Gov. Phil Murphy left no doubt his feelings about Republican actions at the Statehouse last week in defying COVID-19 health protocols. “But the big story from last week is not about security. It’s about the idiocy of these ringleaders who are putting their fellow members’ health and the families of those fellow members at risk, ” said Murphy at a virtual press briefing Dec. 8. “It’s outrageous, absolutely outrageous, incredibly irresponsible, unforgivable…that is the story from last week.” The comments came after New Jersey State Police Superintendent Colonel Patrick Callahan was asked why lawmakers were allowed to access the Assembly floor without going through the same health protocols that staffers, members of the public and media had to adhere to as they entered the Statehouse as set forth by the State Capitol Joint Management Commission. North-JerseyNews.com
Assembly leadership plans to hold in-person committee hearings Dec. 13 after ordering a week of virtual meetings because a handful of Republican lawmakers refused to comply with new COVID-19 rules on entering the Statehouse. The decision to return to the Statehouse at the start of the week was made after a regular leadership meeting between Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-19) and top Democrats in the lower chamber Dec. 8. Among the committees slated to meet is Assembly Appropriations, one in which several Republicans who refused to abide by the new rules are members of the committee, including Assemblyman Brian Bergen (R-25). NJ.com
As new COVID infections, hospitalizations and the rate of transmission continues to rise in New Jersey, there are growing concerns about staffing shortages at hospitals across the Garden State. New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said she has been speaking to a number of hospital CEOs about the shortages they face, adding that there are multiple factors responsible for the shortages, including exhaustion, retirement and buyouts where nurses are being offered better packages from staffing agencies. NJ1015.com
Two doses of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine may not offer enough protection against the Omicron variant but a booster shot increased antibody defenses 25-fold, according to the company citing preliminary laboratory results that have not yet not been peer-reviewed. Company officials said a third dose appears to provide a similar number of antibodies as a two-dose series against the original virus and other variants and people who have two shots of the vaccine may still be protected against severe cases. PoliticoNJ
COVID-19 vaccinations for children 5 to 11 years old are off to a slow start in many parts of the U.S., federal data show, underscoring the challenges health officials face in persuading parents to inoculate their children. Roughly five million, or 18%, of the estimated 28.4 million U.S. children in the 5-to-11 age bracket have gotten at least one shot in the five weeks since they were cleared to get vaccinated. The picture varies by region, with rates in several New England states above 30% and some states in the South far off the national pace. The Wall Street Journal
The U.S. Senate passed a resolution Dec. 8 to block President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate on private employers, with every Republican and two Democrats casting votes aimed at preventing that pending requirement. Sens. Jon Tester (D-MT) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) joined with the GOP in backing the resolution, which passed 52-48. Tester, a centrist Democrat representing a conservative state, cited concerns from business owners and other constituents in deciding to oppose the vaccine mandate set to kick in Jan. 4. The bill now moves to the House of Representatives. White House press secretary Jen Psaki has said Biden will veto the resolution if it reaches his desk. New Jersey Monitor
A coalition of progressive, minority and good-government groups want the state’s 12 congressional districts to reflect that diversity when they are redrawn next year. The groups, including the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, the NAACP’s New Jersey chapter, and the League of Women Voters, proposed redrawing the lines so Whites would not hold a majority in half of the districts. “All of the population growth has come from people of color,” said Henal Patel, director of democracy and justice for the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. “For us, it’s about making sure we have representation for the diversity of the state of New Jersey.” NJ Spotlight News
Trenton lawmakers from both houses and parties are moving forward with legislation intended to ensure the delays in counting mail in ballots are a thing of the past. Assemblyman Christopher DePhillips (R-40) introduced a bill on Dec. 6 that permits county election officials to count mail-in ballots as they are received instead of waiting until Election Day. State Sen. Troy Singleton (D-7) is offering similar legislation in the upper chamber. “When vote tallies are changing drastically, or flipping in favor of one candidate over another, because of a delay in counting mail-in ballots, voters lose trust in the security and integrity of our elections,” said DePhillips. “It is incumbent upon officials to fix the problems that lead to conspiracy theories. Earlier counting of mail-in votes will help address some of this year’s hang-ups.” North-JerseyNews.com
Five weeks after Election Day, results for some local races are still being finalized, and the process will most likely carry over into the new year with at least one special election. Westwood had an official recount on Dec. 7 in a Borough Council race where Republican Anthony Greco was leading by eight votes. In Maywood, two candidates are locked in a tie, leaving the election still undecided. Council President Katherine Bennin, a Democrat, and Republican Danyel Cicarelli have 1,437 votes each. And a Dec. 17 court hearing will determine whether a recount will take place in Palisades Park, where longtime Councilman Jongchul Lee is down by 24 votes. The Record
