| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | | Presented by |  | | | What’s worse than being the Murphys’ enemy? I’m beginning to think it’s being their friend. At least if you’re a South Jersey Democrat. Gov. Phil Murphy last night was the “special guest” at a $3,500 per head fundraiser for American Representative Majority, which is effectively the George Norcross super PAC. (It was $1.9 million in debt to him as of November.) This long-planned fundraiser came the day after First Lady Tammy Murphy dropped her Senate candidacy that the Norcross machine went all-in for over South Jersey guy Andy Kim. That was a remarkable turnaround from 2019, when the fight over tax incentives between Murphy and Norcross dominated New Jersey politics. “He thinks he’s the King of England and Mrs. thinks she’s the Queen of England,” Norcross said about the couple at the time. Nevertheless, by late 2020, the two sides reached a detente and were soon uneasy allies. In 2021,with Murphy at the top of the ticket, South Jersey Democrats took huge hits to their legislative delegation, including the stunning loss of Senate President Steve Sweeney. Many blamed it on the governor and largely going along with his Covid restrictions. Sure, South Jersey Democrats won those seats back in 2023, but thanks to Andy Kim’s campaign against Murphy, they may lose the county line. And no county organization has exploited the line to their advantage more than Camden County Democrats. Critics have been decrying the power of the county line for years, but it was really Tammy Murphy’s consolidation of the line through the boss system in New Jersey’s most Democratic counties — and Kim’s exploitation of it as an issue — that turned the political tide against it. And the video of five Camden County Democratic men blocking Senate candidate Patricia Campos-Medina from even enteirng the meeting where the party handed the line to Tammy Murphy may wind up being the enduring image from this election. Now, Tammy Murphy is out but the line’s future is uncertain, with Judge Zahid Quarishi expected to rule on Kim’s lawsuit soon. Meanwhile, Attorney General Matt Platkin, long a close Murphy ally, is investigating real estate deals and alleged political retribution tied to Norcross. TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com QUOTE OF THE DAY: . “[Kim] joined us because the line wasn’t working for him, and he had the platform to take it forward. If he decides to take the line and not continue fighting forward against the line, it will tell us a lot about who he is as a candidate and as a person.” — Senate candidate Patricia Campos-Medina HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Danielle Alexander, Harold Kane, Kevin Passante, Lauren Dikis WHERE’S MURPHY? — At a Laborers' training facility in Aberdeen Township at 11:30 a.m. to sign the gas tax hike/Transportation Trust Fund legislation, then in Atlantic City at 4:45 p.m. to speak at a New Jersey Chamber of Commerce summit
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OH SHBP — State health insurance costs rising, raising fears of another major rate hike, by POLITICO’s Ry Rivard: State lawmakers are being thrown a curveball as they begin work on Gov. Phil Murphy’s budget proposal: Trends indicate a “significant” increase to costs of the state-run public worker health insurance program. Insurance premiums could increase by double digits for hundreds of thousands of state and local workers, Murphy administration officials told the Assembly Budget Committee on Monday. Such an increase set off a firestorm in 2022, in part because lawmakers worked through the state budget without fully realizing the increases were coming — so those premium increases of around 20 percent drew a coalition of public sector unions and local government groups calling for state relief, which state workers got but local governments did not. This time around, the Murphy administration is making sure lawmakers know problems lie ahead, based on midyear data sent to lawmakers recently, but the scope of the problems is not yet clear.
BUDGET — “How much does Murphy’s budget plan rely on one-shot revenue sources?” by NJ Spotlight News’ John Reitmeyer: “According to new budget estimates obtained through a public-records request, Murphy is planning to use nearly $3 billion in revenue from nonrecurring sources to support his proposal to increase overall state spending to a record-high $55.9 billion during the 2025 fiscal year …The largest source of nonrecurring revenue backing Murphy’s proposed budget is a plan to take more than $2 billion from the state’s general budget surplus, according to the estimates drafted by the Department of the Treasury and provided to NJ Spotlight News under New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act. An estimated $585 million will be diverted from the dedicated debt defeasance and prevention reserve and go into the budget’s general fund, according to Treasury’s estimates. Murphy, a former Wall Street executive, has himself outlined the fiscal dilemma that can be created when revenues he referred to as ‘one-shots’ are used to balance annual spending.” —Murphy makes long-awaited drug council appointments —“Six indicted for allegedly stealing $700K from NJ's Brain Injury Fund” —“The first psychiatric unit for women living with trauma just opened in N.J. It filled up fast” —McDonald: “Court fight reveals absurdity behind claims about our public records law” —“DEP has heard the public on LSP, now must keep faith with their call | Opinion” —“N.J. could hit electric car owners with new fees starting this summer” —“Bergen Community College says NJ's proposed $1.8M cut in funding would hurt students”
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NEW DIRECTION FOR NEW JERSEY — Did Tammy Murphy just make Phil Murphy a lame duck in New Jersey?, by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: A few months ago, Phil and Tammy Murphy appeared poised to become a powerful New Jersey political dynasty — the popular two-term Democratic governor with political connections on the national stage married to the front-runner to become the state’s first female senator. The first lady’s spectacular flameout in her Senate candidacy Sunday ended that prospect. It also may hasten Gov. Phil Murphy’s status as a lame duck governor with almost two years left to go in his term. “It’s going to be a long 18 months for Murphy,” said one Democratic state lawmaker granted anonymity to speak candidly about the governor. “He has no capital, no pull. The only thing he can do now is raise money, which is how he got into this in the first place.”
