| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | | Presented by |  | | | Good Tuesday morning! Good news for primary candidates who are not endorsed by the political machine: You’ll be able to call yourself Democrats and Republicans after all. The Assembly Select Committee on Ballot Design and the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Monday advanced legislation dictating what New Jersey’s primary ballots should look like. And they took out language that, from my reading and many others’, appeared to bar candidates not endorsed by a county political organization from using “Democrat” or “Republican” in their slogans. Officials involved in drafting this legislation always assured me that was never the intent — that all along, the point was to stop candidates from using confusing ballot slogans to make it appear they’re endorsed by a county party when they’re not. Some candidates have been known to do this. At the same time, the phantom primary candidates who long plagued Camden County’s ballots — people with links to the Democratic machine — used slogans with the word "progressive" int hem that were clearly designed to be indistinguishable from the slogans of the actual progressive candidates. Instead, the bill just codifies court rulings that already bar candidates from choosing ballot slogans they don’t have permission to use. That does away with its arguably most controversial provision, but progressive advocates are still unhappy with its allowing candidates to continue bracketing with each other while running for multi-member offices, and the lack of computerized ballot drawing. Meanwhile, the Assembly Appropriations Committee advanced a bill tied to this one that would significantly increase the number of petition signatures required to run for office. Well, we still have no idea what the Senate is going to do. TIPS? FEEDBACK Email me at mfriedman@politico.com QUOTE OF THE DAY: “We’re dealing with a reality in which their ability to shape and manipulate the ballot is lessened, and they have to cope with it.” — Antionette Miles, executive director of the New Jersey Working Families Party, on changes to the ballot HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Fred Beaver, Paul Brubaker, Ali Hameed, Abraham Lopez WHERE’S MURPHY? In Trenton at 2 p.m. to deliver remarks at the Electoral College meeting
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KARDASHIAN: THE KIM MURPHY LIKES — New Jersey governor pardons nearly three dozen in first clemency act, by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday issued 33 pardons and three sentence commutations in his first act of clemency, nearly seven years after he took office. “My only regret is we did not get to this day sooner,” Murphy said at a Trenton press conference, promising this was just the “first round” of legal relief, with more to come over his final year in office. Murphy's clemency action in New Jersey comes a week after President Joe Biden issued a record-setting 39 pardons and commuted the sentences of nearly 1,500 people. Most of the pardons in New Jersey are for non-violent offenses, predominantly property crimes and drug offenses. Some date back to the early 1970s, with the most recent crime being a 2011 conviction for making a false report to law enforcement. The three sentence commutations are all for women who were convicted of murder, with the most recent one from 2006. “Over the course of their lives, each one of these women has suffered immense hardship. All of them are survivors in one form or another. But when they were originally sentenced for the crimes they committed years ago, they received sentences that were too long based on what we know today,” Murphy said. One of them is Dawn Jackson, a 53-year-old who has so far served 25 years of her 30-year sentence for stabbing her step-grandfather to death in 1999. Jackson, who pleaded guilty, said her public defender never raised the years of sexual abuse she endured from her step-grandfather and other family members. Jackson’s case drew national attention when it was featured on Kim Kardashian’s "The Justice Project” television show.
AREA 201 — “Drone detectors in New Jersey have found 'little or no evidence' of wrongdoing, governor says,” by The AP’s Dave Collins and Mike Catalini: “Drone-detecting devices deployed in New Jersey in the past week have found “little to no evidence” of anything nefarious or threatening, Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday as calls grew for action to address the mysterious nighttime sightings of suspected unmanned flights across the northeastern U.S. Murphy told reporters in Trenton there were 12 sightings of suspected drones in the state Saturday and one Sunday. He declined to go into detail about the detection equipment, but said it was powerful enough to disable the drones, although he added that is not legal on U.S. soil. Murphy, a Democrat, echoed calls by officials in other states for Congress to give them more authority to deal with drones.” —“N.J. needs to ‘calm down’ about drones, Gov. Murphy says. Sightings are down” BY ALL MEANS, POLITICIANS, KEEP SAYING WE NEED TO ‘SHOOT THEM DOWN’ — “Military pilot injured during rash of laser pointings at planes in N.J. sky,” by NJ Advance Media’s Eric Conklin: “Pilots at one of New Jersey’s largest military bases have fielded over a dozen reports in less than a month of lasers interfering with their flights, including one incident that caused an injury, officials said Monday. Several pilots flying over New Jersey reported their planes were hit by lasers in recent days, leading aviation officials to warn residents about the dangers of pointing lasers at aircraft. Fifteen aircraft, ranging from planes to helicopters, at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst have been struck by lasers from the ground since Dec. 7, said Rochelle Naus, a spokesperson for the facility. In one incident, a pilot was injured, officials said. The injured pilot was given medical care after landing. Naus didn’t elaborate further about the injury but said the pilot was in 'good condition.'” — “Planes over N.J. hit by lasers as hunt for drones continues”
