Morning News Digest: February 4, 2011

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Polistina kicks off his 2nd District Senate bid

He’s the face of the Republican Party right now down here in Atlantic County, but it’s a safe bet that when they make the movie about Assemblyman Vince Polistina (R-Egg Harbor Twp.) they won’t cast Steve Buscemi.   (Pizarro, PolitickerNJ)

http://www.politickernj.com/44632/polistina-kicks-his-2nd-district-senate-bid

 

 

Buono defies notion that passage of vouchers bill is inevitable

While the Assembly Commerce and Economic Development Committee considered Assembly Bill 2810, a group of activists and Democratic Party elected officials mobilized across from the senate chamber at the Statehouse and denounced the bill as a vouchers lift off station that would TNT public education in the State of New Jersey.  (Pizarro, PolitickerNJ)

http://www.politickernj.com/44603/buono-defies-invincibility-vouchers-bill

 

 

Assembly panel unanimously passes school-choice bill

A startup program that would allow businesses to help finance the private and parochial education of some students in failing public schools was approved Thursday by an Assembly panel after hours of often passionate testimony on school choice.  (Delli Santi for The Associated Press)

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/press/new_jersey/assembly-panel-unanimously-passes-school-choice-bill/article_48221bc6-3006-11e0-91f4-001cc4c002e0.html

 

 

Christie vetoes bill on civil-service reform, women’s health care

Gov. Christie on Thursday conditionally vetoed a Democratic proposal to change civil-service rules for public-sector workers, saying it represented “tepid, ineffective, and meaningless change.”  (Rao, The Philadelphia Inquirer)

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/20110204_Christie_vetoes_bills_on_civil-service_reform__women_s_health_care.html

 

 

Ideology or fiscal concerns?  Christie vetoes women’s health care bill

Governor Chris Christie vetoed another effort by the state Legislature to allocate money for more access to health care for underprivileged women, a move that one Democrat said was driven more by ideology than fiscal concerns.  (Schoonejongen, Gannett)

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20110203/NJNEWS10/110203048/Ideology-Fiscal-Concers-Christie-vetos-women-s-health-care-bill?odyssey=nav|head

 

 

Follow-up bay bill sent back

Gov. Chris Christie has conditionally vetoed a bill aimed at limiting pollution in Barnegat Bay, saying some of its conditions are unrealistic. 

Representatives of several environmental groups praised the conditional veto while one criticized it.  (Bates, New Jersey Press Media)

http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20110204/NEWS01/102040348/Follow-up-bay-bill-sent-back

 

 

Panel: NJ facing possible budget shortfall of $15 billion

A blue ribbon panel of former government officials and public servants said New Jersey residents face a fiscal crisis so severe it could restrict the state’s ability to function and thrive, with a combined budget shortfall of up to $15 billion in public spending forecast by 2016.  (Jordan, Gannett)

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20110203/NJNEWS10/110203053/1098/NJNEWS11/Panel-NJ-facing-possible-budget-shortfall-15-billion

 

 

N.J. budget figures released by Gov. Christie spark partisan fight

Democrats and Republicans tangled Thursday over whether budget figures released by Gov. Chris Christie are too optimistic as a new report by a panel of experts sounded a dire warning about the state’s financial future. (Renshaw and Rizzo, The Star-Ledger)

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/02/budget_figures_released_by_gov.html

 

 

Gov. Christie says N.J. tax structure makes for poor business climate

Gov. Chris Christie said he will act on business leaders’ concerns that the state’s tax structure is keeping companies from expanding in New Jersey.  (Gibson, The Star-Ledger)

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/02/gov_christie_says_nj_tax_struc.html

 

 

Report calls NJ fiscal woes ‘dire’ and ‘intertwined’

New Jersey’s fiscal crisis is deep and wide, and affects every level of government service — schools, municipalities, county and state. The problems are so dire that we cannot grow, cut or tax our way out of it while still maintaining the quality of life provided by current service levels.  (Keough, NJ Spotlight)

http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/11/0203/2114/

 

 

Census release sets clock ticking on redistricting

The redistricting clock is now ticking.