ON THE LINE — Tammy Murphy's exit from Senate race reshapes legal fight over ‘the line’, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: A new legal fight in Rep. Andy Kim’s lawsuit seeking to get rid of county lines is taking shape after New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy's exit from the Senate primary. It’s not clear what direction the lawsuit will take after Murphy’s abrupt departure from the race on Sunday. But in legal filings Monday, an attorney representing county clerks — who Kim is suing — said that Murphy suspending her campaign changes the circumstances of Kim’s legal challenge. Attorneys for Kim and his two co-plaintiffs, who are running for House seats, shot back in court papers by saying that even with Murphy out of the Senate race, they will still face unconstitutional harm if the county line is still in place for the June primary. And another Democratic Senate candidate is now weighing in, saying in legal filings that Murphy dropping out and Kim standing to receive her lines underscores the inequities of the county line system. SPRINGTIME FOR ANDY IN NEW JERSEY — “In New Jersey, some see old-school politics giving way to ‘spring’ amid corruption scandal,” by The AP’s Mike Catalini: “New Jersey has a well-earned reputation as a home to backroom political dealing. But advocates hoping to break the boss-dominated culture in this Democratic stronghold say the ongoing corruption case against Sen. Bob Menendez might have opened the door to a new era in Garden State politics. … ‘It’s a New Jersey spring,’ said Sue Altman, a progressive candidate for Congress, one of many Democrats who crowded into the courtroom. ‘I would say I think people in New Jersey are ready for change.’” ZDONE — Former journalist Alex Zdan drops out of Republican Senate primary, by POLITICO’s Katherine Dailey: Alex Zdan, a former Statehouse reporter running as a Republican for Senate, has withdrawn from the primary contest and called for party unity to unseat indicted Sen. Bob Menendez. “I believe it is best to avoid a long contentious and expensive primary, denying our eventual Senate nominee 10 valuable weeks to party build, organize support throughout the state, and explain to the voters why it is time to send a Republican to the U.S. Senate for the first time in decades,” Zdan said in an announcement. —“Thirteen takeawayson Murphy’s Exit, Kim’s ascendance, and the future of N.J. politics” — “Kim, the Line, and the aftermath: Now what???” —Moran: “To fix the Democratic Party, killing the line is just a start” —Stile: “Tammy Murphy's campaign never caught fire. The line — and Trump — didn't help”
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PATERSON — “3 N.J. cops accused of covering up domestic violence incident involving NYPD captain, officials say,” by NJ Advance Media’s Chris Sheldon: Three Paterson police officers were arrested Monday after they were accused of covering up an alleged domestic violence and kidnapping incident involving a New York City Police Department captain in Paterson in 2022, investigators said. Giuseppe Ciarla, 42, of Paterson, Juan Cruz-Fernandez, 29, of Paterson, and Jason Schmid, 34, of Vernon, were charged with conspiracy to commit official misconduct and hindering the apprehension of another, according to a release from the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office. Cruz-Fernandez was also charged with tampering with public records or information.