| | | | A message from Alibaba:   | | | MONTCLAIR HAS TAKEN OVER NJ — “How a new faction of Democrats is driving the party in New Jersey,” by The Record’s Charles Stile: “Five years ago, a boisterous crowd of progressives packed a Statehouse committee room to protest Democratic Party baron George E. Norcross III, who was defending tax credits that benefited his entities and allies in his hometown of Camden. … The event was a blunt reminder that despite the growing outcry from the left, the boss-dominated machine remained resolutely in power. Legislators on the panel, themselves byproducts of the party machinery, were not going to be swayed by emotional pleas over fairness and equity and the erosion of Democracy. They collectively rolled their eyes. But Thursday, an entirely different mood descended on the Statehouse committee as a special Assembly panel discussed legislation detailing a historic change in the way ballots are designed for New Jersey elections. The bipartisan panel did not show contemptuous disregard for the powerless progressive rabble as they did five years ago. This time, the lawmakers were downright solicitous, despite the undercurrent of distrust that flowed beneath the surface between the two sides.” THE FARMER IN THE ORADELL — “Is NJ farm preservation tax deduction 'being gamed?' Bill seeks to curb abuses,” by The Daily Record’s William Westhoven: “Some 35,000 New Jersey landowners may eventually have to clear a higher bar to qualify for the state's lucrative farmland preservation tax benefit, which can reduce local property tax bills on assessed property by up to 98%. The state Senate's Economic Growth Committee voted 4-0 on Thursday to advance legislation sponsored by Morris County Republican Sens. Joe Pennacchio and Anthony Bucco to establish a commission to review and recommend changes to the farmland program to "ensure the fair allocation of tax benefits." Pennacchio supports the program as ‘an essential tool that preserves open spaces and safeguards our water and food supplies.’ But the sheer number of properties approved for such a deep tax break — including some wealthy estates in Morris, Somerset and Hunterdon counties — ‘raises serious questions about the program’s integrity,’ he said.” FINES TO INCLUDE ‘DOUBLE OR NOTHING’ OPTION — “New Jersey weighs making underage gambling no longer a crime, but subject to a fine,” by The AP’s Wayne Parry : “Should underage gambling no longer be a crime? New Jersey lawmakers are considering changing the law to make gambling by people under the age of 21 no longer punishable under criminal law, making it subject to a fine. It also would impose fines on anyone helping an underage person gamble in New Jersey. The bill changes the penalties for underage gambling from that of a disorderly persons offense to a civil offense. Fines would be $500 for a first offense, $1,000 for a second offense, and $2,000 for any subsequent offenses.” —“State moves to revamp charter school laws after damning NJ.com reports” —“First gubernatorial debates set for early February, with all major candidates participating” —“Another push to eliminate standard test for NJ high school graduation?” —“East Orange school superintendent confident in education quality despite layoffs” —“With Pou leaving, Legislative Latino Caucus must choose first new leader in 20 years” —“Where were the most bears killed in NJ? State releases numbers as hunt concludes”
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NO ENDEZ IN SIGHT — Prosecutors reveal second mistake in Menendez case, by POLITICO’S Ry Rivard: For the second time in about a month, the prosecutors who took down Sen. Bob Menendez admitted they inadvertently gave a jury access to material jurors should not have seen. In a Monday legal filing, prosecutors from the Southern District of New York said several long text message threads available on a laptop given to jurors during their deliberations “contained small portions of material” that a judge had said should not be admitted into evidence. The mistakes are the second set prosecutors have found since a 12-member Manhattan jury this summer found Menendez guilty of 16 corruption-related counts, prompting him to resign from the Senate. Menendez, who has already requested a new trial after prosecutors revealed a similar mistake in November, seized on the new revelation to press his case for the guilty verdicts to be overturned. “I call on the leadership of the Department of Justice to acknowledge reality: this prosecution team has poisoned the jury’s verdict, and the conviction cannot stand,” Menendez said in a statement.
