Below is Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing:
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “That was maybe the seventh or eighth or more time I’ve tried to interview him on basically anything. As the eyes and ears of New Jerseyans, I’m one of two full-time reporters down here. This is standard, and it makes it really hard to know where he stands on any topic.” – NJ Spotlight DC correspondent Ben Hulac on Rep. Kean’s refusal to answer questions
TOP STORY: Gilmore Fundraising Presence for McGreevey Tripwires Hudson Havoc
Former Senator Menendez’s sentencing was delayed until January, according to the Bergen Record.
The state comptroller released a report citing a majority of school districts and a quarter of municipalities failing to comply with transparency requirements on submitting union contracts to PERC.
The NAACP says the state’s top cop should be fired for failing to address racism and sexism, according to NJ Monitor.
The NJDOL announced $2.2M in grants to boost access to worker benefits and protections.
The deaths of NJ football stars is igniting a nationwide battle against sudden cardiac arrest, according to NJ.com.
NJ Transit riders renewed the call for a customer advocate, according to NJ Spotlight.
The state Supreme Court will hear a reporter’s challenge to the law shielding public officials’ addresses, according to NJ Monitor.
The Gadreau deaths raises questions about road safety for cyclists, according to NJ Spotlight.
A Atlantic County VDM card error won’t require new ballots, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
Hunterdon County Clerk Melfi says a small number of voters received incorrect VBMs, according to TAPinto.
A Monmouth airport owner vowed to fight the county over a takeover threat, according to the Asbury Park Press.
Nearly 100 pedestrians were killed in Monmouth and Ocean counties over the past four years, according to the Asbury Park Press.
Senator Helmy co-sponsored the ‘GUARD VA Benefits Act’.
ICYMI: Legislation pending to honor Pascrell; funeral held for the late Rep. Pascrell; smoking still allowed in casinos
Legislation would wipe out confusion over whether surfers need beach badges, according to NJ.com.
There’s a push to codify how police investigate bias incidents, according to NJ Spotlight.
The state is moving to address disparities for minority-owned businesses, according to NJ Spotlight.
Assemblywoman Simmons introduced legislation to protect the rights of ‘kidfluencers’.
Lawmakers heard testimony on skyrocketing rents, according to NJ Spotlight.
In Jersey City, the fundraising presence of Ocean GOP Chair Gilmore for mayoral candidate McGreevey is tripwiring havoc in Hudson.
In Bloomfield, the town established a flood mitigation advisory board.
In Paterson, the police department announced results from the summer safety initiative.
In Bordentown, candidates participated in a meet and greet, according to TAPinto.
In Branchburg, affordable housing may be spread around, according to MyCentralJersey.
In Caldwell, police staffing legislation was approved, according to TAPinto.
In Camden, the Murphy Administration approved a bill that could help fund the indicted former mayor’s legal fees, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Another BOE member resigned, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
In Fair Lawn, the town will revitalize the Broadway district, according to the Bergen Record.
In Fairfield, the council president affirmed the town’s financial stability, according to TAPinto.
In Galloway, the planning board approved the near-quadrupling of a recovery center, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
In Long Branch, BOE candidates faced off, according to the Asbury Park Press.
In Long Hill, emails reveal disagreements about public safety director duties, according to NJ Hills.
In Metuchen, DEVCO and the town are partnering on revitalizing the Forum Theatre, according to MyCentralJersey.
In Moorestown, a library became the first ‘book sanctuary’ in South Jersey, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
In Morris Township, a shuttle service for seniors is closer to approval, according to NJ Hills.
In Neptune, the homeless encampment was discussed, according to TAPinto. The fired DPW boss remains on the payroll, according to the Asbury Park Press.
In New Providence, the new police HQ will cost $10M, according to TAPinto.
In Northfield, a referendum passed, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
In Ocean City, Wonderland Pier’s last day was announced, according to Downbeach.
In Plainfield, the apartment boom continues with another proposal, according to MyCentralJersey.
In Princeton, plans to purchase Westminster appeared to move forward, according to TAPinto.
In Prospect Park, a new police chief was selected, according to NorthJersey.com.
In Rahway, candidates participated in a NAACP forum, according to TAPinto.
In Roselle Park, a noise ordinance advanced, according to TAPinto.
In Spring Lake, 5G expansion sparked outcry, according to TAPinto.
