Protesters picket Harry Reid’s arrival in South Jersey for Donald Norcross fundraiser; George Norcross shrugs
CHERRY HILL – Two men faced off on a hot South Jersey Monday afternoon, one dressed in the garb of Revolutionary War protest, the other in the classic attire of politics. (Bonamo/PolitickerNJ)
Bell, Cobb rally GOP in South Jersey next door to boldface Dem fundraiser
CHERRY HILL – More than 200 supporters of state Sen. Donald Norcross (D-5) assembled at the Caffe Aldo Lamberti on Marlton Pike in Cherry Hill to raise funds for Norcross’ campaign to take over the First Congressional District seat vacated by former U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1), who resigned in February. (Bonamo/PolitickerNJ)
http://www.politickernj.com/78576/bell-cobb-rally-gop-south-jersey-next-door-boldface-dem-fundraiser
CD2: The Old West of Ocean City: LoBo and the Hughes’ – and the specter of Van Drew
OCEAN CITY – The spatial relationships of buildings with the sun on them and long shadows in the big semi-silent boulevards pressed up against the ocean give the downtown the feel of the Old West: Dodge pushed to the edge of the beach. (Pizarro/PolitickerNJ)
http://www.politickernj.com/78561/cd2-old-west-ocean-city-lobo-and-hughes-and-specter-van-drew
NJ’s U.S. Senators and the potential for 2016-2017 movement at the summit
TRENTON – Anyone who tells you what’s going to happen three months from now is crazy, says Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick (R-21).
http://www.politickernj.com/78491/njs-us-senators-and-potential-2016-2017-movement-summit
Open space bill for constitutional amendment passes in Assembly
TRENTON – The Assembly just passed a constitutional amendment on open space. SCR-84 passed by a vote of 58-9-1. (Pizarro/PolitickerNJ)
http://www.politickernj.com/78476/open-space-bill-constitutional-amendment-passes-assembly
Assembly passes constitutional amendment on bail reform
TRENTON – The Assembly moments ago passed the constitutional amendment on bail reform sought by Gov. Chris Christie. The vote on SCR-946 was 53-7-9. (Pizarro/PolitickerNJ)
http://www.politickernj.com/78471/assembly-passes-constitutional-amendment-bail-reform
Sources: Sweeney’s Road to Drumthwacket and the South Jersey Statehouse Stratagem
TRENTON – In addition to dependency on Building Trades muscle, Senate President Steve Sweeney’s (D-3) path to victory in a Democratic Primary consists of wringing support from Trenton leaders who also occupy leadership positions within key party committee structures. (Pizarro/PolitickerNJ)
N.J. Court: Lyrics shouldn’t have been used as evidence
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Violent rap lyrics written by a man accused of shooting a fellow drug dealer in 2005 should not have been admitted as evidence at his trial, New Jersey’s highest court ruled Monday.
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2014/08/04/nj-court-lyrics-shouldnt-have-been-used-as-evidence/
Energy fight turns into money war
The race to become the top Democrat on a powerful energy panel has turned into a money war. Reps. Frank Pallone of New Jersey and Anna Eshoo of California must demonstrate they have the policy chops to serve as ranking member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, but they are also angling to prove they could be a fundraising powerhouse. (French/Politico)
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/08/frank-pallone-anna-eshoo-energy-panel-109690.html?hp=r6
Assembly passes bail reform package
Without debate, the Assembly passed the high-profile bail reform package. It puts a constitutional amendment on the fall ballot allowing judges to deny bail to dangerous offenders. (Aron/NJTV)
http://www.njtvonline.org/news/video/assembly-passes-bail-reform-package/
Newark to ask state for $28M to close budget gap
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey’s largest city is submitting a budget, ending months of speculation about whether the state would take over the city’s finances.
http://www.njtvonline.org/news/ap_story/newark-to-ask-state-for-28m-to-close-budget-gap/
Investigative reporters discuss their book ‘The Jersey Sting’
Five years ago, the Jersey Sting was the most shocking federal sting operation in New Jersey that caught 44 people, including mayors, political candidates and rabbis. At the time, Gov. Chris Christie was the attorney general and was in charge of the sting. Josh Margolin and Ted Sherman wrote The Jersey Sting about the federal operation and discussed it with NJTV News Anchor Mary Alice Williams. (Williams/NJTV)
http://www.njtvonline.org/news/video/investigative-reporters-discuss-their-book-the-jersey-sting/
Romney to headline NJ GOP fundraiser
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Former Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney will be in New Jersey next month to help Gov. Chris Christie celebrate his birthday.
http://www.njtvonline.org/news/ap_story/romney-to-headline-nj-gop-fundraiser/
BREAKING: Carmelo Garcia fired by Hoboken Housing Authority
Pandemonium escalated in the Hoboken City Hall Chambers Monday night during a special meeting to terminate the contract of Hoboken Housing Authority Executive Director Carmelo Garcia. (Eisenberg/The Jersey Journal)
Ron Zeitlinger named managing editor of The Jersey Journal
Ron Zeitlinger, a veteran news and sports journalist, has been named managing editor of The Jersey Journal, Editor Margaret Schmidt announced today. (The Jersey Journal)
James Brady, former White House Press Secretary, dead at 73
James Brady, the affable, witty White House press secretary who survived a devastating head wound in the 1981 assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan and undertook a personal crusade for gun control, died today. He was 73. (Associated Press)
Questions raised over care, education of immigrant children in Freehold
FREEHOLD BOROUGH – Government officials say as many as 1,500 of the unaccompanied immigrant children caught crossing America’s border have come to New Jersey. (News 12)
Hillary Clinton joins GOP 2016 hopefuls in bashing President Obama
Seven—count ‘em—seven Republican 2016 hopefuls will be traveling through Iowa over an eleven-day stretch between August 2 and August 12, kissing babies, praising pigs, bashing teachers and, most of all, tearing into President Obama—when the person they’ll be running against in 2016, of course, will be Hillary Clinton, not Obama. (Dreyfuss/The Nation)
New Jersey unsure on casinos outside Atlantic City
TEANECK, N.J. (AP) – A new poll found that half of New Jersey residents oppose opening casinos outside Atlantic City.
http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20140804_ap_e7e298ef918744e197e73eb4b1fb595b.html
Opinion
Stile: Some of Christie’s pension reform claims don’t tell whole story
The sunny Beach Boys soundtrack that has greeted Governor Christie at his recent Jersey Shore events has been quickly drowned out by his glum warnings about the “looming crisis” in retirement costs for New Jersey public employees. (Stile/The Bergen Record)