It’s Thursday in New Jersey, where the state Senate is preparing to get back to business.
A Preview of the upcoming Senate Session and Who Stands to Win or Lose
Today is a Senate session day, and will see a docket dominated by criminal justice bills. These are the five most notable bills that will be going up for a vote at 2:00PM on Thursday.
JT Aregood, PolitickerNJ Read more
10 Dynamics That Will Shape the LD38 Race
In the LD38 Assembly race, incumbent Democrats Tim Eustace and Joe Lagana are facing Republican challengers Anthony Cappola and Mark DiPisa. While taxes are front and center in the Bergen County races, which issues will impact the outcome in the highly contested district?
Alyana Alfaro, PolitickerNJ Read more
Paterson Ward 6 Candidates, NJ Muslim Politicians Hit Back Against Trump, Carson
Paterson’s Ward 6 sets the scene for one of the state’s fiercest developing elections, where incumbent Councilman Andre Sayegh next year must face former ally Al Abdel-azziz (pictured, right). But for all the bitter local antagonism of that 2016 contest, the two men vying to serve a constituency classically made up of a large percentage of Syrian and Palestinian residents remain allied in their mutual disdain for negative comments about Muslims in an intensifying national Republican Primary for President.
Max Pizarro, PolitickerNJ Read more
Jones High Tens (Finally) Christie with Fundraiser
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones will host a fundraiser for Gov. Chris Christie on Wednesday night at his mansion.
Politicker Staff, PolitickerNJ Read more
As Assembly Term Ends, Garcia Looks to Issues That Impact Hoboken
As Assemblyman Carmelo Garcia pursues a Ward 6 council seat in Hoboken, he has begun using his last few months on the Assembly to address an issue that impacts many Hoboken residents: transit and commuting.
Alyana Alfaro, PolitickerNJ Read more
Cumberland Freeholder Director Fires Back at Fiocchi: “I’m Appalled”
Following Assemblyman Sam Fiocchi’s (R-1) claim that he was denied entry to Tuesday’s meeting of the Cumberland County Board of Chosen Freeholders on political grounds, Freeholder Director Joe Derella says that he is “appalled” at the accusation.
JT Aregood, PolitickerNJ Read more
No Action on Driver’s Licenses at Packed Cumberland Freeholder Meeting
The Cumberland County Board of Chosen Freeholders met Tuesday night and saw a packed crowd of supporters and critics for the board’s recent recommendation that the legislature consider taking action on a measure to offer undocumented immigrants a separate class of driver’s licenses. Though the crowd was dense enough to keep many outside the perimeter of the meeting room, neither side brought forward a motion to reconsider the issue.
JT Aregood, PolitickerNJ Read more
Teachers Beware of Facebook
The extent of a public employee’s right to free speech, especially in social media, will eventually be decided by the United States Supreme Court. For now, public employees should read Munroe v. Central Bucks School District.
Donald Scarinci, PolitickerNJ Read more
No End of Issues – and Campaigns and Elections Stagnation
Elections are contests.
Unless one on the teams fails to show up.
Missing in this in this year’s contest in Sussex and Warren counties are the Democrats.
Michael Daigle, PolitickerNJ Read more
Senate Democrats Want Port Authority to Suspend PATH Plans on Newark Airport Extension
Democrats in the Senate want the Port Authority to suspend engineering work on extending the PATH line to Newark Airport, pending the outcomes of two investigations.
Michael Aron, NJTV News Read more
Sen. Whelan: Atlantic City and the State Cooperated on Balancing the Budget
Atlantic City is on the rebound. Two years ago it was hobbled by the casino collapse that threw thousands out of work, crashed the tax base and forced the city to consolidate municipal services and close schools. Now Mayor Don Guardian has announced a balanced budget, that doesn’t hike property taxes.
NJTV News Read more
Lawmakers propose bills to help NJ Transit riders
Two lawmakers from Hudson and Bergen counties plan to introduce bills they contend would help NJ Transit riders who are about to be hit with a 9 percent fare increase on Oct. 1
Larry Higgs, NJ.com Read more
NJ’s pension investments fall short of targets
The investments made by New Jersey’s pension funds fell short of targets and well below the double-digit gains of recent years, but it still outperformed benchmarks, state officials said Wednesday.
Dustin Racioppi, The Record Read more
Record Talk Radio hosts Republican Freeholder candidate John Mitchell
John Mitchell, one of the three Republican candidates for Bergen County Freeholder, was the guest on Record Talk Radio on Wednesday.
John C. Ensslin, The Record Read more
Feds to lease offshore windmill sites off New Jersey coast
The federal government plans to lease nearly 344,000 acres of the ocean floor off the coast of New Jersey to companies interested in building offshore windmills to generate electricity.
Wayne Parry, Associated Press Read more
Charges filed against Lakewood special-ed official
The school district’s state-appointed monitor has filed tenure charges against Helen Tobia, the supervisor of pupil personnel services, for a host of allegedly “illegal and/or highly improper” acts, including overstepping her authority to place children with special needs in Orthodox yeshivas and private specialized schools at their parents’ request, according to court documents.
Shannon Mullen, Asbury Park Press Read more
Mayoral candidate frustrated over playgrounds; mayor defends them
The closed playground at Robinson Elementary School served as a backdrop for Hamilton Democratic mayoral candidate Amy Inman on Wednesday as she expressed her frustrations with the playgrounds at both the schools and township parks.
Cristina Rojas, NJ.com Read more
Rowan buying South Jersey’s own ‘Jurassic World’ site
Rowan University is purchasing a 65-acre quarry a few miles from its Glassboro campus, with plans to turn it into a full-time public fossil park, where busloads of schoolchildren could dig up vertebrae, teeth, and other remnants of prehistoric creatures.
Tom Avril, Philadelphia Inquirer Read more
Fiocchi, Sauro say business background will help them fix economy
Assemblyman Sam Fiocchi and Cumberland County Freeholder Jim Sauro want to fix the state’s budgetary problems, bring businesses to the region and reduce unemployment in the area. They say they have the business background needed to solve those problems.
Christian Hetrick, The Press of Atlantic City Read more