With the release of Thursday’s population figures from the Census Bureau, the state legislative redistricting commission has 60 days to come up with a new map for the state’s 40 legislative districts.  (Friedman, The Record)

http://www.northjersey.com/news/politics/020311_Census_release_sets_clock_ticking_on_redistricting.html

 

 

N.J. population shifts in ethnic makeup and location

In the last decade, the number of white people in New Jersey declined as the number of Asians and Hispanics soared, and the population shifted southward — some of the many shifts with broad cultural and political implications that were revealed in 2010 census figures released on T
hursday.  (Pérez-Peña, The New York Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/04/nyregion/04jersey.html?scp=2&sq=jersey&st=cse

 

 

New census data shows N.J.’s population grew most in southern counties, became more racially diverse

New Jersey’s population grew more racially diverse over the past decade and continued its shift to southern counties, according to new data released today by the Census Bureau.  (Mascarenhas and Meagher, The Star-Ledger)

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/02/njs_population_grew_most_in_so.html

 

 

Demographic changes will impact state’s legislative, congressional boundaries

New census data released Thursday show older cities stagnating or shrinking, suburbs exploding and Latinos emerging as the state’s largest minority.  (Jackson and Young, The Record)

http://www.northjersey.com/news/politics/020311_Demographic_changes_will_impact_states_legislative_congressional_boundaries.html

 

 

State political official wants Attorney General to investigate $261 million Revel tax reimbursement

A former gubernatorial candidate is calling for the state Attorney General to investigate a conflict of interest related to the approval of a $261 million state tax reimbursement for the Revel casino project.  (Ramirex, Press of Atlantic City)

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/state-political-official-wants-attorney-general-to-investigate-million-revel/article_dfc4fb4a-3012-11e0-b510-001cc4c002e0.html

 

 

Christie to media: You’re not obsessed

Reporters just love Chris Christie, and doesn’t he know it? But the New Jersey governor wouldn’t go as far as to say the media’s obsessed with him.  (Summers, Politico)

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0211/48805.html

 

 

Christie meets with leaders of New Jersey businesses

New Jersey needs to invest in higher education and hold the line on taxes to help the state return to the days when its economy was on the cutting edge, business leaders told Gov. Chris Christie at a conference on Thursday.  (Diamond, Asbury Park Press)

http://www.app.com/article/20110203/NJBIZ/102030341/1003/Christie-meets-leaders-New-Jersey-businesses

 

 

Christie talks with Redd, colleagues

Three mayors of some of the state’s most impoverished cities — including Camden Mayor Dana Redd — met Thursday in Trenton to address public safety issues their communities face.  (Murray, Courier-Post)

http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20110204/NEWS01/102040339/Christie-s-team-talks-with-Redd-colleagues

 

 

Sweeney flexes his labor muscles

Senate President Stephen Sweeney rose to prominence by mastering the rough-and-tumble worlds of New Jersey politics and organized labor. 

Over the last week, the West Deptford ironworker proved his influence in both.  (Rao, The Philadelphia Inquirer)

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/20110204_Sweeney_flexes_his_labor_muscles.html

 

 

New Jersey’s two senators introduce new pipeline safety legislation that would boost feds’ power to enforce rules

U.S. Sens. Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez yesterday introduced new pipeline safety legislation that could affect a proposed natural gas pipeline that would run through Jersey City and Bayonne.  (Persaud, The Times of Trenton)

http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/index.ssf?/base/news-5/129678640664530.xml&coll=3

 

 

N.J. lawmakers advance bill allowing towns to post legal notices only online

State lawmakers Thursday advanced a bill eliminating the requirement for governments, businesses and citizens to run legal notices in newspapers and instead allow them to only be posted on government websites.  (Megerian, The Star-Ledger)

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/02/nj_lawmakers_advance_bill_allo.html

 

 

Senate ponders changes in cable television rules

Right now, cable companies are required to provide public and government channels on their systems.