THE DRONES ARE AS REAL AS GOTTHEIMER’S SPOTIFY ‘WRAPPED’ — “Gottheimer: Federal response to drone mystery ‘insulting’,” by Insidernj’s Fred Snowflack: “Josh Gottheimer believes his constituents. even if the feds are saying something different. the CD-5 congressman, a federal official himself, of course, weighed in once again Monday morning on the topic du jour – or is it the week? That would be drones over New Jersey. ‘I don’t believe they’re all making it up,’ he told reporters at Ramapo College. In other words, when his constituents say they are seeing drones in the night sky, he believes them. during what is now a weeks-long saga, the federal government at times has said many of the ‘drones’ are planes or helicopters.” —“'Something strange is going on': Trump calls for more information on N.J. drone sightings” —“What kind of senator does Andy Kim want to be?” —“Donald Trump picks Morristown real estate executive as Ireland ambassador” —“Delaware Water Gap proposes first fee hikes in a decade; NPS invites public comments” —“A ‘Twisted Attack’: Read this powerful letter to Biden by his failed judicial pick” —“Q*A: Guidelines for ideal new NJ ballot design”
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THE SPACE AGE — “Civil war: Extremists took over a N.J. county’s leadership. Chaos, bigotry and militia groups followed,” by NJ Advance Media’s Riley Yates and Spencer Kent: “[Bill] Hayden got elected easily in 2022 with the GOP’s backing. The next year, Tea Party allies Joe Labarbera and Barbara Holstein were running the Sussex Republican Committee. But a toxic mix of personal vendettas, homophobic and xenophobic social media posts and a stolen valor scandal followed, an NJ Advance Media examination — based on more than two dozen interviews — has found. These days in Sussex County, it’s often hard to tell political leaders from far-right activists. It’s now a place where some officials embrace the Confederate flag and Jan. 6ers without apology and downplay militant anti-government groups such as the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers and Three Percenters. … The northwest corner of New Jersey has long been a Republican bastion in a Democratic state, a rural enclave known for black bears, ski resorts and farms. But in the past year, an all-out civil war has erupted among Sussex’s Republicans. It has drawn in former officials, would-be candidates and some of the county’s most powerful office holders. Looming above it all, some insiders say, are state Sen. Parker Space and his wife Jill Space, director of the all-Republican Board of County Commissioners.”
A HORSE’S ASS…ESSMENT — “Freehold Raceway closing despite owner pocketing savings from hefty tax breaks,” by the Asbury Park Press’ Stephen Edelson: “The owners of Freehold Raceway pursued and received hefty tax breaks two years ago, the Asbury Park Press has learned. But despite that significant boost to their coffers, along with a $1.6 million annual purse subsidy from New Jersey taxpayers, owner FR Park Racing still plans to shutter the historic racetrack later this month. … Freehold Borough is in the process of doing its own redevelopment study in an effort to identify the best use for the property moving forward, which could still include a horse racing element. The town and FR Park Racing’s vision of the future, as well as the value of the property, are expected to be quite different. … ‘We know what the assessed value is. I think they believe they can sell it for a lot more, even though they testified that that was all it was worth,’ Freehold mayor Kevin Kane told the Asbury Park Press. ‘Every time they got a tax bill they would appeal it, and it ended up being settled. So, their interpretation was that for tax purposes it was only worth this amount of money. Now all the sudden they want to sell it and it’s a different amount. It’s the same property, right?’”
| | | | Write your own chapter in the new Washington. From the Lame Duck Congress Series to New Administration insights, POLITICO Pro delivers intelligence across 22+ policy areas to help you anticipate and navigate change. Discover how a Pro subscription empowers you. Learn more today. | | | | | —“'An obligation to protect': Why Westampton officials won't comment on admin's exit” —“[Atlantic County’s] juvenile detention overcrowding crisis escalates with new lawsuit” —“Freehold Township schools will ask voters for $135M for security upgrades, building repair” —“Citing Fun Day and travel, lawmaker calls for Newark schools fiscal monitor” —“Lakewood Schools state loan delayed amid state monitor shuffle” —“Cape May County ends legal battle against dead offshore wind project” —“[Newark] Housing Authority spent over $1 million in lawyers on school district case” —“'Blindsided': Asbury Park mayor rips housing authority's new push for more apartments” | | EVERYTHING ELSE | |
DYE ANOTHER DAY — “Brother of N.J. business owner indicted for flying drone to drop damaging dye in pools,” by NJ Advance Media’s Eric Conklin: “Grand jurors indicted one of two men charged in a scheme that used drones to damage swimming pools near the Jersey Shore using dye that also discolored the water, authorities said Monday. Jurors on Thursday indicted Anthony Spina, 31, of Atlantic City, on criminal mischief and conspiracy charges for his role in last year’s scheme that targeted pools in the Absecon area.” TEAMSTERS LOCAL 469 MINUS 49 — “Passaic cannabis plant employees vote to join Teamsters union. Will others follow?” by The Record’s Matt Fagan: “Garden Society cannabis manufacturing plant employees in Passaic have become the first cannabis workers in New Jersey to join the Teamsters Union. The 40 workers, who cook and manufacture cannabis products, voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to form a union, Teamsters Local 469 officials said. Garden Society officially began operating in Passaic in April, says the company's website. ‘Garden Society workers made their voices heard loud and clear that they want Local 469 to represent them in winning the strong contract they deserve,’ said Michael Broderick, Local 469 president.” —“Another month, another record smashed for New Jersey internet gambling” —“NJ Transit breaks ground on rail yard in Middlesex County to keep trains from floodwaters”
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