A new Monmouth University Poll reported that a majority of New Jerseyans approve of the job Gov. Phil Murphy is doing. The Jersey Shore polling outfit’s poll released April 6 found 55% of respondents gave Murphy a thumbs up while 35% disapprove of the overall job he is doing as governor. Additionally, Garden State residents are split on whether Murphy is more concerned with governing the state (45%) or more concerned about his own political future (45%) as 37% are of the opinion that Murphy is planning to run for president someday (5% say he definitely is and 32% say probably). “Murphy got a bit of a scare from voters who took part in last year’s election, but he appears to have recovered a bit as far as all his constituents are concerned,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute. North-JerseyNews.com
In his first public appearance since testing positive for the coronavirus, Gov. Phil Murphy urged people to remember COVID-19 is still here and to be cautious. “Allow my experience to be a reminder that even though we may be past the worst of COVID, we are not entirely past COVID,” Murphy said in Jersey City April 6 at St. Peter’s University’s 150th Anniversary Founders’ Week Celebration. “Allow me to be your proof that the virus is still among us and please use me as your example of the need to continue to be smart and safe, and continue to use common sense and common courtesy.” NJ.com
Gov. Phil Murphy is calling on Clark Mayor Sal Bonaccorso to resign after the mayor acknowledged using racist and misogynist comments captured on secret recordings. “The Governor believes that Mayor Bonaccorso should resign immediately,” Mahen Gunaratna, Murphy’s communications director, said in a statement. “His hateful language has no place in society and his behavior has irreparably damaged his ability to lead Clark Township.” Bonaccorso, Clark’s police chief, and an internal affairs sergeant were allegedly recorded referring to Blacks as “spooks,” “shines,” and the N-word. Bonaccorso also allegedly called women in law enforcement “all [expletive] disasters.” NJ.com
NATO foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels on April 7 to discuss expanding military aid to Ukraine. Ukraine leaders have said that more military supplies from Western countries are needed to save lives and defeat Russian forces, which have pulled back from most of northern Ukraine but are believed to be refocusing for a fuller offensive against the east and south. But NATO allies’ discussions were expected to focus on how to help Ukraine without entangling the alliance in direct combat with Russian forces. The New York Times
U.S. and European will impose sanctions on the two adult daughters of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Katerina Tikhonova and Maria Vorontsova. The U.S. Treasury said Tikhonova is a tech executive whose work supports the Russian government and defense industry and Vorontsova leads state-funded programs that have received funding from the Kremlin for genetics research, which the Treasury said are personally overseen by Putin. The Wall Street Journal
New Jersey’s state treasurer struck a note of cautious optimism as she discussed the state’s recent revenue surge and positive revenue forecast in testimony before the Assembly’s budget committee April 4. The state continues its strong rebound from COVID-19’s impact, Elizabeth Maher Muoio told lawmakers in promoting Gov. Phil Murphy’s fiscal year 2023 budget blueprint. She noted that Murphy’s revised fiscal year 2022 revenue forecast in February’s budget message totaled $46.9 billion, reflecting “robust” year-to-date collection trends. “Erring on the side of caution is not just wise, it’s warranted on the heels of a historically volatile time for revenues, coupled with an entirely new revenue stream that no one fully understands yet—in the form of the Pass-Through Business Alternative Income Tax,” Muoio said. North-JerseyNews.com
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced a “historic” $20 billion federal investment in transit, with funding of $834.6 million to New Jersey through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Specific projects to be funded weren’t mentioned but two likely candidates are the Gateway Hudson River rail tunnel and the Hunter Flyover to carry NJ Transit’s Raritan Valley line over the Northeast Corridor and end delays getting to Newark Penn Station. “New Jersey has been getting the short end of the stick from the federal government for decades, so I’m delighted that thanks to the new infrastructure bill we are finally getting the funding to improve our train and bus services,” said Rep Tom Malinowski. “New Jersey voters helped elect the House majority that got this done, and we’ll do everything in our power to keep delivering.” NJ.com
The House on April 6 voted to recommend criminal contempt of Congress charges against Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino Jr., two close allies of former President Donald J. Trump. Navarro and Scavino are among a handful of Trump’s closest allies who have refused to sit for interviews or turn over documents, even as more than 800 witnesses—including other top White House officials and family members—have complied with the Jan. 6 House Select committee’s requests as they continue their investigation in the pro-Trump mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol. Republicans attempted to change the topic during the vote, trying to force a vote on immigration legislation in line with their efforts to use problems at the border as a political weapon against Democrats. The New York Times