In Toms River, homeless are drifting away from the woods, according to the Asbury Park Press.
In Washington Township, a subcommittee was established to handle affordable housing, according to NJ Hills.
In West Orange, a purchase agreement with Matrix Developers was approved, according to TAPinto.
In Westfield, former Councilman Hely returned to fill a vacant seat, according to TAPinto.
In Woodbridge, a church and the town agreed on parking during school construction, according to MyCentralJersey.
ICYMI: In Jersey City, Solomon slapped at McGreevey as he kicked off his mayoral candidacy, which could shake up the 2025 race; in Paterson, oral arguments set to begin over takeover; in AC, Small, wife indicted
AROUND THE WEB:
As feds probe NYC Mayor Eric Adams, we look back at NJ’s troubled mayors
David M. Zimmer, NorthJersey.com
- The homes of the top aides and confidants to New York City Mayor Eric Adams have been raided by federal agents in what appeared to be a major corruption probe.
N.J. needs accountability for prosecutors. There’s a bill for that | Opinion
Lee Vartan
- In August, Attorney General Matt Platkin lauded the release of his office’s “Major Discipline Reporting” for law enforcement officers across the State.
A perverted bigot is on the ballot this year. Guess which party? | Editorial
Star-Ledger Editorial Board
- Mark Robinson, the Republican candidate for governor of North Carolina, was a regular visitor to an online pornographic forum, where he referred to himself as a “black NAZI,” described Martin Luther King in savagely racist terms, stated that he would buy slaves if it were still legal, and shared sexual proclivities that included details of his affair with his wife’s sister.
Specifics needed on Pompidou financing | Jersey Journal editorial
Jersey Journal Editorial
- What do you see when you look at, say, one of Picasso’s painting of women from his Cubism period?
‘Sopranos’ star pushing for N.J. law to ban sale of dogs in pet shops
Amy Kuperinsky, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
- Edie Falco has had it with puppy mills and the pet shops who do business with them. The “Sopranos” star appears in a video for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals asking New Jerseyans to support a bill in the state Legislature that would ban the sale of dogs at pet shops.
Another massive new outdoor mall coming to NJ
Judi Franco, NJ1015
- I live a couple of miles away from Fort Monmouth. And since it was decommissioned, it would always make me sad to see it sitting there bear and unoccupied every time I drove by. So many of us imagined great things for those acres and acres that once represented something so important to New Jersey. Is another outdoor mall the answer? RiverWalk Center, a new retail hub going up along Parker’s Creek at the old Fort Monmouth site, is shaping up to be quite the destination. From tasty eats to a brewery and even squash courts, this place is filling up fast.
Latest NJBIZ panel explores current health care trends
Kimberly Redmond, NJBIZ
- As part of NJBIZ’s latest virtual discussion, health care executives in New Jersey spoke about current trends in technology, practice and policy within their industry.
Executive Women of New Jersey reveals 2024 Salute to the Policy Makers honorees
ROI-NJ Staff
- The Executive Women of New Jersey will highlight the contributions of New Jersey’s most influential and accomplished women leaders at its signature biennial gala, “Salute to the Policy Makers,” on Oct. 22 at the Legacy Castle in Pompton Plains. EWNJ said the 2024 event promises to be a memorable celebration of leadership and achievement. Distinguished guests from various sectors will be brought together to honor the contributions of New Jersey women leaders and raise support for the next generation.
Could Phil Murphy’s new NJ PACT plan depopulate the Jersey Shore?
Gerry Scharfenberger, Save Jersey
- Just when you thought you’ve heard it all, along comes the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to propose rules that will make much of the New Jersey shoreline and tidal river areas uninhabitable. With the sweet-sounding acronym of NJ PACT, this rule change would be absolutely disastrous for present and future homeowners who are unlucky enough to fall into one of the new Inundation Risk Zones (IRZ).
Disability rights at center of guardianship court case
Joanna Gagis, NJ Spotlight
- A petition for guardianship over Peter Brumlik who has autism, filed by his mother before he turned 18, alleged he was unable to care for himself and lacked the capacity to make major life decisions. Brumlik, now 21 years old, has spent the last three years fighting his mother’s claim. After court appearances that cost him hundreds of thousands of dollars — paid for from a trust fund set up by his family that is now empty — Brumlik’s mother gave up her petition for guardianship.
