Morning News Digest: Friday, May 20, 2011
By Missy Rebovich
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Trying to capitalize on alliances, ambitious Christie seeks to shape Hudson into the new Bergen
Insiders last Tuesday night said the meeting would happen within 24 hours. (Pizarro, PolitickerNJ)
ELEC questions dog LD 20 challengers as Monteiro chalks it up to desperation
In a fierce District 20 Democratic Primary in which the core of the Elizabeth Board of Education is challenging state Sen. Ray Lesniak (D-20), Elizabeth, and his incumbents, fundraising questions continue to circulate around the challengers’ mail campaign. (Pizarro, PolitickerNJ)
Governor submits appointments to boards and committees
Gov. Chris Christie submitted the following names today for appointment to various boards and committees… (Pizarro, PolitickerNJ)
http://www.politickernj.com/47881/governor-submits-choices-boards-and-committees
Business leader Debra DiLorenzo nominated to board of CRDA
Another member of the governor’s commission that conceived the idea of a Tourism District in Atlantic City is heading to the board that will oversee the state-run zone. (Clark, Press of Atlantic City)
Gov. Christie nominated former federal attorney to be insurance fraud prosecutor
Another former federal prosecutor is joining Gov. Chris Christie’s administration. (Megerian, The Star-Ledger)
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/05/gov_christie_nominates_ex-fede.html
Expert: Expand sales, cut income tax
New Jersey’s sales tax should be expanded in order to reduce other taxes, an expert from a conservative think tank told top members of Gov. Chris Christie’s administration Thursday. (Method, Gannett)
http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20110519/NJNEWS/305190031/Expert-Expand-sales-cut-income-tax
N.J. gained 14,000 jobs in April
New Jersey’s economy added 14,000 jobs in April, and its unemployment rate remained steady at 9.3 percent, the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development reported Thursday. (Diamond, Gannett)
http://www.app.com/article/20110519/NJBIZ/305190128/N-J-gained-14-000-jobs-in-April
Pension council approves shift to more investments in ‘alternatives’
Of the targeted allocations for fiscal 2012, the investment plan’s greatest shift would be toward hedge funds. (Tangel, The Record)
http://www.northjersey.com/news/122279004_Pension_fund_adding_riskier_investments.html
Sen. Ruiz’s long study of tenure finally coming to fruition
State Sen. Teresa Ruiz’s first deliberations on teacher tenure started more than a year ago, even before Gov. Chris Christie made it a centerpiece of his education reform agenda. (Mooney, NJ Spotlight)
http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/11/0519/2336/
Some N.J. schools will put new teacher evaluations to the test
The state Education Department says a handful of public school districts will be picked to test new teacher evaluations beginning in September, with the bulk of New Jersey’s 616 districts implementing the achievement-based reviews the following year. (Delli Santi, The Associated Press)
New public workers must move to N.J.
Governor Christie announced Thursday that he signed a bill into law that will require public workers hired after Sept. 1 to live in New Jersey. (Livio and Friedman, The Star-Ledger)
http://www.northjersey.com/news/122279029_New_public_workers_must_move_to_N_J_.html
Bill in N.J. would further restrict Botox for minors
Under a bill moving through the Legislature, minors in New Jersey wouldn’t be able to get Botox injections unless a doctor says the procedure is medically necessary. (The Associated Press)
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/122281904.html
Lawmakers to fend off Gov. Christie’s plan to eliminate local urban enterprise zones
Officials from local urban enterprise zones flooded an Assembly hearing Thursday to implore lawmakers to fend off Gov. Chris Christie’s plan to eliminate local financing projects from the program. (Symons, Gannett)
N.J. Sen. Weinberg dials into Gov. Christie’s radio program to ask for women’s funding
State Sen. Loretta Weinberg, who has publicly sparred with the governor before, called into Gov. Christie’s radio program today to make a pitch for women’s health funding. (Gibson, The Star-Ledger)
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/05/sen_weinberg_dials_into_gov_ch.html
Study: N.J. workers, firms benefit from paid sick leave
Providing paid sick leave for all New Jersey workers would provide public health benefits as well as financial benefits for businesses, a study found. (The Associated Press)
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/05/study_nj_workers_firms_benefit.html
N.J. eligible for $103M in homeland security funds
New Jersey could receive up to $103 million in federal homeland security funds. (The Associated Press)
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/05/nj_eligible_for_103m_in_homela.html
