Rep. Mikie Sherrill said the video released by the Jan. 6 House Select Committee was only one of the groups she saw that conducted reconnaissance tours the day before the attempted insurrection. “That was not the only group that I saw, I saw groups down there and we have asked the Jan. 6 Committee to understand what those people were doing in the capitol complex,” said Sherrill. The former prosecutor stated the video released showed her concern that members of Congress and their guests “were just doing odd things, in places they should not have been, doing suspicious things in places they shouldn’t have been. I think what this video shows is what I was talking about. This is not what tours look like, this is not places that you take tours.” North-JerseyNews.com
The Jan. 6 House Select Committee hearing on Jan. 16 focused on the actions to pressure Mike Pence to overturn the election and what was happening around him on that day. An angry mob with baseball bats and pepper spray chanting “hang Mike Pence” came within 40 feet of the Vice President as his Secret Service detail had to hustle him to safety and hold him for nearly five hours in the bowels of the Capitol. Donald Trump called Pence a “wimp” and worse in a coarse and abusive call that morning from the Oval Office, Ivanka Trump and former White House aides testified. The New York Times
The Justice Department accused the Jan. 6 select committee of hampering its criminal investigation into the Capitol riot by not sharing transcripts of its witness interviews, and cited the stalemate in seeking to have a high-profile seditious conspiracy trial delayed. “The Select Committee’s failure to grant the Department access to these transcripts complicates the Department’s ability to investigate and prosecute those who engaged in criminal conduct in relation to the January 6 attack on the Capitol,” Department officials said in the letter, which was disclosed in connection with the seditious conspiracy case against five onetime members of the far-right group the Proud Boys. The Wall Street Journal
New Jersey’s GOP lawmakers are pushing back against state Democrats’ Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters (ANCHOR) Tax Relief Program, with Assembly Minority Leader John DiMaio (R-23) saying it wouldn’t cure New Jersey’s “taxation addiction. Injecting steroids into Murphy’s recycled rebate program won’t get anyone more excited about it than when Murphy announced it in February. It doesn’t deliver meaningful changes in fiscal policy and will be the first program to get cut when money is tight.” Meanwhile, efforts by Senate Republicans to have a vote June 16 on the “Give It Back” rebates was rebuffed in a party line vote. North-JerseyNews.com
New Jersey’s casinos, horse tracks that offer sports betting and the online partners of both types of gambling outlets won $430.6 million from gamblers in May, up 15% from a year earlier. The casinos’ core business, revenue won from in-person gamblers, fell just short of the level of May 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic hit, an important metric for Atlantic City’s brick-and-mortar casino industry, whose revenue has been struggling to rebound from pre-pandemic levels. NJ1015.com
Atlantic City casino workers are ready to walk off the job if they don’t get a new contract. Members of Local 54 of the Unite Here union voted almost unanimously June 15 to authorize a strike if no deal is reached by the beginning of July. Contracts with the Borgata and the three casinos owned by Caesars Entertainment—Caesars, Harrah’s and Tropicana—expired more than two weeks ago. NJ Spotlight News
A vacation to the Jersey Shore will cost families at least 16.6% more than last year, according to research from Affinity Federal Credit Union. Based on its year-to-year comparison, Affinity found double-digit increases in four tourism-related categories for 2022: travel costs, including gas and parking, will be up 31.4%; beach services, including beach tags, chair and umbrella rentals, are expected to increase 18%; food and drink, including coffee, taffy and pizza, will rise 10.5%; and leisure activities, including mini golf, amusement park rides and parasailing are expected to cost 11.5% more. ROI-NJ.com
New Jersey businesses would be spared two upcoming unemployment insurance tax hikes under legislation passed by the Assembly June 16. The bill (A3683) would award corporate business tax and gross income tax credits to businesses that haven’t used other grants to offset the tax increases. Additionally, it would expand eligibility to employers not typically recognized by the federal government as small businesses, like those in the hospitality industry. Assemblyman Roy Freiman (D-16), the bill’s chief sponsor, has characterized the bill as a sustainable approach to replenish the unemployment fund and help businesses that have struggled since the pandemic led to widespread business closures and restrictions. New Jersey Monitor
Most top executives say they think a recession is looming or already here, according to a new survey released by the Conference Board, a business research firm, reflecting a rapid deterioration of the economic outlook among business leaders. More than 60% of CEOs expect a recession in their geographic region in the next 12 to 18 months, according to a survey of 750 CEOs and other C-suite executives. An additional 15% think the region of the world where their company operates is already in a recession. The Wall Street Journal
Sen. Rand Paul refused to speak with a New Jersey federal judge about legislation he is holding up to protect federal judges named after her son who was shot and killed by a man who ambushed their New Jersey home almost two years ago. U.S. District Judge Esther Salas attempted to stop the Kentucky Republican outside a hearing, but after shaking her hand he kept walking down a long hall, saying that if she wanted to talk to the GOP lawmaker, she would have to make an appointment with his office. The judge replied, “Senator, you won’t talk to me?” and he repeated, “If you’ve got an appointment. Call the office, please.” Salas said she had called his office previously to try to set up a meeting but that she had been denied. CNN