Visiting the biggest Hindu temple in the USA? Everything you need to know about BAPS in NJ
Deena Yellin, NorthJersey.com
- If you’ve ever wanted to visit India, hop on the New Jersey Turnpike. When you reach Main Street in Robbinsville, about a half-hour outside of Trenton, a gold-topped spire will peek above the skyline. Head toward it, and you arrive at the largest Hindu temple in the United States and among the largest in the world.
Best places to work in New Jersey? Forbes polled workers — here’s what they said.
Kaitlyn McCormick, Cherry Hill Courier-Post
- What qualities do you look for in an employer? (Other than someone who will write you a check.) Location? Policy? Benefits? Culture? Forbes released its 2024 ranking of the best employers, and 90 made it into New Jersey’s roundup.
Trump supporter who’s a state lawmaker gets cornered: See how he responds to tough Q’s
Matt Arco, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
- It was an awkward two minutes. Congressional reporter Ben Hulac covers New Jersey federal lawmakers and one of them, Rep. Tom Kean Jr., is known to avoid the press. The latter was on full display Wednesday when Hulac shared a two-minute video he took of peppering Kean with questions as the congressman stared straight ahead and ignored him.
Groups: Rent in New Jersey is ‘unsustainable’ for many
Dino Flammia, NJ1015
- Affording the monthly rent bill is an out-of-reach goal for a growing number of New Jersey residents. Industry observers say the main issue is a lack of inventory, which gives landlords the power to jack up prices. But groups note that profits aren’t the only reason for rising rents. “According to recent Census data, 51.1% of renters in New Jersey are cost burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on rent,” said Assemblywoman Yvonne Lopez, D-Middlesex.
Day of Dignity to shine a spotlight on housing crisis in Hudson | Opinion
Ahmed Shehata
- In recent years, there has been an increasing number of homeless people. And it’s not because they lack jobs.
Trump says you’re in luck, ladies: This adjudicated rapist is ‘your protector’ | Editorial
Star-Ledger Editorial Board
- At a recent rally in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, Donald Trump had a message for the women of America, whose support he’s been struggling to win back: You’ll be happy and “no longer thinking about abortion” if he’s elected, he declared. “You will no longer be abandoned, lonely or scared,” he said…. “You will be protected. I will be your protector.”
Hemp businesses sue to stop New Jersey law that restricts hemp sales
Sophie Nieto-Munoz, NJ Monitor
- A group of hemp businesses is arguing a new state law banning the sale of hemp products in New Jersey stores without a license from the state’s cannabis agency will turn “farmers, business owners and consumers into criminals.” Under the law, the groups argue, hemp will be effectively recriminalized, despite federal statutes allowing some hemp products — which are derived from cannabis and have less than 0.3% delta-9 THC — to be sold in stores.
New Jersey delays offshore wind project amid supply issues
Nikita Biryukov, NJ Monitor
- New Jersey’s Board of Public Utilities approved a delay to a proposed 2,400-megawatt offshore wind farm months after the firm in charge of the project said supply chain and cost issues kept it from procuring wind turbines. In a July filing made public earlier this month, Invenergy and EnergyRe, which received a contract for what’s called the Leading Light project in January, told state energy regulators they could not procure turbine blades because of supply disruptions and high costs. They requested a pause on the project during which it would continue survey work and planning.
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Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing for September 26, 2024 provides a comprehensive overview of the latest news and developments in New Jersey politics and beyond. This daily briefing is a must-read for anyone looking to stay informed on the latest happenings in the state.
One of the key highlights from today’s briefing is the ongoing debate over a proposed bill that would legalize recreational marijuana in New Jersey. The bill has been met with both support and opposition, with proponents arguing that it would bring in much-needed revenue for the state and create new business opportunities, while opponents raise concerns about potential negative effects on public health and safety.
In addition to the marijuana legalization debate, today’s briefing also covers updates on various other political issues, including updates on the upcoming gubernatorial election and recent legislative developments. Readers can also find information on upcoming events and important dates to keep an eye on.
Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing is a valuable resource for anyone looking to stay informed on the latest political news and developments in New Jersey. With its comprehensive coverage and timely updates, this daily briefing is a must-read for anyone interested in staying up-to-date on the latest happenings in the state.
