| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | Good Thursday morning! While the future of the Centre Pompidou museum in Jersey City looks bleak, here’s some good news: Just $6 million of the $58 million the state has allocated for the project has actually been sent to the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency, and none of that has been spent. That’s according to both the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and Fulop. Several Republican senators — who have been highly critical of this project for years — in a press release Wednesday called for that $6 million to go back to the state general fund. Fulop charges that the EDA’s newfound reluctance to go through with the project, outlined in a letter the state agency sent to the Jersey City agency last week, is revenge for Fulop reneging on his endorsement of First Lady Tammy Murphy for Senate. EDA CEO Tim Sullivan (as well as Gov. Phil Murphy) says the problem is that the revenue gap between what the museum will cost to run vs. what it will take in is just too big, and that, Murphy’s words, the “new news” here. The Fulop administration turned over a lot of emails to me. They showed that the Pompidou’s measly revenue projections for ticket sales have been pretty much the same since at least 2022. But Sullivan told me that the difference lies in the fact that Jersey City decided to apply the first $24 million the state appropriated for the museum two budgets ago for the actual building of the museum, which left the a bigger gap in its operating expenses. Fulop in an email said it was the state’s recommendation to apply that $24 million to building the museum, and even afterward the state approved “legislation specific for the project and a $75M tax credit.” “If they had concerns on their own recommendations then why would they proceed with the steps they took subsequently? Never did they bring any of this up,” Fulop said. Meanwhile, Fulop said Jersey City will send the EDA a proposal to “replace funds and keep the Centre Pompidou in line with state funding help that other similar institutions get like [New Jersey Performing Arts Center] and [Liberty Science Center].” “Would Tim Sullivan release the funds then?” Fulop said. Sullivan insisted he still loves idea for the Pompidou, even if he’s not optimistic about making up those funds. “Ultimately, as we sit here today, I do not think there are enough resources amassed to both build and operate this thing,” Sullivan told me. “Before we push go and spend a lot of money to build it, the only prudent thing is to show the taxpayers that it’s sustainable and has a chance at survival.” TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at MFriedman@politico.com. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “"The parties are directed to avoid needless motion practice, which wastes everyone's time.” — U.S. District Court Judge Sidney Stein, denying the latest motion from Sen. Bob Menendez’s lawyers HAPPY BIRTHDAY — I have no birthdays on my list for today, so if I missed you, blame your friends and co-workers. WHERE’S MURPHY? — At Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark at 10 a.m. for the funeral of Donald Payne Jr.
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WHAT THEY DO IN THE SHADOWS — Close loophole that allowed shadowy PAC to hide funding, ELEC says, by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: The agency responsible for enforcing New Jersey’s campaign finance law wants to close a loophole that allowed a shadowy super PAC to promote allegedly fake candidates while hiding its donors until well after the 2023 election. The Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) in its annual report released Wednesday suggested the Legislature revisit the 2023 Elections Transparency Act to require that independent expenditure committees — a new category of PACs established under the law — disclose their donors who funded them in the closing weeks of an election. ELEC also wants to double the length of time it has to prosecute campaign finance reporting violations, from two years to four, and to be exempt from “Daniel’s Law,” which requires it to redact the addresses of some donors and candidates. “Commission members and staff are in strong agreement that these changes will expand disclosure by independent spending groups, remove a statutory conflict that undermines the agency’s primary mission of disclosure, and enable ELEC to enforce the Campaign Act throughout the entirety of an election,” ELEC Acting Executive Director Joe Donohue said in a press release Wednesday.