The U.S. Senate is set to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as the 116th Supreme Court justice on April 7, making history in diversifying the bench while leaving unchanged the legal trajectory of a court where conservatives now dominate. A procedural vote on the nomination will be held Thursday morning, followed by a final vote in the afternoon. Judge Jackson is set to take her seat on the high court after Justice Stephen Breyer retires this Summer. All 50 senators who caucus with Democrats were expected to vote to confirm Judge Jackson, along with three Republicans: Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. The Wall Street Journal
New data released by New Jersey education officials shows the debilitating impact of the pandemic in the last school year, with chronic absenteeism up and postsecondary enrollment flat. Among the findings: graduation rates stayed roughly level, at 90.6% last year compared to 91% in 2019-2020; Fall postsecondary enrollment fell from 72% for 2019 graduates to 67% for 2020 graduates and 68% for 2021 graduates; and absenteeism rose, with 13% of students reported as chronically absent, up from 11% in 2018-19. New Jersey Monitor
New Jersey’s Civil Service Commission has approved a pilot program under which state departments and authorities will be tasked with offering telework to their employees for one year, beginning no later than July 1. The Murphy Administration said the shift to telework would continue the precedent for services offered in that fashion during the COVID pandemic, modernize the state’s public worker landscape, allow for more workplace flexibility, and keep the state competitive with the private sector in terms of employee recruitment and retention. The Department of Labor and Workforce Development and the Motor Vehicle Commission will not participate in the pilot as both agencies rely heavily on in-person services. NJ1015.com
There may be a new bipartisan issue brewing in New Jersey: increasing efficiency within the Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOL). State Senate Democrats, including Joseph Lagana (D-38), are calling for increased efficiency at the agency via a series of four bills that would include allocating $50 million to DOL from federal assistance in an effort to improve processing capacity within the agency and ensure timely payment of unemployment compensation benefits. “There’s been a delay in individuals’ receipt of benefits from the DOL. The time span of that delay could ultimately be the difference for many families and their ability to pay their bills or put food on the table,” said Lagana. “This bill would make sure that individuals are receiving the benefits they’ve filed for and are no longer left with a financial burden because of a delay in their unemployment benefits.” North-JerseyNews.com
The New Jersey Department of the Treasury launched NJ FinLit, a free financial wellness platform for all adult state residents. The platform provides financial education courses with personalized action plans on topics including budgeting, mortgages, health care, college savings, student loan repayment, banking, credit, financial planning and long-term care. ROI-NJ
The Secaucus Town Council unanimously approved a resolution extending the period in which local establishments can provide outdoor dining. The extension will last until Nov. 30 with outdoor dining operations permitted from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. in adherence with all capacity requirements. Hudson Reporter
Paramus Republicans have chosen Jorge Quintana to fill an unexpired term left by the resignation of Councilman Joe Vartolone. Quintana, a Cuban American who has lived in the borough for 29 years after coming to this country as a refugee, will be sworn in April 12 and plans to run for a full three-year council term on the Republican ticket in November, along with Republican incumbent and Council President Jeanne Weber. The Record
Hoboken Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher’s lawsuit against the city over an ordinance modifying city campaign finance laws was dismissed, and the city wants to be made whole for the costs it incurred fighting it. Fisher argued that the ordinance in December 2021 had been changed too significantly between first and second reading. A Hudson County Superior Court judge dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice, meaning Fisher cannot file the same lawsuit again in the same court. The city said it plans to seek reimbursement from Fisher for the legal fees expended to fight the lawsuit. The Jersey Journal
New Jersey election officials have rejected a bid by a Republican congressional candidate to use “Let’s Go Brand*n – FJB” as his ballot slogan in the June primary. Robert Shapiro filed nominating petitions on April 4 that used two variations of an obvious code intended to mean “F*ck Joe Biden” for his GOP primary challenge to Rep. Christopher Smith in the 4th Congressional District. Robert Giles, the director of the New Jersey Division of Elections, told Shapiro in a letter April 9 evening that state laws require a candidate using the name of any person on the ballot to provide written consent from that individual at the time petitions were submitted. New Jersey Globe
And finally…American Dream Mall has agreed to a multiyear partnership with Live Nation to bring a series of concerts to the main stage at the East Rutherford entertainment complex. ROI-NJ