Advocate challenges proposed waterfront access changes
A local environmental advocacy group is expressing concern that proposed changes to regulations of public access to state waterfronts could adversely affect New Jersey’s communities, including Hackensack. (Bonamo, Hackensack Chronicle)
Nearly $30 million in federal funding goes to southern New Jersey beach replenishment
Three separate beach replenishment projects in southern New Jersey received federal funding. (Dineen, Press of Atlantic City) http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/nearly-million-in-federal-funding-goes-to-southern-new-jersey/article_57c1cce0-8220-11e0-84a6-001cc4c002e0.html
Atlantic County Board of Chosen Freeholders wants state to repeal emissions-reduction program
The Atlantic County Board of Chosen Freeholders voted Tuesday to urge the state to withdraw from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI – a multistate “cap and trade” emissions-reduction program that opponents claim is a burden on businesses and rate-payers and supporters claim is a revenue-generating way of slowing climate change. (Lemongello, Press of Atlantic City)
Combined heat and power, the latest energy providers to want state incentives
When it comes to the energy sector, New Jersey is not shy about handing out incentives. (Johnson, NJ Spotlight)
http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/11/0519/2341/
Prices for solar certificated plummet – but why?
In a trend that is good news for ratepayers, the cost of solar renewable energy certificates (SRECs) is dropping in New Jersey, falling from about $650 a month ago to less than half that, before rising in recent days. (Johnson, NJ Spotlight)
http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/11/0520/0023/
Central Jersey flood mitigation projects to receive $1.6 million
Three flood mitigation projects targeted for Central Jersey have received a total of $1.6 million in funding from the Fiscal Year 2011 Continuing Resolution, passed by Congress in April. (Racz, Gannett) http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20110519/NJNEWS/305190027/Central-Jersey-flood-mitigation-projects-to-receive-1-6-million-
Atlantic City Race Course would get nearly $1 million next year from the Casino Simulcast Fund
Atlantic City Race Course would receive close to $1 million for capital improvements next year under a proposal released Thursday by state lawmakers from a legislative gaming committee. (Fletcher, Press of Atlantic City)
N.J. fines Portuguese bank $1.9M
A Portuguese bank has agreed to pay a $1.9 million fine to settle an investigation into allegations that it sold unregistered stocks and bonds to 1,393 investors in New Jersey. (Willis, Gannett)
http://www.app.com/article/20110519/NJBIZ/305190125/NJ-fines-Portuguese-bank-1-9M
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NJBIA promotes Brogan, Bluhm
The New Jersey Business & Industry Association has promoted two members of its Government Affairs team. (Staff, State Street Wire)
http://www.politickernj.com/47884/njbia-promotes-brogan-bluhm
Marriage by proxy bill clears committee
The Senate Judiciary committee released Thursday a bill S299 that would authorize marriage by proxy for persons whose military service in a war or conflict prevents them from appearing in person to obtain the marriage license and participate in the ceremony. (Mooney, State Street Wire)
http://www.politickernj.com/47865/marriage-proxy-bill-clears-committee
Bill to cut Casino Control Commission from 5 to 3 members clears committee
The Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee unanimously approved on Thursday S2767 to reduce the size of the Casino Control Commission from five members to three members. (Carroll, State Street Wire)
http://www.politickernj.com/47862/bill-cut-casino-control-commission-5-3-members-clears-committee
Opinion
Obama speech draws reactions
How several North Jersey members of the state’s congressional delegation reacted today to President Obama’s speech about the Middle East and North Africa. (Jackson, The Record)
http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/capitalgames/comments/obama_speech_draws_reactions/
Water mains worth talking about
A former colleague of mine used to call them spinach stories. Newspaper stories that might not seem that interesting on first glance, but stories we very much need to read. (Lowry, The Record)
http://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/122279044_Water_pipes_worth_a_real_discussion.html
Council kills emergency funds request, but city still open
When Newark Mayor Cory Booker was a councilman, he frequently complained that Mayor Sharpe James was undermining the council and pushing the city down a slippery slope by submitting late budgets and refusing to share financial information with the council. (Whitlow, The Star-Ledger)
http://blog.nj.com/njv_joan_whitlow/2011/05/council_kills_emergency_funds.html