CRUEL AND USUAL PUNISHMENT — Murphy backs allowing formerly incarcerated to serve on juries, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: Gov. Phil Murphy is backing a bill to allow formerly incarcerated people to serve on juries. The Democratic governor is slated to throw support behind the bill, according to his prepared remarks for the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice's 25th anniversary gala. The group generally supports progressive criminal justice efforts. “Today, there are a more than half-a-million New Jerseyans with criminal offense convictions who are banned — for life — from serving on juries,” Murphy’s prepared marks say SCROOGE MCLAMEDUCK — “Where is progressive Phil Murphy on smoking in NJ casinos? In lame-duck territory,” by The Record’s Charles Stile: “Four years ago … Gov. Phil Murphy sounded very much like an ardent supporter of smoke-free Atlantic City casinos. … But the once-emphatic governor has since wobbled in his commitment, as the opening rounds of a new lawsuit have made abundantly clear in recent days. The lame-duck governor, with nothing to lose and a chance to use his power and pulpit to stamp his legacy as a champion of public health, is playing it safe and joining forces with old-guard protectionist interests too frightened to take the plunge into the smoke-free future. … The governor has now signaled support for a compromise that would allow smoking to continue in some capacity. ‘First he says that he would sign a bill that gets to his desk. But he didn't say which bill,’ said state Sen. Joe Vitale. … ‘He then qualifies it by saying, 'Well, but we should also consider the economic impact of the proposed law, right?' So you can't, in my view, you can't have it both ways,’ Vitale said in frustration. ‘You gotta take a position.’” HIGHLAND PARK DISPENSARY PUN NAMES PREVAIL — “New Jersey’s recreational cannabis law doesn’t violate federal law, appellate court says,” by New Jersey Monitor’s Sophie Nieto-Munoz: “New Jersey’s recreational cannabis law can ‘coexist’ with federal marijuana enforcement laws, a state appellate court said in a decision Wednesday. Judge Jack Sabatino, writing for a three-judge panel, affirmed a lower court’s ruling against a group of Highland Park residents who claimed the borough violated federal law by allowing the sale of recreational marijuana, which remains federally illegal. At the center of the legal fight is an ordinance the council adopted in August 2021 that allowed cannabis retailers, consumption lounges, and delivery services to operate in the borough. A group of anti-cannabis residents claimed not just the ordinance, but the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance and Marketplace Modernization Act (CREAMMA), violated the federal Controlled Substances Act, New Jersey Municipal Land Use Law, and other state and federal laws. But Sabatino said the state’s recreational law doesn’t violate either section of the Supremacy Clause, which says state laws cannot violate federal laws. He cited Hager v. M&K Construction, a 2021 New Jersey Supreme Court decision that found the Controlled Substances Act “explicitly leaves room for state law to operate.”” — “NJ electric vehicle drivers say more chargers needed to get over 'range anxiety'” — “For 700,000 NJ workers who face barriers to jobless benefits, activists propose a bridge” —“Scaramucci will headline Bramnick fundraiser”
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YES WE CANNA — Sen. Cory Booker is trying once again to decriminalize marijuana. He reintroduced a bill Wednesday to remove cannabis from the list of federally controlled substances, allow states to create their own laws and create an expungement process, among other things. It came a day after the Department of Justice confirmed plans to loosen federal cannabis policies across the country by moving it from a Schedule I drug to Schedule III, which impacts penalties for related crimes.
“It is long past time to confront the failure of the War on Drugs, particularly its disproportionate impact on communities of color and low-income individuals. We must take proactive and significant steps to rectify these ongoing injustices,” Booker said in a statement. Booker first introduced the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act in 2022. The measure has strong Democratic support in the upper chamber — notably with Majority Leader Chuck Schumer as a co-sponsor — and with the public. But its prospects seem less likely in the Republican-controlled House. —Dustin Racioppi —Audio: “A progressive activist, running in a moderate N.J. district, ignores usual playbook” —CREW: “The case for convicting Senator Menendez of bribery” | | LOCAL | |
THE CITY OF BROTHERLY FUNDS — “Newark mayor’s brother received $77k in consulting payments for 2022 mayoral campaign,” by TAPIntoNewark’s Mark J. Bonamo and Matt Kadosh: “Reports filed by Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka's political campaign with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) show that more than $77,000 in payments to Amiri 'Middy' Baraka's political consulting film, Bottom Up, were made after the 2022 mayoral election. Baraka's campaign recently released the ELEC filings after the state’s campaign finance watchdog filed complaints in March, claiming both Ras J. Baraka and Team Baraka had not filed any legally required forms detailing campaign contributions and expenditures regarding the 2022 municipal elections. Mayor Baraka has declared his candidacy for governor and is running in the 2025 Democratic primary … According to Micah Rasmussen, director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University, Middy Baraka's dual role is ‘not unusual in New Jersey.’” I THOUGHT THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN WAS STAFFED EXCLUSIVELY BY CHILDREN — “This Bergen County office received so many incorrect calls, they changed their name,” by The Record’s Kristie Cattafi: “Bergen County's Department of Human Services will rename two offices to help residents better connect with child care, early intervention and child development services. The county’s Office for Children will become the Division of Childcare Resources, and the Office of Special Child Health Services will become the Office of Child Development. ‘The name changes have been floating around for a while because they don’t