Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing: 7/6/2023

Below is Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing:

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “We need to hold their feet to the fire to make sure this does not become a gimmick.” – Assemblyman Umba on the Democrats’ StayNJ property tax relief plan including in the FY2024 budget

TOP STORY: Golden – State Budget: Record Spending and Record Embarrassment

In Paterson, AG Platkin bewailed gun violence deaths in the city.

In Hanover, the Pacific Justice Institute filed a motion to intervene on behalf of the Family Policy Alliance in the AG’s complaint against the BOE’s parental notification policy.

In Asbury Park, the city is offering free recreation department beach access to youth, according to TAPinto.

In Bernards, the BOE’s culture war has claimed another sociology textbook, according to MyCentralJersey.

In Bridgewater, a warehouse plan may return before the zoning board, according to MyCentralJersey.

In Cedar Grove, Peterson was sworn-in as mayor, according to TAPinto.

In Millburn, an officer accused the police department of race and gender discrimination, according to NorthJersey.com.

In Morristown, Councilman Armington submitted petitions for a referendum on gas-powered leaf blowers, according to Morristown Green.

In Newark, a cannabis shop was approved, according to TAPinto.

In Nutley, the budget was approved, according to TAPinto.

In Stone Harbor, a parking app switch led to a 1,600% increase in tickets, according to the Press of Atlantic City.

In Verona, Tamburro was appointed mayor, according to TAPinto.

In Wayne, the BOE slashed substitute teacher pay, according to NorthJersey.com.

ICYMI: In Paterson, Mendez secured the Council Presidency; in Mount Olive, Roman supporters and critics attend council meeting; in Parsippany, accusations between county, local GOP; in Bridgewater, Hayes seeking comeback, launched candidacy, Moench lambasted Hayes; in Middletown, BOE enacted parental notification policy

AROUND THE WEB:

Two NJ school districts pause LGBTQ+ parental notification policies

Briana Vannozi, NJ Spotlight

• Over the last several weeks debates have heated up as some school districts attempted to implement parental notification policies that focus on the gender identity and expression of students. The policies required parents to be notified if their child is changing their gender identity or expression. However, in a letter sent to parents last week, Middletown and Marlboro school districts agreed — at the request of a judge — to pause efforts to fully implement the new policies until the case is argued in court on Aug. 15, despite disagreeing with the state’s assessment that their policies are discriminatory or improper.

For 20 years, North Jersey horse farm has helped riders with disabilities hit their stride

Gene Myers, NorthJersey.com

• For years, Glen Rock’s Allie Dalstrom has grappled with Charcot-Marie-Tooth, a disease that results in muscle weakness. The 26-year-old relies on metal ankle braces to steady her body and help her feet hit the ground in the right way.

N.J. will now celebrate Larry Doby Day in honor of the man who made baseball history

Brent Johnson, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

• Exactly 76 years after he notched a critical place in baseball history, Larry Doby has now been honored with his own day in his home state of New Jersey. Gov. Phil Murphy signed a resolution Wednesday designating this date — July 5 — to be Larry Doby Day each year in the Garden State.

Cyclist deserves nothing in NJ councilwoman hit-and-run lawsuit (Opinion)

Jeff Deminski, NJ1015

• Does anyone remember this hit and run incident in Jersey City? Almost a year ago a guy who delivered food on a bicycle was sent crashing to the pavement when a Jersey City councilwoman hit him with her SUV. The councilwoman is Amy DeGise and the cyclist Andrew Black. Well, he’s suing. And in my view it’s about the dirtiest move the guy could make. Was he injured? I’ll take his and his doctor’s word on it. But let’s remember how this happened. Take a look at the video.

Huge win for offshore wind developer fuels skepticism

Tom Johnson, NJ Spotlight

• The final legislative approval of a bill awarding a billion dollars in federal tax credits to Ørsted late last week marked a huge and important win for the developer of New Jersey’s first offshore wind project. But the bill’s narrow consent, passed on a party-line 21-14 vote near the end of a marathon voting session Friday, renews questions from critics over whether offshore wind will produce the economic benefits touted by the Murphy administration and at what cost to ratepayers.