The State Senate Environment and Energy Committee unanimously agreed to send legislation to appropriate $250 million to redevelop Liberty State Park. Lawmakers accepted amendments that removed a requirement for the park’s new master plan to include unspecified initiatives to generate new revenue and would specifically ban setting up a gambling casino in the park. But an amendment that would have protected Caven Point from being developed was rejected. The Jersey Journal
A State Senate committee recently passed a bill prohibiting the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission and other state entities from disclosing a driver’s personal information to other states seeking to issue speed camera or red light camera citations. State Sen. Nicholas Sacco (D-32), a co-sponsor of the bipartisan bill, said the legislation is needed to better protect New Jersey drivers from out-of-state enforcement of camera-based citations. “New Jersey does not have speed cameras and we no longer allow red light cameras,” said Sacco. “However, our residents are still being subjected to these citations in other parts of the country and they deserve protection.” North-JerseyNews.com
Former Republican gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli has a new political action committee to help fundraise for GOP candidates across the state. The group, Mainstream Majority, stated mission is to “support New Jersey Republican county and local organizations and assist in getting mainstream, conservative candidates focused on kitchen table issues elected to public office.” NJ.com
Former Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce will challenge two incumbents in the 2023 primary in a bid to win back the 26th district State Assembly seat she held for ten years. DeCroce announced her comeback bid to attendees at a fundraiser June 15 that she would challenge Jay Webber (R-26) and Brian Bergen (R-25). Assemblyman Christian Barranco (R-26) ousted DeCroce last year, but legislative redistricting shifted Barranco to the 25th district and moved Bergen, a two-term lawmaker and former Denville councilman, into the 26th. New Jersey Globe
In a 5-2 vote, the Paterson City Council gave preliminary approval to a plan that could boost the salaries of the city’s top municipal officials—including a potential 18% increase that would put the mayor’s pay at $140,000. The council added an “opt out” clause to the salary ordinance that would allow the mayor and council members to decline the increases. The city has scheduled a public hearing on the plan for June 28, when the council is scheduled to take its final vote on the measure. The Record
Mayor Steve Fulop announced the creation of a $20 per hour Living Wage Statute for all full-time Jersey City employees to provide an adequate standard of living and help offset nationwide historic inflation and increased cost of living while retaining employees. “In Jersey City, we already set the highest minimum wage standards, and we are taking it a step further to provide our residents and workers with a decent standard of living so that they don’t have to decide between feeding their children dinner or making rent,” said Fulop. “By introducing a living wage, we are raising the bar, putting upwards pressure on salaries, offsetting historic federal inflation levels and cost of living increases, improving employee retention, and sustaining our local economy.” InsiderNJ
Cresskill school district officials are hopeful students will be able to return to their regular classrooms in September, as crews continue to repair the damage caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ida to their middle and high school. Officials said “if they can get at least 25 classrooms completed, that can be a partial opening.” As of a month ago, construction continued on 19 classrooms and the flooring in the cafeteria was ready. In the worst-case scenario, if the classrooms are not ready, the gymnasium can be used as classrooms and physical education can take place outside. The Record
New Jersey filed a lawsuit against Ford Motor Co. on June 16 seeking millions of dollars in damages for widespread pollution dumped more than 50 years ago in Upper Ringwood next to a neighborhood that has been home to generations of Native Americans. The lawsuit, known as a “natural resource damage” claim, seeks money to restore tainted soil, groundwater and wetlands, and to compensate the public for its loss of those resources. The Daily Record
Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner said the town’s waterfront pool complex will not open to non-residents, citing ongoing construction and COVID-19 for the restrictions. The declaration comes after the state Department of Environmental Protection said the complex needs to be to open to everyone due to the use of state funds to build it. “Their standard rule is if you have Green Acres funds for anything, you have to leave it to everybody,” Turner said. “But obviously that’s the standard rule, it doesn’t mean every circumstance we can do it. This year is going to be very difficult because, if you go down there, you’ll see it’s a construction site. So even our residents are being restricted in terms of how many residents we let down there.” Hudson Reporter
New Jersey on June 16 reported 16 new COVID-19 deaths and 2,519 new confirmed cases. There were 789 patients with confirmed or suspected coronavirus cases in the 71 state hospitals that reported. Of those hospitalized, 86 were in intensive care and 35 were on ventilators. New Jersey’s statewide transmission rate was 0.86 with the positivity rate at 14.6% for tests conducted on June 11. North-JerseyNews.com
MetLife Stadium was selected to host some of the 2026 World Cup soccer games, FIFA’s president announced June 16. Boston, Miami, and Philadelphia were also selected as East Coast host cities. The men’s 2026 World Cup is set to feature a 48-team tournament, with 60 matches played in the U.S. Ten matches will be hosted by Canada and Mexico. NJ.com
And finally….Bruce Springsteen joined Paul McCartney on stage last night for two songs, “Glory Days” and “I Wanna Be Your Man.” NJ.com
