| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | Good Thursday morning! Indicted Sen. Bob Menendez has been striking an increasingly defiant tone and suggesting he’ll run for reelection. Just look at his statement from yesterday in response to Tammy Murphy entering the Senate race. “I'll gladly put up my record of success on behalf of the people of New Jersey against anyone and am confident that when all the facts have been presented and my innocence proven, I’ll continue to do what I’ve always done for the past 30-plus years — deliver results for the people of New Jersey,” Menendez said after hitting newly declared Senate candidate Tammy Murphy on taxes and veterans homes deaths. A couple hours later, the Hudson County Democratic Organization endorsed Tammy Murphy — the first county organization to do so. That’s a huge blow to Menendez, both symbolically and practically. It’s where he was raised and has long been his power base. Two years ago, he exercised so much control over the Democratic organization there that his son practically walked into his old House seat. If you needed any proof that his political career was cooked after the indictment hit beyond his single-digit favorability rating, there it is. That’s not the only sign of Menendez’s collapse. Recently, he and his top political adviser Mike Soliman parted ways. I’m told Menendez wanted Soliman to build support for a reelection bid around the state, and Soliman just didn’t think it was viable. That ended their long working relationship. (Soliman has been working for Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a likely 2025 gubernatorial candidate, for about a year.) David Wildstein reports that Message & Media’s Brad Lawrence and Steve DeMicco will also no longer work with Menendez. Meanwhile, Tammy Murphy Senate rival Andy Kim and progressive Democrats are seeking to head off an aura of inevitability around Tammy Murphy. Just an hour after Murphy’s campaign launch, Kim’s campaign commissioned a poll it released showing him leading her 40 percent to 21 percent, with Menendez garnering 10 percent. And a group of progressive activists in an open letter decried nepotism and called for party bosses to eschew the county line for this primary. TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Let’s be clear, if her name was Tammy Johnson, we would not be having this conversation. It is because Tammy Murphy is married to the Governor.” — An open letter from the Fair Vote Alliance, a group of progressive activists. HAPPY BIRTHDAY —Tony Ciavolella, Ilene Lampitt, Shai Goldstein WHERE’S MURPHY? In Atlantic City at noon to speak at the League convention
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STILL D.R.E — State Supreme Court allows Drug Recognition Expert testimony in court, but with limits, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: The state Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that evidence from so-called Drug Recognition Experts can be admissible in court, but with “limitations and safeguards” in place. In a 5-2 ruling, the court also posthumously vacated a conviction against Michael Olenowski, who was arrested in part because of the evidence of such experts, known as DREs. … The court said that while the evidence can be admissible in court, it must meet four safeguards, specifically: DREs must say that the findings of their results are correlated with drug use, not that it is a direct cause of drug use. The state must make a “reasonable attempt” to get a toxicology report — like a blood or urine sample — for DRE evidence to be acceptable. If there is not a “persuasive justification” why a toxicology report was not obtained, the DRE evidence may not be accepted. … The ruling was welcomed by those who had opposed DREs being used as evidence in court. The Office of the Public Defender — which sought to entirely disregard DRE testimony in court — supported the new safeguards (Read the decision here)
LIQUOR LICENSES — Senate President Nick Scutari on Wednesday said that trying to accomplish liquor license reform during the Legislature’s lame duck session was “overly ambitious” — bringing further uncertainty to the governor’s largest lame duck priority. Gov. Phil Murphy has publicly pushed for liquor license reforms since the start of this year. A key part of Murphy's reform plan is gradually lifting the cap on licenses — which can be worth millions of dollars — and reimbursing license holders with tax credits for their investments losing value. “It would be pretty difficult to make up for that with a tax credit,” Scutari said during the New Jersey State League of Municipalities Conference in Atlantic City. “It's a tough topic and to think we’re going to revise the entire liquor licensing industry during lame duck, to me, seems overly ambitious when I've seen it being talked about for over a decade,” he said. Other top lawmakers have expressed hesitancy over Murphy’s liquor license plans — state Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen) said in April that the proposal lacked support from the Legislature. — Daniel Han ‘WE MADE TOO MANY WRONG MISTAKES’ — “Republicans huddle up in