‘Microbursts’ pounded South Jersey on July 4th, and Philly heat may have been a factor

Anthony R. Wood, Inquirer

• Those destructive winds and rain that cascaded violently from the skies like powerful waterfalls over a portion of Camden and Burlington Counties on Tuesday were generated by thunderstorm “microbursts,” the National Weather Service said Wednesday.

The therapeutic potential of mushrooms must be explored | Editorial

Star-Ledger Editorial Board

• Imagine a medication that can permanently relieve a stressed-out parent who currently gulps addictive anti-depressants to get through each day. Or a veteran with PTSD who has turned to alcohol to cope. Or a terminally ill patient using morphine to numb his pain and end-of-life distress.

Immigrant advocates plan summer of protests, hoping to close NJ detention center for good

Ricardo Kaulessar, NorthJersey.com

• One of the world’s largest prison companies is suing the state seeking to continue operating the only detention center in New Jersey used for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Activist groups are rallying this summer to ensure that it closes for good.

N.J.’s first offshore wind farm gets final key federal approval

Steven Rodas, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

• Touted as a watershed for the future of alternative energy in the U.S., New Jersey’s first offshore wind farm was approved Wednesday by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, NJ Advance Media has learned.

Capitol riot suspect from Lindenwold was victim of misinformation, his attorney says

Jim Walsh, Cherry Hill Courier-Post

• A South Jersey man facing a prison term for his role in the U.S. Capitol riot should be shown leniency because he was “an over-consumer of conspiratorial sources of news,” his defense attorney argues.

Legislators pass bill that would restrict lawsuits meant to silence critics

Dana DiFilippo, NJ Monitor

• State lawmakers unanimously passed legislation Friday intended to shut down lawsuits that aim to intimidate or silence detractors. If Gov. Phil Murphy signs the bipartisan bill as expected, New Jersey will become the 33rd state to adopt a statute against civil lawsuits known as “SLAPPs,” short for strategic lawsuits against public participation.

Spadea’s 7-point plan to lower NJ taxes

Bill Spadea, NJ1015

• On the Fourth of July, instead of starting the holiday off with a BBQ and a day at the beach, I spoke to a group of concerned neighbors in Normandy Beach about tax policy. Appreciate our friend Larry Reid who heads up the “Property Tax Reform NJ” group.

For NJCU’s Acebo, success story born of opportunity, affirmative action college ruling hits home

Tom Bergeron, roi-nj.com

• It’s easy to see Andrés Acebo of New Jersey City University as the youngest university president in the state. Or as a former partner at the big-time law firm of DeCotiis, FitzPatrick, Cole & Giblin. Or an Ivy League graduate who went to Brown University as an undergrad. Acebo sees himself in another way: As someone whose story is very similar to the first-generation minority students he now leads at NJCU. As the son of man who came to the U.S. from Cuba on a raft — 60 years ago this summer.

Hall of Famer Larry Doby broke barriers in baseball and left lasting legacy in Montclair

Julia Martin, NorthJersey.com

• Yogi Berra, called “forgotten” in the new documentary about his Yankees career, isn’t the only iconic-but-overlooked baseball player who called Montclair home. Larry Doby, who broke the color barrier in the American League by joining the Cleveland Indians on July 5, 1947, lived in Montclair from 1960 until his death in 2003. He and his wife, Helyn, raised their five children in a house on Nishuane Road that is still in the family.

Liberty State Park is 13th best spot in U.S. for a marriage proposal, Mixbook says

John Heinis, Hudson County View

• Liberty State Park is Jersey City is the 13th best spot in the country for a marriage proposal, according to a survey conducted by Mixbook.

Is Edison’s Winter Street Park park a ‘jungle’ or ‘one of the nicer ones’?

Suzanne Russell, MyCentralJersey.com

• Some residents in the area of the Winter Street Park say the park is so overgrown with weeds, and has been in such poor condition since Superstorm Sandy more than a decade ago, that it needs to be renovated. “This park is a jungle, it is not a park anymore,” said a resident who presented photos and a petition for the renovation to the Township Council last week.

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