Below is Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing:
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I’m 100% willing to run for gov WITHOUT ANY organization lines in 2025 as a statement of the importance of moving NJ towards bloc voting If the majority of the other major candidates/potential candidates join me.” – Jersey City Mayor and gubernatorial primary candidate Steve Fulop
TOP STORY: Kim v. Murphy: All Eyes Turn to Bergen County
All eyes are on Bergen County in the next round of the battle between First Lady Tammy Murphy and Rep. Kim in the Democratic Senate primary, as the county heads towards its convention on Monday.
Rep. Kim zapped Tammy Murphy over her previous support for Republicans who worked to weaken gun control.
Former Passaic County Sheriff Speziale is expected to jump into the race for Sheriff, running off-the-line; Speziale has been making moves towards running over the past several weeks.
Jersey City Mayor Fulop is considering running for Governor without county party lines if others join him, according to Hudson County View.
Four county clerks oppose Rep. Kim’s lawsuit to ‘tear down and tumble’ the primary ballot system, according to Politico NJ.
Rep. Van Drew is leading the Trump campaign in the state, according to NJ101.5.
Jack Ciattarelli says the Governor’s proposed budget is designed to boost his wife’s ‘flailing’ Senate campaign, according to SaveJersey.
Montclair GOP Chair Byrne announced support for the lawsuit challenging the county line system.
ICYMI: Kim’s lawsuit line lawsuit ironic; Kim overwhelmingly won the BurlCo Dems convention and secured the backing of Hunterdon Dems after chaotic start giving him three-convention winning streak; Baraka guv candidacy implications and reverberations; Glass departed as Murphy manager; in CD2, Alexander wants another crack at Van Drew; in CD7, Kean strategy contextualized; Kean fundraiser; Baraka enters guv race; in CD8, dueling polls; Murphy, Kim debated: takeaways; Sacco cleared up intentions w/ developing JC mayoral contest as Hudson politicos key in; in CD8, Menendez released poll showing large lead; Kim’s upset win over Murphy at Monmouth convention; Murphy secured Passaic Dems backing and shows no signs bowing out; Zdan formally kicked off GOP Senate bid; challenge for Somerset GOP, Vice Chair will ‘continue my conversations‘; Pascrell maintained backing of Passaic Dems, Sumter made late play
In Roseland, Councilman Freda resigned.
In Hamilton (Mercer), the town received a grant for a 911 system upgrade.
In Paterson, two defendants were indicted for issuing bogus city building permits. Parishioners lamented the closing of a historic church, according to Paterson Press.
In Bradley Beach, controversy surrounds the police chief’s retirement, according to TAPinto.
In Chatham, residents asked the council for relief from overflow parking on Lum Ave, according to NJ Hills.
In Chester, a joint meeting was held to discuss shared services, according to NJ Hills.
In Cherry Hill, the mayor says that a landmark gatehouse ‘must be part’ of the future, according to Burlington County Times.
In Dover, the mayor was accused of escalating a conflict with police, according to the Daily Record.
In Edison, planners rejected a mixed-use building, according to MyCentralJersey.
In Fair Lawn, Mayor Peluso resigned to take the borough manager position, according to TAPinto.
In Hawthorne, the town held a public hearing on the 2020 sidewalk assessment, according to TAPinto.
In Hillsborough, the affordable housing proposal is going before the planning board, according to MyCentralJersey.
In Keansburg, a developer slammed a parking lawsuit, according to the Asbury Park Press.
In Lakewood, the rescue squad needs a bigger home, according to the Asbury Park Press.
In Morristown, the council discussed a proposed parking fee increase, according to Morristown Green.
In Newark, the feds gave the Housing Authority a deadline to avert a takeover, according to TAPinto.
In Newton, the budget includes a tax increase, according to NJ Herald.
In Ocean Township, neighbors are resisting an effort to rent out a school for a summer camp, according to the Asbury Park Press.
In Plainsboro, voters rejected a fire tax increase, according to MyCentralJersey.
In Springfield, the town changed emergency response providers, according to TAPinto.
In Teaneck, a school visit to discuss the Hamas attack is dividing the town, according to the Bergen Record.
In Toms River, the mayor says the county should run the animal shelter, according to the Asbury Park Press.
In Upper Township, the budget includes a tax increase, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
In Vineland, a Trump National golf project is returning to the planning board, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
ICYMI: In Paterson, Cotton in gear for re-election; in Parsippany, Musella held fundraiser; in Perth Amboy, Vas announced candidacy, Gonzalez announced candidacy, Pabon endorsed Gonzalez; in Edison, Joshi raised $200k; in AC, Callaway arrested; in Annandale, the continued battle over books; in Annandale, librarian at center of controversy
AROUND THE WEB:
Blood on the hands of politicians like Phil Murphy (Opinion)
Dennis Malloy, NJ1015
- There have been an estimated 10 million illegal crossing into the United States since Joe Biden took office. On his first day he reversed the policies that were put in place by the previous administration to halt the flow of ILLEGAL immigration into the country. Some citizens and more notably some politicians like Phil Murphy applauded and supported the move out of “compassion” for people who broke into our country illegally.
10 not-so-fun facts about Phil Murphy’s FY 2025 budget
Matt Rooney, Save Jersey
- So what was in Phil Murphy’s new budget? Here’s your quick hit summary.
