| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | Good Tuesday morning! It's actually happening. As soon as next month, you'll be able to walk into a dispensary and buy cannabis legally, without a medical card. The Cannabis Regulatory Commission yesterday approved seven medical operators who own 13 dispensaries to expand to the recreational market, after a false start last month. It's well past the commission's self-imposed deadline, but barring something huge, the ball is now rolling. Interestingly, some pro-pot activists opposed this because it gives the big businesses who run the medical dispensaries a head start against the small businesses that have yet to be approved. Read more from Daniel Han here. DAYS SINCE MURPHY REFUSED TO SAY WHETHER HIS WIFE'S NON-PROFIT SHOULD DISCLOSE DONORS: 56 WHERE'S MURPHY? No public schedule. QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I am happy to see that progress has been made, but we need to find ways to do better and in a timely way." — Senate President Nicholas Scutari on weed sales HAPPY BIRTHDAY — State Sen. Anthony Bucco, former state Sen. Joe Kyrillos, Atlantic Health's Matt Marinello, former Hugin spox Nick Iacovella TIPS? FEEDBACK? HATE MAIL? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com NEED MORE PLAYBOOK? — Sign up here for NJ Playbook PM and get more news in your inbox care of POLITICO's Jonathan Custodio, minus the snarky headlines. |  | WHAT TRENTON MADE | |
SEX ED — Murphy 'willing to entertain' revising state sex education standards, by POLITICO's Carly Sitrin: Two years after New Jersey's bipartisan state Board of Education approved new student learning standards for health and physical education, conservatives are going to war over what's being taught in the state's public schools. And Gov. Phil Murphy told reporters Monday he's "willing to entertain" revising the standards. "If folks think that they need to be adjusted or altered, and there's a reasonable argument for that, count me as somebody who's willing to entertain that," Murphy said after an unrelated event in Moorestown.
THE PERENNIALLY DISAPPOINTED ENVIRONMENTALISTS— Environmental groups say Murphy's on the wrong track with climate, by POLITICO's Ry Rivard: Several New Jersey environmental groups warn that Gov. Phil Murphy's administration is in danger of blowing past the governor's goals to limit greenhouse gas emissions. Murphy has set the goal of halving the state's greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. A new report by EmpowerNJ points to new natural gas pipeline projects, power plants and highway expansions that, if built, could add tens of millions of tons of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Statewide emissions were about 97.7 million tons of greenhouse gases in 2019, the most recent year for which state data is available. EmpowerNJ warns if all the new projects were approved, they could add some 37 million tons of greenhouse gases to the air — a rather stunning figure that represents nearly a 40 percent increase in emissions. THE 12TH PRESIDENT OF THE U.S. IS NOW AN ADVOCATE FOR PLASTIC BAGS — "Why are plastic bags so bad for New Jersey's environment that we need a ban?" by The Asbury Park Press' Amanda Oglesby: "Once the ban takes effect, most grocery stores will require shoppers to use or purchase reusable bags. Single-use plastic bags and paper shopping bags will be a memory in large, grocery retailers. Smaller stores and restaurants are also banned from using single-use plastic bags, but will be allowed to use paper bags … Environmentalists say banning such bags is a big step toward reducing the ever-growing problem of plastic pollution. 'There are literally millions of plastic bags littering America, and you can't pick them all up,' said Judith Enck, president of Beyond Plastics, an environmental organization focused on reducing plastic use and plastic pollution. 'Many of them get washed into storm drains and then get into the Atlantic Ocean… They don't degrade for centuries.' But plastic bag manufacturers say forcing consumers to buy reusable bags may exacerbate some environmental problems and be a hardship for some shoppers. "What the New Jersey law really does is, by focusing on… aesthetic quality around stitch handles, it's not going to eliminate plastic bags, and that's sort of counterintuitive," said Zachary Taylor, director of the American Recyclable Plastic Bag Alliance, a plastic bag manufacturers' and recyclers' advocacy group." JERSEY GIRLS HAVE COMPLICATED FEELINGS ABOUT PUMPING THEIR OWN GAS — New Jerseyans not opposed to pumping their own gas — as long as there's also a full-serve option, by POLITICO's Matt Friedman: New Jerseyans are willing to allow self-serve gas within the state's borders, with one big caveat: Full service must still be available. That's according to a Monmouth University poll taken after the latest of several legislative attempts to let New Jerseyans pump their own gas went up in flames. According to the poll released Monday morning, 54 percent of New Jerseyans favor allowing self-service if each gas station was required to have an attendant on-hand for full-service gas, while 43 percent oppose it. If stations did away with the full-service option, support drops to 37 percent and opposition rises to 60 percent. —"Gov. Murphy talks affordable housing at Moorestown Mall" —" Budget's biggest slice gets first hearing" | | | | DON'T MISS ANYTHING FROM