Atlantic City to figure out what went wrong,” by InsiderNJ’s Fred Snowflack: “How to explain an election in which you lost six seats in the Assembly and gained none in the Senate? John DiMaio, the Republican leader in the lower house, did that Tuesday evening with a pretty good Yogi Berra-ism. He said Republicans did not lose the election, they just didn’t win as much as they had hoped. That’s one way of looking at things. It was necessary, of course, to sample more direct post-election commentary from loyal Republicans privately. With that luxury, the theme among Republicans at this week’s League of Municipalities Convention was three-fold: The party needed better candidates, a better message, and, perhaps most importantly, more unity. Concentrating on the last point, Republicans in New Jersey are divided between the MAGA wing and everybody else.” —“Woman charged NJ Medicaid $45K for care. The problem? She was teaching in Michigan”
| | | | GET A BACKSTAGE PASS TO COP28 WITH GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Get insider access to the conference that sets the tone of the global climate agenda with POLITICO's Global Playbook newsletter. Authored by Suzanne Lynch, Global Playbook delivers exclusive, daily insights and comprehensive coverage that will keep you informed about the most crucial climate summit of the year. Dive deep into the critical discussions and developments at COP28 from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12. SUBSCRIBE NOW. | | | | | | | Biden's Beltway | | ADEEL ON APPEAL — “Biden taps North Jersey lawyer as first Muslim to serve as a federal appellate court judge,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “President Joe Biden today nominated Adeel A. Mangi to serve as a judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, which will make him the first Muslim to serve as a federal appellate court judge in the nation if he’s confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Mangi, 46, was born in Pakistan and is a partner at a large New York law firm, Patterson Belknap, and lives in North Jersey. He would replace Judge Joseph Greenaway, Jr., who retired in June.” —“An Interview with Tammy Murphy” —“Man accused of spraying officers with chemical irritant in Capitol riot makes 1st court appearance” —Kelly: “A military police officer stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6. That is unacceptable” —“Race for young Menendez’s congressional seat heats up” | | LOCAL | |
A CHORUS END OF THE LINE— “Renowned N.J. boys chorus disbanded due to funding,” by NJ Advance Media’s Deion Johnson: “The renowned Newark Boys Chorus, whose young singers have delighted audiences around the world, has been disbanded after their school closed, citing a lack of funding. The board of trustees for the tuition-free nonprofit Newark Boys Chorus School closed its doors temporarily on Oct. 31 because it failed to raise $500,000 to cover salaries and other expenses, according to a letter the Board Chairman Robert Wright sent to the community on Nov. 7 … For over 50 years, the school recruited musically talented third through eighth graders from the Newark area, providing rigorous academic and musical training. … Throughout, the school on Broadway near Taylor Street relied on grants and fundraising to educate 50 boys, pay salaries for 11 teachers and cover other operational expenses.”
STUDENTS’ RIGHTS — “N.J. teen wins seat on school board. ‘He was made for that position.’,” by NJ Advance Media’s Tina Kelley: “When Chad Wood was a senior at Sparta High School last year, his teacher in Advanced Placement Government and Politics had students create an election website informing the town about all the races. Five months after graduating, Wood, 18, won one of those elections, gaining a spot on the Sparta Board of Education and becoming one of the youngest people ever in New Jersey elected to such a seat. … The district made headlines recently when parental rights advocates won board control last November and later dropped a policy that provided protections for transgender students. … Those members no longer form the majority of the board, with the victory of Wood’s, Gagnon’s and Lonsky’s slate. Wood said the issue of whether schools should notify parents when trans students use different pronouns or bathrooms ‘hadn’t been a big issue until select parents made it a big issue.” He found it “extremely troubling” that no new policy replaced the dropped one.’” PATERSON FAILS — “When will Paterson’s City Hall, plagued by heating problems, reopen?” by The Paterson Press’ Joe Malinconico: “The no-heat shutdown of City Hall stretched into its third day on Wednesday with no word from Mayor Andre Sayegh on when he expects the building to reopen for the public. Sayegh, his department heads and most City Council members have been in Atlantic City this week for the annual League of Municipalities convention. That group includes Public Works department officials in charge of City Hall’s operation. Multiple residents told Paterson Press Wednesday that they had not received any automated calls alerting them to City Hall's closure.” FRONTRUNNER FOR ATLANTIC CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY POST — “Why this Paterson Housing Authority official is losing her commission seat,” by The Paterson Press’ Joe Malinconico: “The controversy surrounding the newest member of the Paterson Housing Authority has culminated in the termination of the appointee’s Section 8 rent voucher and her impending removal from the agency’s board. Irma Gorham, the executive director of the housing authority, made those pronouncements in a statement issued on her behalf on Monday evening regarding board member Carmen Rivera, who has been serving as the commission’s tenant representative for several months. Gorham previously said Rivera did not disclose her household’s full income in applying for a rent voucher for her to live in Paterson’s recently rebuilt Riverside Village complex.” INVESTIGATORS NARROW DOWN SUSPECTS TO HUNDREDS OF DRUNK NJ POLITICIANS — “Atlantic City Boardwalk fire damages casino wall and marquee,” by The Press of Atlantic City’s Robert Moran: “No injuries were reported after a two-alarm fire broke out Wednesday afternoon on the Atlantic City Boardwalk outside the Resorts Casino Hotel, officials said. The Atlantic City Fire Department responded to the fire shortly before 3:50 p.m., city officials said on Facebook. ‘The fire spread to the building’s exterior wall and part of the marquee above the Boardwalk entrance. Minimal smoke extended into the building, forcing brief evacuations of the businesses located near the building’s Boardwalk entrance. The casino floor remained open,” city officials said.” AH YES, ‘DESTROY THE CHARACTER’ — “Group sues Englewood for documents behind plan to allow thousands of new apartments,” by The Record’s Megan Burrow: “The nonprofit Englewood One Community Corporation alleges the city and its records custodian, City Clerk Yancy Wazirmas, violated the state Open Public Records Act, or OPRA, by not providing documents related to a plan that could add thousands of new apartments to residential neighborhoods.. … The City Council in August approved the plan to provide affordable housing through overlay zones that could add as many as 4,000 apartments across the city's four wards, with 20% of the units set aside for low- and moderate-income housing. … The group has argued that the plan would allow four- to five-story buildings next to single-family houses and could push people out of their homes and destroy the character of city neighborhoods.” —“Residents, activists urge federal takeover of Atlantic City Housing Authority” —“Gov. Phil Murphy pledges $5.5 million to bolster Atlantic City's food access” —“Attorney general names new acting Sussex County prosecutor” —“Hundreds to be laid off when Jersey City Stop & Shop grocery delivery facility closes” —“These Bergen County election races are still too close to call” | | EVERYTHING ELSE | |
SINCE I’M WRITING THIS FROM 90 MILES NORTH OF THE NJ BORDER, I HOPE SO— “Remote work has been a boon for people with disabilities. Will employers keep it going?” by The Record’s Gene Myers: “Work-from-home is here to stay − and it's been a transformative technology for workers with disabilities, Rutgers University researchers say. But while that picture may seem rosy, some of the gains could be lost as the labor market softens and companies push workers back to their offices. ‘We've definitely seen over the past three years, during the pandemic recovery, the employment rate of people with disabilities has gone up faster than the employment rate for people without disabilities and that's really encouraging,’ said Lisa Schur, who along with husband Douglas Kruse directs the school's Program for Disability Research.”
GOTTHEIMER CONSTITUENT WOULD BENEFIT FROM CONGESTION PRICING — ”MTA names New Jersey man as billionth NYC subway rider of 2023,” by The Daily News’ Evan Simko-Bednarski: “A New Jersey man won a new T-shirt, an eyeglass cleaning cloth imprinted with a subway map and a $100 OMNY card when he had the good luck Tuesday of being named the subways’ billionth customer of 2023. It wasn’t as good as winning a Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot — but Brian Jones of Teaneck was pleased nonetheless when an MTA station agent pulled him aside at the 175th St. A train station in Washington Heights at 11 a.m. ‘I was just on my way to a meeting, and they grabbed me as I was walking through the turnstile,’ Jones told reporters from a podium set up in the station mezzanine.” LIMPKIN BIZKIT: BEAK STUFF — “Limpkin bird spotted in N.J. for the first time, experts say,” by NJ Advance Media’s Brianna Kudisch: “A limpkin — a large bird primarily found in Florida — appeared in New Jersey this week for the first time in a rare cold weather sighting that excited local bird watchers, experts said. The limpkin was spotted in Wall Township. … Limpkins are mostly found across Central and South America, as well as Florida.” —“Many coastal homeowners lack flood insurance despite rising seas, report says” —“Partnership seeks to address teacher shortages in North Jersey” —“NJ makes strides in lung cancer treatment, but racial disparities still high”
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