Rep. Mikie Sherrill is seeking a change in federal law to stop Russian President Vladimir Putin from using the Russian Central Bank’s extensive gold reserves to continue his invasion of the Ukraine. Sherrill and a bipartisan group of lawmakers recently introduced legislation that would prohibit U.S. “persons” or entities subject to U.S. laws from engaging in transactions with foreign persons that purchase or transact in gold from the Russian Federation. “As Russia’s economy collapses, we must continue to cut off funds for Putin’s unprovoked war,” said Sherrill. “This bipartisan legislation closes a loophole to prevent Putin and his allies from circumventing sanctions through the sale of gold and other commodities.” North-JerseyNews.com
Russia’s assault on Ukraine has driven more than half the country’s children from their homes, the United Nations children’s agency said on March 24, calling it one of the largest displacements of children since World War II. Some 4.3 million Ukrainian children from a total estimated child population of 7.5 million have been displaced by the one-month-old conflict, UNICEF said. This includes 1.8 million children who have taken refuge in neighboring countries and more than 2.5 million who are in temporary shelter within the country. The New York Times
The U.S. government accused Russian forces in Ukraine of committing war crimes, an action that will formalize continuing investigations into alleged atrocities. The International Criminal Court, a body to which neither the U.S. nor Russia are parties, launched an investigation on March 1. Secretary of State Antony Blinken cited reports of attacks on civilian centers including apartment buildings, schools, hospitals, civilian vehicles and more, adding the sites were clearly identifiable as used by civilians. The Wall Street Journal
State Sen. Joe Pennacchio introduced legislation reaffirming parental rights and amending current law to prevent schools from teaching concepts related to CRT and various controversial topics to students younger than high school age. Pennacchio’s bill would return the focus to higher grades. “The moral and sexual upbringing of young children is the responsibility of mothers and fathers,” said the Morris County lawmaker. “In their effort to redraw the lines of authority and societal mores, Democrats in the Legislature have deliberately and stealthily moved toward an extreme curriculum on topics such as sexuality and critical race theory.” North-JerseyNews.com
Sen. Cory Booker brought Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to tears when he told her “you are worthy” during Senate hearings for Brown Jackson to be the first Black woman on the U.S. Supreme Court justice. Booker’s comments came eight hours into the third day of hearings, and he began by defending Jackson against the “meritless to the point of demagoguery” attacks leveled against her by several Republican senators, calling them “a new low…When that final vote happens and you ascend to the highest court in the land, I’m going to rejoice. And I’m going to tell you right now that the greatest country in the world, the United States of America, will be better because of you.” News12 New Jersey
Another potential source of federal funding for the Gateway project became available when federal transportation officials began taking applications for a new program that would fund major infrastructure projects. The National Infrastructure Project Assistance program, known as MEGA, would cover 50% of the costs of major construction projects of national or regional significance that otherwise would be too large or too complex to receive funding under traditional transportation programs. “The Gateway vision and the need for investment certainly touches both of those categories,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Certainly what I saw for myself in the Hudson River tunnels is the sense of urgency around these much-needed upgrades. I certainly expect they will be among the applications for this new funding.” NJ.com
New Jersey residents who are way behind on their utility bills may get another lifeline. The full Assembly and Senate are taking up legislation that essentially gives customers up to a 60-day protection window, as long as they apply for utility assistance by June 15. The bill would also nullify disconnections that may have already occurred since the end of the moratorium, given the customer has since applied for assistance. Under the bill, state agencies that administer utility assistance programs can’t take longer than 90 days to approve or reject an application. NJ1015.com