THE 2022 MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE: POLITICO is excited to partner with the Milken Institute to produce a special edition "Global Insider" newsletter featuring exclusive coverage and insights from the 25th annual Global Conference. This year's event, May 1-4, brings together more than 3,000 of the world's most influential leaders, including 700+ speakers representing more than 80 countries. "Celebrating the Power of Connection" is this year's theme, setting the stage to connect influencers with the resources to change the world with leading experts and thinkers whose insight and creativity can implement that change. Whether you're attending in person or following along from somewhere else in the world, keep up with this year's conference with POLITICO's special edition "Global Insider" so you don't miss a beat. Subscribe today. | | | | | | | BIDEN TIME | |
THE LAND OF OZ — @JonathanTamari: "Mehmet Oz is headlining a Bergen County GOP fundraiser this week - in the NJ county where he lived for decades. Oz was active with the Bergen GOP in the 2000s"
BRANDON NOT GOING — "'Let's Go Brand*n' ends bid for NJ-4 GOP nomination after signatures fall below 200," by New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein: "Robert Shapiro, a Republican congressional candidate running on the "Let's Go Brand*n" slogan in New Jersey's 4th district, won't make the primary ballot. Shapiro filed with 203 signatures, just three more than the statutory requirement, and dropped hi challenge after Administrative Law Judge Elia Pelios invalidated nine signatories on his petitions. Pelios found that five signers lived in different districts and four others were registered Democrats, making them ineligible to sign Shapiro's petitions." —" South Jersey Capitol-riot suspect gets trial date" —"After anointing Menendez, Hudson Dems are trying to eliminate his opponents " —"Donald Payne Jr. lost his father to colon cancer. He wants to reduce barriers to screening"
| | LOCAL | |
COLONIA — "'It can't be a coincidence': Colonia High School community probes mysterious cancer cases," by MyCentralJersey's Suzanne Russell : "While researching, [Al] Lupiano came across a 1997 news story about a teacher who found a large grapefruit-size uranium ore rock at the school that had been part of a class collection for years. The rock was removed by the state and taken to a lab in Piscataway for testing where it was determined there was no residual contamination, according to a May 7, 1997 letter from the DEP's Division of Environmental Safety, Health and Analytical Programs Radiation Protection Programs. Lupiano said he's still looking into that report and questions how an uranium ore ends up at Colonia High School. He then learned about a military lab 10 miles away called the Middlesex Sampling Plant, now a Superfund site in Middlesex Borough, which was part of the Manhattan Project, the code name for the development of the nuclear weapons during World War II. According to the EPA, the site was primarily used to sample, store, test and transfer ores containing uranium, thorium and beryllium. 'Like most facilities back then, no one understood the risk of radioactive materials and it was haphazardly handled,' Lupiano said, adding tons of ore was thrown in backyards and piles later began disappearing. He questions if some was piled with clean fill, and if some of the fill was used during the construction of the high school, which may be where the uranium ore rock was found. And if so, are there more uranium rocks on the site?"
TURNING LAWNSIDE INTO PAVESIDE – "A historically Black N.J. town worries warehouses will pave over its proud past," by The Philadelphia Inquirer's Kevin Riordan: "Lawnside made history when it was incorporated in 1926 and became the first independent, self-governing Black municipality above the Mason-Dixon Line. As its centennial approaches, and amid a boom in warehouse construction across New Jersey, the 1.5-square-mile Camden County borough's biggest-ever redevelopment project is taking shape and imperiling its small town character, some residents say. A $100 million plan to transform much of a long-vacant, 135-acre site along Oak Avenue calls for a mix of light industrial, residential, office, retail, and recreational development. Station Place, a 144-unit apartment complex, opened last summer. The corporate headquarters of a subsidiary of the boiler manufacturer Rheem, as well as a fulfillment center for RevZilla, the motorcycle gear and accessories company, have moved into a pair of recently completed buildings along a new boulevard through the heart of the park. Construction is underway on a regional operations center for the New Jersey American Water company as well. But some residents of Lawnside are alarmed that the three additional industrial buildings, totaling more than 650,000 square feet of flex space, represent too much transformation." CARVEL SUPPORTERS TO WRITE IN COOKIE PUSS — "Monmouth Dem sheriff candidate may be off ballot for not meeting residency requirement," by New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein: "Monmouth County Democrats may have lost their candidate for sheriff after Manuel Caravela was disqualified for failing to meet a statutory residency requirement. Caravela, a former Bridgewater police chief, became a casualty of a little-known state law that requires candidates for sheriff to have lived in the county for three years before their election. He is withdrawing from the race and Democrats will need to mount a write-in campaign to nominate a candidate to take on the incumbent, Shaun Golden, in the general election. County Clerk Christine Hanlon is reviewing Caravela's petitions after an attorney representing Golden, John Lane, challenged Caravela's eligibility. Lane produced records showing that Caravela voted in Branchburg in November 2018 and June 2019 and In Bridgewater in November 2020. 