Likewise, customers can receive a credit for telephone outages that last more than 24 hours, one of a host of state regulations that still govern how telephone and cable companies provide service in New Jersey.  (Willis, New Jersey Press Media)

http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20110204/NEWS01/102040349/Senate-ponders-change-in-cable-television-rules

 

 

Legislators: Abolish executive position

Republicans from the 8th District say the position is redundant.

Three Republican lawmakers from Burlington County want to abolish the state’s 21 executive county superintendent of schools positions and turn over their responsibilities to the New Jersey Department of Education.  (Levinksy, Burlington County Times)

http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/26/2011/february/04/legislators-abolish-executive-position.html

 

 

Pallone urges Gov. to sign registry bill

Last Friday, Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (NJ-06) wrote a letter to Gov. Chris Christie urging him to not wait any longer to sign the free saltwater registry bill.  (Oswald, Asbury Park Press)

http://www.app.com/article/20110204/NJSPORTS06/102040303/Pallone-urges-Gov-sign-registry-bill?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Sports|p

 

 

New member elevated to port panel chairmen

Former New Jersey Attorney General David Samson went from being a newly confirmed member of the Port Authority Board of Commissioners in January to chairman of the bistate agency Thursday.  (New Jersey Press Media)

http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20110204/NEWS01/102040355/New-member-elevated-to-port-panel-chairman

 

 

Three key questions about the Opportunity Scholarship Act

The question is looking to be more “when
” than “if” the state legislature will pass the proposed Opportunity Scholarship Act.  (Mooney, NJ Spotlight)

http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/11/0204/0126/

 

 

Inspectors face layoff at casinos

New Jersey has sent layoff notices to 115 of its 144 casino inspectors whose jobs are being eliminated under a casino deregulation bill signed into law by Gov. Chris Christie.  (Parry for The Associated Press)

http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20110204/NEWS01/102040353/Inspectors-face-layoff-at-casinos

 

 

Coming to a shopping center near you—charging stations for electric vehicles

Hoping to make sure New Jersey is in the forefront of states building an infrastructure to support electric vehicles, Democrats in the Assembly yesterday began passing a package of bills mandating development of charging stations at new shopping centers and rest areas along the New Jersey Turnpike.  (Johnson, NJ Spotlight)

http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/11/0203/2304/

 

 

From the Back Room

 

 

Mohamadi leaving Menendez’s office

Afshin Mohamadi, communications director for U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-Hoboken), is heading for the private sector.  (Pizarro, PolitickerNJ)

http://www.politickernj.com/back_room/mohamadi-leaving-menendezs-office

 

 

Webber was once treasurer of redistricting ‘shadow PAC’

Assemblyman Jay Webber, who heads the Republican redistricting team, was once the treasurer of Center for a Better New jersey, the 501 (c) (4) opened to aid the GOP in its redistricting efforts.  (Staff, PolitickerNJ)

http://www.politickernj.com/back_room/webber-treasurer-redistricting-shadow-pac

 

 

Opinion

 

 

What we ‘know’ about redistricting so far

The New Jersey census data has arrived.  Now the process of legislative redistricting can begin in earnest.  If you have been following media reports about the process you may think that a number of decisions have already been made.  (Murray, PolitickerNJ)

http://www.politickernj.com/patrick-murray/44601/what-we-know-about-redistricting-so-far

 

 

Planned Parenthood is the next ACORN

The latest “gotcha” video playing on a computer near you comes courtesy of Live Action, which proclaims itself a “new media movement for life.” The first video, in what is promised to be a series, was shot at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Perth Amboy. It’s disturbing on many levels.  (Doblin, The Record)

http://www.northjersey.com/columnists/doblin/doblin_020411.html

 

 

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Morning News Digest: February 4, 2011