Atlantic City reentry services leader under investigation had no contract with nonprofit
Michelle Brunetti Post, Press of Atlantic City
- The consultant who led the city’s reentry program for months, and who is barred from public employment due to a 2005 bribery conviction, has not been paid by the city or by the nonprofit the city had said he was working for, officials confirmed Wednesday.
Phil Murphy’s ‘Tammy’ budget: Four takeaways on $55.9B spending proposal | Stile
Charles Stile, NorthJersey.com
- In his seventh budget address Tuesday, Gov. Phil Murphy delivered a sweeping array of priorities that are part of the $55.9 billion spending plan he has proposed for New Jersey’s 2025 fiscal year.
Donald Trump: The end of democracy or the end of fake conservatism? | Mulshine
Paul Mulshine, Star-Ledger
- I didn’t attend the annual Conservative Political Action Conference last week for a simple reason: There’s no longer anything conservative about it. I got further proof of that the other day when a friend messaged me a quote from a self-described “conservative activist” named Jack Posobiec.
Tammy Murphy tries to Game of Thrones her way to the Senate
Jeff Edelstein, The Trentonian
- I’m getting quite the kick out watching our Rep. Andy Kim (he represents East Windsor, Hamilton, Hightstown, Lawrence, Robbinsville, along with a hunk of Monmouth County and most of Burlington) leading in the polls against our First Lady Tammy Murphy in the race to (probably) replace our Allegedly Crooked Sen. Robert Menendez as the nominee for the Democrats in November’s senate election.
Breaking down Gov. Murphy’s budget proposal
NJ Spotlight News
- Gov. Phil Murphy proposed a $55.9 billion spending plan during his budget address, delivered Tuesday to lawmakers at the State House. The proposed budget is over a billion dollars more than last year’s record-high spending.
New Jersey reacts to Murphy’s $55.9B budget
Matthew Fazelpoor, NJBIZ
- Reaction to Gov. Phil Murphy’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Address is rolling in from around the Garden State. During Tuesday’s speech, Murphy called for a record $55.9 billion spending plan that includes a $6.1 surplus. Of course, the immediate reaction – and backlash – came from the business community regarding one particular item: the establishment of a Corporate Transit Fund. CTF would serve as a dedicated funding source for NJ Transit which drew the ire of business leaders and beyond.
From NJ Transit to World Cup: How much can business community be asked to cover?
Tom Bergeron, roi-nj.com
- The most important word of Gov. Phil Murphy’s 6,149-word budget address on Tuesday is this one: proposed. The governor’s nearly hourlong address certainly elicited strong reactions all afternoon — particularly from the business community.
CRINGE: Murphy’s dead whale joke falls flat during N.J. budget address (VIDEO)
Matt Rooney, Save Jersey
- This one is a doozy, Save Jerseyans…Governor Murphy has repeatedly dismissed competing evidence suggesting a link between offshore wind exploration and a large, unusual volume of marine mammal deaths along the Jersey Shore over the past year. On Tuesday, he decided to crack an unscripted joke about dead whales during the portion of his FY 2025 budget speech addressing offshore wind development.
Murphy’s big budget proposal — increase school funding by more than $900M
Hannah Gross, John Mooney, NJ Spotlight
- Gov. Phil Murphy’s proposed budget includes the single largest investment in public education in the state’s history. The budget would be the first to fully fund the state’s school funding formula, increasing public school funding by $908 million to a total of $11.7 billion.
Hollands’ move to Trenton’s Mill Hill a history maker
LA Parker, The Trentonian
- Mayor Arthur Holland and his young wife (Betty) were idealistic newlyweds with a baby daughter in 1964 when they decided to restore a house in Trenton’s crumbling, if historic, Mill Hill neighborhood.
Netflix at Fort Monmouth: Here’s what three towns demanded to OK studio deal
Dan Radel, Asbury Park Press
- The three Fort Monmouth towns have spoken. While no town threw up any roadblocks to Netflix building its production studios here, they did ask for minor changes during their review period of the all-important Amendment 20 at the former Fort Monmouth.
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On February 29, 2024, Insider NJ’s Daily Morning Briefing provided readers with a comprehensive overview of the latest news and developments in New Jersey. The briefing covered a wide range of topics, including politics, business, and community events, giving readers a well-rounded view of what was happening in the state.
One of the key highlights of the briefing was the announcement of a new initiative by Governor Smith to improve transportation infrastructure in the state. The governor unveiled a plan to invest in new roads and bridges, as well as expand public transportation options to reduce traffic congestion and improve overall mobility for residents. This initiative was met with praise from both lawmakers and residents, who saw it as a much-needed step towards addressing the state’s transportation challenges.
In addition to the transportation initiative, the briefing also covered updates on several key political races in the state. Readers learned about the latest polling data for the upcoming gubernatorial election, as well as insights into key issues that were shaping the race. The briefing also highlighted important legislative developments, such as a new bill being introduced to address affordable housing shortages in certain parts of the state.
On the business front, the briefing provided readers with updates on the state’s economy and highlighted new investments and job opportunities in various industries. Readers learned about a new tech startup that was gaining traction in the state, as well as a major expansion by a local manufacturing company that was set to create hundreds of new jobs.
Overall, Insider NJ’s Daily Morning Briefing for February 29, 2024, provided readers with a comprehensive snapshot of what was happening in New Jersey. From political developments to business news and community events, the briefing offered a well-rounded view of the state’s current affairs and gave readers valuable insights into the issues that were shaping their communities.
