The race for governor continues to tighten with Phil Murphy now holding a six-point lead over Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli, 50% to 44%, among likely voters in an Emerson College/PIX 11 poll released Oct . 21. The Emerson poll found 7% of voters are still undecided, with 59% of this cohort leaning towards Ciattarelli and 41% considering Murphy. When these voters are allocated, the race tightens to four points, with Murphy at 52% and Ciattarelli at 48%. Murphy’s lead is bolstered by his 17 percentage advantage among women, 57% to 40%, while Ciattarelli is leading among men, 50% to 41%. North-JerseyNews.com
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed booster shots of the Moderna and the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines as well as for people eligible for booster shots to get a dose of a different brand. Among Americans initially immunized with an mRNA vaccine, adults over 65, adults who are 50 to 65 with certain medical conditions, and those who reside in long-term care settings should receive a single booster dose six months or longer after their second dose, the committee decided. For adults ages 18 to 49 with certain medical conditions and adults whose jobs regularly expose them to the virus, the panel opted for softer language, saying they may choose to get a booster after considering their individual risk. The New York Times
New Jersey health officials say they are prepared for the expansion of COVID-19 vaccine booster approved by federal authorities even though New Jerseyans already eligible have been slow to get another dose. Garden State residents have not exactly been rushing out to receive their Pfizer booster shot, with only a fifth of these eligible have received the additional shot as of this week, about a month into offering the additional dose, despite the upgrade in protection. “While we’ve been seeing increasing numbers among those eligible for their booster shot from Pfizer, right now only about 20% who are in the queue have stepped forward,” said Gov. Phil Murphy this week. “I think on the boosters, what I’ve read…it’s not just like 20% more (protection), but it’s 3x, 5x, 10x more protection.” North-JerseyNews.com
Thank you for relying on North-JerseyNews.com to provide you the stories from Washington and Trenton that affect us. Please consider supporting North-JerseyNews.com with a voluntary donation.
Union County is the only county in the entire northeast U.S. this week where COVID-19 transmission rates are considered low enough that masks are optional by CDC standards. Union County is one of only 52 counties nationwide rated low. Essex County was right behind, with a transmission rate considered moderate, also making masks optional, while the rest of the state was considered masks recommended, due to substantial or high transmission rates. NJ1015.com
Paterson celebrated being the first city of its size to have 90% of eligible residents to receive at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Mayor Andre Sayegh credits the milestone to partnerships with local hospitals, schools, pharmacies and community groups. He says that the city did not just reach out to the vulnerable populations but visited them as well with people that they trusted. News12 New Jersey
North Bergen approved a resolution issuing a vaccine mandate for township employees. The board unanimously approved the resolution at its Oct. 20 meeting requiring North Bergen municipal employees to either be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or be tested for the virus on a regular basis. Unvaccinated employees are required to get tested each week. According to the resolution, the testing will occur during work hours and unvaccinated employees are required to wear masks inside municipal buildings. The policy goes into effect on Oct. 25. Hudson Reporter
A group of New Jersey parents continues to push Gov. Phil Murphy to reconsider his decision to bar virtual learning options for public schools. New Jersey Parents for a Virtual Choice delivered a petition last week that is being reviewed by the governor’s office asking the Murphy Administration to reconsider allowing for a virtual option for kids who are either considered medically fragile or live with a family member at high risk of being infected with the coronavirus. Murphy, citing the importance of in-classroom learning after remote education during the pandemic disrupted two school years, is committed to that “unless this virus takes a turn that is dramatic.” NJ Spotlight News
An ethics complaint with the state School Ethics Commission against Nutley Board of Education President Charles Kucinski and called for his resignation. Members of a parents’ advocacy group, who were unhappy with the district’s efforts to return their elementary-age students back to school full-time last year and sought to have the mask mandate relaxed, say the request for Kucinski’s resignation comes from “concerning unethical behavior.” The parents’ group recently filed an Open Public Records Act request, seeking communications among Kucinski, Superintendent Julie Glazer and a community member, that included calling community members who spoke out against Gov. Phil Murphy’s mask mandate for schools as “loudmouths.” The Record
For better and worse, the coronavirus pandemic has been the defining issue for Gov. Phil Murphy during his first term in office. The Murphy Administration has attempted to straddle the line to keeping as many people healthy while trying to boost an economy that was shut down in the first few months. The three issues that have been major flashpoints were Murphy’s decision to return long-term care patients to their facilities while still having the virus, how schools operated during the time period and COVID-19 mandates. GOP nominee Jack Ciattarelli, who is fully vaccinated, has taken the position of medical freedom of choice when it comes to the vaccine and wearing of masks, using the same language of anti-vaxxers. In the waning days of the campaign, the Ciattarelli has gone hard after Murphy for his leadership during the pandemic—including Murphy recently not wearing a mask indoors in crowded venues. North-JerseyNews.com
Gov. Phil Murphy and Jack Ciattarelli both denounced former President Donald Trump’s disparaging comments about the late Colin Powell this week. A day after Powell, the former U.S. secretary of state and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, died from complications related to COVID-19 while battling cancer, Trump released a statement criticizing Powell for making “big mistakes on Iraq” and mocking the media for covering his life “so beautifully…He made plenty of mistakes, but anyway, may he rest in peace!” Ciattarelli responded by tweeting that Powell “was a Vietnam veteran and a trailblazing statesman. He deserves better than President Trump’s petty insults upon his passing” while Murphy stated that Trump’s remarks are “among the worst and most despicable things he’s ever said, which is saying something. May his comments serve as a reminder of what our country sharply rejected last Fall.” NJ.com
The House voted Oct. 21 to hold former Trump strategist Steve Bannon in criminal contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a subpoena from the select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The contempt resolution passed largely along party lines in the Democrat-controlled House, 229-202, sending the case to the Justice Department for possible prosecution. Contempt of Congress is a crime that could result in a fine and a jail term of up to 12 months. The Wall Street Journal
Allendale is asking residents in the upcoming election to consider selling its water system to Suez Water for $18 million to improve its aging system. The increasing complexity of operating the water system, increasing environmental regulations and aging water infrastructure were cited as the reasons behind the move to sell their system to Suez. “Allendale no longer has the expertise or resources to run our system given the ever-evolving safety and compliance issues,” said Councilwoman Liz Homan, chair of the borough’s Water and Sewer Committee. The Record
After speculation that the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap lift had been removed from the reconciliation budget, published reports it remains in. According to Politico, President Joe Biden’s answer to a question from Rep. Josh Gottheimer led many House members to believe that lifting the SALT cap was no longer part of the deal. Gottheimer and other House moderates in states heavily impacted by SALT then immediately began pressing congressional leadership, especially Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), to put it back in the bill. New Jersey Globe
Activists are concerned about reports showing three New Jersey law enforcement agencies requested the federal government provide surveillance operations during Black Lives Matter protests last Summer. According to the documents obtained by CREW, the Asbury Park Police Department, Newark Police Department and Essex County Sheriff’s Office all reached out to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in hopes of collecting intelligence on “radical groups” or secretly monitoring protesters. New Jersey Monitor
The Paterson City Council is scheduled to vote on a $1.2 million contract to buy 269 body worn cameras for its police department. Paterson already has 150 body cameras assigned to patrol officers and members of the emergency response team. The city will have close to 419 police officers when the current class of recruits finishes its training at the police academy, officials said. That means the impending purchase of cameras will provide one for every cop in the department. Paterson has secured an $800,000 grant to pay for most of the cost of the cameras. The Record
And finally….Early in-person voting begins tomorrow and runs until Oct. 31. NJ.com