Assemblyman Parker Space (R-24) will not seek reelection for his seat in 2023. Space cited business and family issues in deciding to not run in the next election cycle, including the passing of his father, his sister retiring from the family business, Space Farms Zoo and Museum, and becoming a grandfather for the first time this year. “This past year has brought profound changes to my personal life,” said Space. “These events have placed more responsibilities upon me as we look to continue operating our family business into the next generation. After a deep reflection, I feel my complete attention will ultimately be needed running our family’s business.“ North-JerseyNews.com
Advocates urged members of the Assembly Budget Committee to devote resources to address staff shortages across multiple sectors during a second round of budget hearings March 23. The warnings of a winnowed workforce extended to schools, childcare centers, and healthcare facilities, and in each case, advocates said the pandemic exacerbated long-standing staffing problems. New Jersey Monitor
The Cannabis Regulatory Commission is expected to approve the first batch of conditional license applications for cultivation and manufacturing at its monthly meeting on March 24. In addition, five alternative treatment centers currently serving medical cannabis patients that applied to expand to sell to the adult-use market are also expected to be approved. If approved by the commission, the five centers will be the only facilities selling cannabis initially to both the medical and recreational market. The approved cultivators and manufacturers are expected to grow crop and build out their facilities over the course of six to nine months before they can start selling cannabis. NJ.com
The Secaucus Town Council is considering changing its laws when it comes to recreational cannabis establishments. Recreational cannabis establishments would be permitted in the light industrial zone, but must be more than 1,000 feet away from any public or private educational institution, day care center, public library or house of worship, per the proposed ordinance. Hudson Reporter
The majority of New Jerseyans like living here, but more than a third say they’d like to move out. Nearly 6 in 10 adult residents say the Garden State is an “excellent” (14%) or “good” (44%) place to live, according to the Rutgers-Eagleton Poll released Thursday, while 28% say it’s “only fair” and 14% say it’s “poor.” Meanwhile, half of residents say they would move out of their current neighborhood if they could — including a record 36% who say they would move to another state. InsiderNJ
A hotel union that already wields considerable influence in New York City politics is now aiming to beef up its presence in New Jersey. The Hotel and Gaming Trades Council opened its first office in the state—in Montclair—on March 23, the same day workers it represents at 10 hotels in New Jersey voted to ratify contracts. Employees at 57 hotels in the state are now connected to the union, which represents about 40,000 hotel and gaming industry employees in New York and New Jersey, about 6,000 of which live and work in the Garden State. NJ.com
Superior Court Judge Thomas Brogan has enjoined the Paterson City Clerk from printing and mailing ballots for the May 10 municipal election pending the outcome of a challenge to mayoral candidate Alex Mendez’s nominating petitions. A supporter of Mayor Andre Sayegh says that enough of the signatures on Mendez’s petition—as many as 150 signatures—would take the councilman below the 867 signatures he needs to be on the ballot, but the city clerk rejected the challenge. An April 1 hearing was set to hear the challenge. New Jersey Globe
Nick De Gregorio and Billy Prempeh won landslide victories at the Bergen County Republican convention March 23 to win the party’s line for the 5th and 9th Congressional Districts, respectively. De Gregorio defeated 2020 nominee Frank Pallotta by a 302-116 vote, a 69%-27% victory to get the organization line in the largest county in New Jersey’s 5th district. Businessman Fred Schneiderman finished third with 15 votes (3%), and Sab Skenderi received 3 votes. Meanwhile, Prempeh won a landslide victory, defeating Patrick Quinn, 154-20. New Jersey Globe
Englewood School Board President Sam Trusty will be stepping down at the beginning of April. Trusty said the board had identified “leadership deficiencies and hired strong leadership to lead the transformation of the district,” adding that district lawsuits have been settled and legal bills “significantly reduced.” But the time to step down was driven by his “time, energy, and effort needs to be redirected to the things on my plate, both personally and professionally.” The Record
Randolph Superintendent Jennifer Fano is taking a “short term” leave of absence. In a 6-3 vote, board members approved District Business Administrator Stephen Frost as acting superintendent until Fano’s expected return on April 21. No reason was given for the leave. The Daily Record
And finally…Madeleine Albright, the first female US secretary of state, died at the age of 84. NJ.com
