park originally ordered 30 sets of the Ambassador headsets, and Superintendent Joseph Cirillo asked and received approval from the Board of Education to match the grant and order an additional 30 units. "Any opportunity to level the playing field for our English Language Learners for a community like ours is extremely important," Cirillo said." REDISTRICTING — " Black leaders agree to split Pleasantville and Atlantic City on county commission map," by New Jersey Globe's Joey Fox: "As the Atlantic County Commissioner Redistricting Commission proceeds with its task of redrawing the county's five county commission districts, a coalition of the county's most prominent Black politicians released a statement today in support of putting Pleasantville and Atlantic City in separate districts, something done by the Democratic redistricting proposal but not the Republican proposal. 'While the current county commissioner map was necessary to preserve minority representation 10 or 20 years ago, we are no longer content with simply one majority-minority district,' they wrote in a joint statement" R.I.P. — "[Winslow] Mayor Barry Wright dies" —" Teacher who sexually assaulted kids was on [Elizabeth] cops' radar long before he was caught. Can police be sued?" —"Beyond Blatstein: These 12 new Atlantic City projects could be game changers beginning this summer " —Snowflack: "Political machines, and voting machines" —" Trenton's 'longest-serving' flack departs for less-fun pastures" —"State investigator enters race for open Trenton council seat " —"West New York BOE race will see incumbents face one challenging slate, one independent"
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FECAL MATTERS — "Not a waste: Why NJ's testing of sewage is key to identifying future waves of COVID," by The Record's Lindy Washburn: "The first signs of the COVID pandemic's next wave — or even of the next pandemic — will likely come from the waste we flush down the toilet. People infected with COVID shed virus in their feces. By analyzing regular samples from sewage treatment facilities, upticks in the amount of virus in a community — as well as the type of variants present — can be detected long before hospital emergency rooms fill up. That's been the case in Bergen County, where academic researchers have been sampling wastewater from a treatment facility in Little Ferry since the first wave of the COVID pandemic in May 2020. The results provided county officials with early warnings of the delta and omicron surges, since infected people shed virus into the sewer system even before they feel sick and seek tests. Data collected from samples collected at 11 sites along the sewer system also identified areas where COVID concentrations suddenly increased. It allowed us to move into those areas and do more testing, and later, more vaccinating," said Bergen County Executive James Tedesco.'"
DEVELOP THE WIND — " Six developers offer $4 billion for offshore wind rights," by NJ Spotlight News' Tom Johnson: "After three days and 64 rounds of bidding, the federal government provisionally awarded six leases to developers who spent more than $4 billion to obtain the rights to build offshore wind farms off the coasts of New Jersey and New York. The nation's largest sale of leases for offshore wind ended mid-afternoon on Friday by the Bureau of Ocean Management, setting in motion what could be a rapid acceleration in development of offshore wind in the metropolitan area. The six projects could provide enough power to supply up to 2 million residences in the region. The $4.37 billion in revenue brought in to the federal government marks the nation's highest-grossing competitive offshore energy lease sale in history, including oil and gas lease sales." —New Jersey BPU delays offshore wind bidding STOLICH-DENY-YA — " South Jersey stores join movement embracing Ukrainian vodka," by The Press of Atlantic City's Christopher Doyle: "Bars, restaurants and liquor stores across North America are participating in an international boycott of Russia for its invasion of Ukraine — and some South Jersey stores are pouring their own time and resources into these pro-Ukrainian efforts. Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine last week, several North American liquor outlets have joined a boycott of Russian vodkas and are embracing Ukrainian alternatives. Bootleggers Liquor Outlet, in Northfield, wrote a post on its Facebook page announcing the company would not be selling Russian vodka until further notice. Dave LeRoy, who works at Bootleggers, said Sunday it was the owner's idea to join the boycott, due to Russia's 'aggressive actions against a sovereign country.'"
| | | | A message from AARP New Jersey: More than two out of three New Jersey voters 50 and older are concerned they won't be able to afford the medicines they need in the future; yet, prescription drug prices continue to rise faster than inflation. In just the first month of 2022, Pharma raised prices on 554 drugs, and 183 drugs were hiked by over $100! Now is the time to act and pass S329/A1747 to establish a New Jersey Prescription Drug Affordability Board. This board would be responsible for investigating high drug prices and recommending action to lower costs for consumers. Eighty-two percent of older NJ voters support the creation of a Prescription Drug Affordability Board. They know that no one should have to choose between paying for groceries and paying for the prescriptions they need. Tell NJ lawmakers: lower prescription drug prices now! | | | | | | | 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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