'The icing on the cake is the fact that Caravela — who claims he now resides in what is believed to be his summer home in Manasquan — did not even register to vote in Monmouth county until October 22,2021, less than six months ago,' Lane said." CADDIES OF MONTCLAIR UNITE! YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE BUT YOUR TIPS — " Caddies cleaned bathrooms, fetched drinks for no pay from Montclair Golf Club, suit claims," by The Record's Julia Martin: "Caddies at Montclair Golf Club in West Orange have filed a class-action lawsuit against the private club for allegedly violating state wage laws by paying them less than minimum wage and failing to pay overtime. The suit was filed in state Superior Court in Newark on April 7 by the New York law firm Lipsky Lowe on behalf of about 250 caddies who have worked for the club since August 2019. According to the complaint, caddies at the club are not paid any wages. Rather, golfers pay them a fee of $60 for each golf bag they carry, and generally tip them as well. The most recent raise to the bag fee was in 2016. Caddies can work one or two shifts in a typical day … During peak season, they work 14-hour days, six or seven days a week, the caddies say. According to the complaint, caddies are under the strict control of a 'caddy master' who determines who gets work, how much work they get, and requires them to do unpaid chores like setting up for tournaments, cleaning bathrooms and golf carts, and making 'drink runs' to fetch beverages for golfers from the clubhouse bar. If a caddy is late, or unavailable to work on busy holidays, he is 'punished' and made to wait for work, sometimes all day, unpaid. Caddies are also expected to stick around, unpaid, in the caddy shack, even if there are no work prospects, the complaint says." —"'This must stop': NJ officials condemn attack on Jewish residents in Lakewood, Jackson" —" Jersey City teacher suspended after profane tirade aimed at Black students" —" [Camden] school district changes vendor after contaminated milk sickens dozens of students" —"Hoboken City Council OKs settling whistleblower suit with former Police Chief Falco for $650k" —"Hunterdon commissioner [Holt] stepping down" —" Black Hopewell cop gets $80K, keeps job to stay quiet about discrimination" | | | | INTRODUCING DIGITAL FUTURE DAILY - OUR TECHNOLOGY NEWSLETTER, RE-IMAGINED: Technology is always evolving, and our new tech-obsessed newsletter is too! Digital Future Daily unlocks the most important stories determining the future of technology, from Washington to Silicon Valley and innovation power centers around the world. Readers get an in-depth look at how the next wave of tech will reshape civic and political life, including activism, fundraising, lobbying and legislating. Go inside the minds of the biggest tech players, policymakers and regulators to learn how their decisions affect our lives. Don't miss out, subscribe today. | | | | | | | EVERYTHING ELSE | |
HIGHER ED — "Rutgers created fake jobs for graduates to boost MBA program rankings, lawsuit charges," by NJ Advance Media's Ted Sherman: "Rutgers Business School is always keeping score. On its website, it proclaims its No. 1 ranking this year by Bloomberg Businessweek as the top Public Business School in the Northeast. But in a whistleblower lawsuit filed Friday, a Rutgers administrator charged that the university fraudulently burnished those national rankings by creating totally bogus jobs to show the success its business school graduates had in finding employment. The lawsuit by Deidre White, the business school's human resources manager, alleged the program used a temp agency to hire unemployed MBA students, placing them into sham positions at the university itself — for no other reason than to make it appear like a greater number of graduates were getting full-time jobs after getting their Rutgers diplomas. 'The fraud worked,' wrote White's attorney, Matthew A. … In the very first year of the scheme, they said Rutgers was suddenly propelled to, among other things, the 'No. 1′ business school in the Northeast."
—" Rates of N.J. students taking the SAT plummets as colleges go 'test optional', new data shows" A HEADLINE ABOUT THE MASTERS? THAT'S BAIT — "NJ-born Masters champ Scottie Scheffler's began career in Paramus ," by The AP: "Scottie Scheffler became the first New Jersey native to win the Masters on Sunday, his first major golf tournament championship and number one ranking. It's a journey to greatness that started in the dark in Paramus when he was standing on the green behind Bergen Community College with his dad Scott dutifully holding a flashlight while his only son — just 5 or 6 at the time — hit shots in the dark." —" Train gates were down when media critic Eric Boehlert was struck, killed, NJ Transit says" —" Cameras on cars study caught distracted driving all over N.J. Here's what's in your hands, drivers"
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