The three officers were dispatched to a report of a domestic assault shortly after 2 a.m. on Dec. 10, 2022 and when they arrived, they found a woman with ‘visible injuries’ to her face, the release stated. A man, Hariton Marachilian, identified himself to the officers as a captain with the NYPD, the office said. In the ensuing interaction, the officers allegedly didn’t sufficiently investigate how the woman was injured and did not treat or obtain treatment for her wounds. The officers did not search for or collect physical evidence, and Marachilian was allowed to drive away from the scene by them and was not charged with any domestic violence offenses at the time, investigators said.” YIMBY — “This small New Jersey town became a different kind of suburb,” by The New York Times’ Binyamin Applebaum: “A potential remedy for New York’s housing crisis — and the similar crises in other coastal cities — is on display in this small New Jersey town two miles west of the George Washington Bridge. Palisades Park is one of the few places in the New York metropolitan area where it is legal to replace a single-family home with something other than another single-family home. Over the last few decades, developers have bulldozed many of the old houses and replaced them with bigger, fancier duplexes. There have been some growing pains, but many more people are now able to live in Palisades Park. Since 1990, the population has increased by 40 percent. The main street has revived and flourished, becoming a destination for Korean food. And the growth has allowed Palisades Park to reduce its tax rates. One of the most important causes of the region’s housing crisis is the dearth of construction in communities around New York City, where most residential land is reserved exclusively for single-family homes.” MOENCH MADNESS — “We're suing for the 'racially charged' Spotswood bodycam footage the mayor wants destroyed,” by MyCentralJersey’s Mike Deak: “Mayor Jackie Palmer and the borough are arguing that police bodycam footage of a meeting between her and police officers about an incident at Borough Hall should be destroyed because she was ‘surreptitiously’ recorded in violation of state law. The mayor, through her attorney Matthew Moench, also contends in legal papers that she was ‘intentionally recorded by the police department in the hopes they would be able to obtain something useful to use against her.’ But C.J. Griffin, a government transparency attorney and counsel to Gannett and MyCentralJersey.com which is seeking the release of the footage, argues in court papers that ‘all the public will learn from disclosure of this video is whether Mayor Palmer said the highly inflammatory and problematic things’ that Borough Police Officer Richard Sasso alleges in a lawsuit. … Middlesex County Superior Court Judge Michael Toto is scheduled to hear arguments Thursday on Palmer's request for a restraining order to prevent the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office, which has the video, from releasing the footage.” WHEN IMPERSONATING THE NJ DEMOCRATIC PARTY GOES WRONG — “Chief detective in Essex Prosecutor’s office shoots himself in the foot,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “Former Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose shot himself in the foot on Friday after his gun discharged under circumstances that are still under investigation, the New Jersey Globe has learned. The chief of detectives for the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, Mitchell McGuire, was at Ambrose’s office in Cedar Grove when a gun accidentally discharged, and Ambrose was shot. The two are reportedly close personal friends. ‘We are looking into the incident and hope to have a statement by the close of business today,’ Assistant Essex County Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly told the New Jersey Globe.”
| | | | Access New York bill updates and Congressional activity in areas that matter to you, and use our exclusive insights to see what’s on the Albany agenda. Learn more. | | | | | PATERSON FALLS — “Ceiling collapses in Paterson City Council meeting room at City Hall,” by The Paterson Press’ Joe Malinconico: “A portion of the ceiling collapsed Monday morning in the City Hall room where the municipal council holds its public meetings, with large chunks of plaster falling onto audience seats in the empty room. Officials said they were not sure whether the council would hold its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday night. Members of the city council said the collapse stemmed from a leaky air-conditioner pan in the area above one side of the audience seating.” —“Embattled [Clark] mayor seeks reelection despite criminal charges” —“Ocean County commissioner: We were a ‘better county’ in the 1950s than today” —“Hudson politicos analyze Murphy fallout: A win for Menendez Jr., a loss for Bhalla, and some soul-searching at HCDO” —“Sacco & Stack up the ante by issuing public, political attacks against each other” —“'Forced down taxpayers' throats': Wayne takes issue with new state housing law” —“[South Orange-Maplewood] school district under federal investigation for alleged bias” —“Toms River Regional school budget drives up taxes; see how much you'll pay” —“Ringwood schools to cut 30 full-time jobs to deal with budget shortfall” —“P’burg investigating ‘possible drop off of illegal immigrants’ into town, mayor says” —“No beach concerts planned for this summer in Atlantic City”
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THE SYRPRANOS — “Maple syrup from New Jersey: You got a problem with that?” by The AP’s Wayne Parry: “Welcome to New Jersey, known around the world for Tony Soprano, Turnpike tolls, chemical plants, and ... maple syrup? If a university in the southern part of the state has its way, the sticky sweet brown stuff you put on your pancakes might one day come from New Jersey. It’s part of an effort to use a species of maple tree common to southern New Jersey that has only half as much sugar as the maples of Vermont, the nation’s maple syrup capital. The idea is to see if a viable syrup industry can be created in a part of the state better known for casinos and its vast forest of pine trees. Backed by $1 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Stockton University is in its fourth year of producing syrup from the 300 acres (120 hectares) of maples surrounding it."
PEOPLE ARE DYING TO EAT THERE — “Is this N.J. hospital’s sushi as amazing as everyone says? We investigated,” by NJ Advance Media’s Lauren Musni: “Virtua Hospital in Voorhees has a cafeteria in their adult hospital that has received rave reviews from visitors and locals alike. Back in November, an anonymous participant posted on the South Jersey Food Scene Facebook page speaking about the sushi in the very unexpected locale stating, ‘they have the best sushi and it’s cheap.’ “ —“Seal rescue surge: Over 20 stranded seals saved on New Jersey shores this season” — “Buc-ee's in NJ? If it's coming to the land of Wawa and QuickChek, here's what must change”
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