A State Commission of Investigation in a newly released report labeled constables “outdated relics” that have no place in modern law enforcement. Citing examples of widespread abuses of power—including a group of Essex County constables who the SCI said took it upon themselves to provide backup to police during the Dec. 10, 2019, mass shooting in Jersey City—the commission called for the immediate repeal of the statutes that allow for constables in New Jersey. “Rather than serving as a beneficial adjunct to police, the role instead far too frequently represents a potential hazard to the constables themselves, the police they claim to want to help and the public at large,” the commission said in its report. “The elimination of the position statewide is the only way to effectively stamp out the widespread abuses of power by constables revealed in this report.” NJ.com
New Jersey Acting Attorney General Andrew Bruck recently issued three policies regarding statewide policing, including a narrowing of the use of no-knock warrants. In order to get the warrant, officers will now have to demonstrate that knocking and announcing will “create a reasonable and particularized concern for officer safety or the safety of another person.” In addition, a trained tactical team will execute all no-knock warrants under the new policy, which requires that county prosecutors or their senior legal staff designee be the ones to approve any of these warrants sought by police, and asks county prosecutor’s offices to track the number of no-knock warrants applied for and authorized by a judge within their jurisdictions. The other two directives include one related to a citizen’s right to record police activity and another related to promoting diverse hiring processes by law enforcement agencies. New Jersey Herald
Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee Chairman Paul Sarlo (D-36) will remain as Deputy Senate Majority Leader when the upper house reorganizes on Jan. 11, 2022. “Senator Sarlo’s expertise on financial and economic issues is of critical importance as we work to contend with challenging fiscal conditions,” said Incoming Senate President Nicholas Scutari (D-22). “He has been a steady hand during times of economic uncertainty, managing the state budget and the financial aspects of the full range of policies.” It’s not immediately clear whether Sarlo will be the only deputy majority leader or whether Scutari will also select a replacement for State Sen. Sandra Cunningham (D-31), who has been picked to serve as Senate President Pro-Tempore for the next legislative session. New Jersey Globe
Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg (D-37) has made railroads a top priority in her legislative efforts, and the Senate moved two of her bills forward in recent sessions. The first bill would strengthen both accountability and transparency at NJ Transit in an effort to improve the quality of service for daily customers. “NJ Transit is a critical and necessary institution whose service and mission stretch the breadth and length of our state…With this legislation we hope to begin to restore the reputation of what is a vital economic resource for our state, and a practical necessity of daily life for hundreds of thousands of New Jersey commuters,” said Weinberg. The second bill requires operators to draft emergency response plans for so-called “high-hazard trains.” North-JerseyNews.com
Paying everyday household bills, and inflation specifically, top the list of concerns American families say they currently face, with the number saying it is easy for them to pay grocery bills dropping by 13 points in the past two years, according to the latest Monmouth University Poll. About 3 in 10 Americans name either everyday bills (15%) or inflation specifically (14%) as the biggest concern facing their family right now. This far outpaces COVID (18%) or any other single issue as the top kitchen table worry in the country. This past Summer, far fewer Americans named either rising prices or household bills as their biggest concern (16% in July 2021) and the amount of concern over household bills was even smaller just over a year ago (8% in August 2020). InsiderNJ
Paterson Schools Superintendent Eileen Shafer announced Dec. 8 that she will retire at the end of this academic year, but the longest-serving member of the Board of Education suggested she was forced out of the job. Shafer’s employment contract was scheduled to expire next June 30, and school board members have been at odds in private discussions over whether to keep her in the position. Board members Jonathan Hodges said during his public comments that a majority of board members were trying to help one of their friends get the top schools position in Paterson and later confirmed he was referring to Christopher Irving, former president of the Paterson school board and the current superintendent of schools in Teaneck. The Record
North Bergen is putting federal COVID-19 dollars to work by investing in its sewers. The Board of Commissioners recently voted to introduce a capital ordinance that would appropriate $550,000 for a local sewer improvement project. Federal funds from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) will facilitate sewer improvements part of the 57th and Kennedy Boulevard Project. The unspecified improvements to the sewer infrastructure in the area aims to reduce combined sewer overflows and flooding, among other stormwater management improvements. Hudson Reporter
And finally…The 50th anniversary of the New Jersey Ballet’s original production of “Nutcracker” will be held at the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown starting Dec. 17. The Daily Record