encapsulate what the division does,’ said Jared Lautz, deputy chief of staff for the Bergen County executive.” TOTOPRA — “Spotswood mayor tapes: 'The public needs to know' or they 'should have been destroyed',” by MyCentralJersey’s Mike Deak: “The legal battle over whether recordings of Spotswood Mayor Jackie Palmer's interaction with police during an incident at Borough Hall two years ago should become public boils down to whether a Superior Court judge decides if the public has a right to see them or if they should be destroyed because they were made illegally. Middlesex County Superior Court Judge Michael Toto has scheduled a hearing on May 10 to hear arguments whether the 10 recordings made in the course of an April 2022 incident when police were called to deal with a Black resident allegedly causing a disturbance at the municipal building should be released. … Toto wrote to the lawyers that his decision whether to release the recordings is based on whether they were made as "part of a continuous event," made surreptitiously or in contravention of the state's body-worn camera (BWC) law and the state Attorney General's guidelines. CJ Griffin, attorney for Gannett, argues in her brief to Toto that ‘the public needs the whole story.’” LOSS OF TOM IN WARREN COULD BE OFFSET BY GAIN OF TOM IN HUNTERDON — “Palmieri will step down as Warren Democratic chairmanz,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “After ten years in office, Warren County Democratic Chairman Thomas Palmieri announced today that he will not seek re-election, becoming the fifth county chair in the state to step down this year so far. ‘I have enjoyed successes and suffered some disappointments all while moving the Democratic Party forward in Warren County. The number of registered Democrats has increased by over 6,000 new registered Democrats. The active elected Democratic committee people have tripled under my term,’ Palmieri said. ‘These areas of growth bode well for the WCDC in the future.’ Palmieri endorsed Charles Boddy, the Washington Township Democratic municipal chairman, as his successor.” FROM THE RIVER TO THE BAY — “Jersey City BOE to call special meeting over trustee’s alleged ‘River to the Sea’ remark,” by Hudson County View’s Daniel Ulloa: “The alleged remarks from Trustee Younass Barkouch, who is Muslim, came during the April 25th board meeting as they recognized National Arab American Heritage Month with a presentation and student performances. The recording of the nearly six-hour meeting does not pick up audio of anything along those lines, which many have equated to a call for the destruction of the majority Jewish State of Israel, which is located between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. However, Barkouch can me seen shouting something to students as they walk off stage a little over 42 minutes into the meeting … Nonetheless, Jersey City Board of Education President Dejon Morris insists Barkouch shouted ‘from the River to the Sea’ and he plans to hold him accountable for it. … Morris explained he is calling for a special meeting specifically to vote on a resolution denouncing the situation, tentatively scheduled for May 14th.” PLEASE BOOK GWAR — “Lakewood mayor turns his living room into a concert venue,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Joe Strupp: “The longtime Lakewood leader better known for township budgets and development issues - as well as a thriving eyeglass parts company - is also something of a concert promoter. Well, at least a few times a year. ‘I enjoy music, it is a release for me for a lot of the stress that goes on,’ Coles, 65, said about the house concerts he hosts in his Ventura Drive home every few months. ‘I have no talent to perform or create but I like to recognize talent.’ … The shows, held in Coles’ extended living room, include a makeshift stage, small sound system and a flashing light backdrop. Folding chairs provide seats for the 35-40 fans who pay about $25 for the performances, as well as snacks and a post-show spread of pizza and hamburgers. Coles promises at least $1,000 to the performers, with the rest going to cover costs. He makes no profit on the ventures, he said.” — “Hillsborough schools in 'financial shackles', facing 'draconian cuts” —“Inside the tiny N.J. suburb with the fastest-growing Asian population in the U.S” —“Will Marlboro school board launch investigation after student faced 'offensive touching'?” —“Newark students say curfew could curb teen violence but more needs to be done” —“After ‘Frontline’ documentary, another call for DOJ to probe [Jameek Lowery’s] death” —“Can Toms River mayor be beaten on animal shelter takeover? Petitioners think so” —“Somers Point couple admit running marijuana operation, using teen to distribute” —Snowflack: “There’s not a new sheriff in town – yet…” | | EVERYTHING ELSE | |
ALL THE NEWS THAT’S FIT FOR S**T — “Future of N.J. university’s 85-year-old newspaper uncertain after vote to cut funding,” by NJ Advance Media’s Nyah Marshall: “Rowan University’s 85-year-old independent, student-run newspaper, The Whit, is facing a 35% cut in funding for next year, a move that staff members say will impact the future of the paper’s weekly print editions. Student leaders in the campus’ student government association voted on the cut after taking into account about 150 of the 600 copies of the newspaper are left over from week to week, according to officials. … ‘Most of our budget is going to printing so having this cut is devastating because ... in the printing industry, the less you print, the more expensive it becomes,’ said Victoria McGivern, a Rowan student who was The Whit’s editor-in-chief this school year. … The student government association believes it was an ‘economically and environmentally friendly’ decision, since many leftover newspaper copies go unused by the student body and instead get donated to a local cat shelter for litter.”
—“Anti-Muslim incidents doubled in N.J. amid protests over Israel-Gaza war, report finds” —“This man has never met his American-born twin babies. Why he is trapped overseas” —“Latest aftershock hits New Jersey after April earthquake, measuring 2.6” —“Are N.J. hospitals getting safer? See how yours fared in latest report” —“Macy's 4th of July fireworks returning to Hudson River this year for first time since 2013”
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