Gov. Phil Murphy nominated Judge Douglas R. Fasciale to fill one of the three vacancies on the New Jersey State Supreme Court Sept. 14. Murphy noted that maintaining the court’s ideological balance is something he has maintained in his years in office and “for the last year and a half…have heard from (State Sen. Holly) Schepisi how important the tradition is to her, as a Senator, a lawyer and member of the New Jersey Bar.” The nomination of Fasciale was part of an agreement the governor reached last month with Schepisi (R-39) for her lifting the senatorial hold on the nomination of Englewood resident Rachel Wainer Apter. “Judge Fasciale may be a registered Republican, but he commands universal respect across the legal community. He also has my tremendous respect,” said Murphy. North-JerseyNews.com
About 50 migrants unexpectedly arrived by plane on Martha’s Vineyard on Sept. 14, escalating a tactic in which Republican-led states ship migrants to liberal bastions like Washington and New York to protest the significant rise in illegal immigration under President Joe Biden. Taryn M. Fenske, the communications director for Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), said the two flights were part of a state program to transport undocumented immigrants to so-called sanctuary destinations. This year the Florida Legislature set aside $12 million for the transportation program. The New York Times
Conservative radio host Bill Spadea is being sued for defamation by a Morris child psychologist he called a “child abuser” and “crackpot” during one of his broadcasts about wearing a face mask during COVID. Steven Tobias, a child psychologist and director and owner of the Center for Child and Family Development, is claiming that following several appearances, Spadea accused him of criminal conduct that caused his reputation and the reputation of his business to be called into question. Spadea allegedly disparaged the psychologist on his show on NJ1015, saying Tobias should be indicted for child abuse, is complicit in child abuse because of masking and that parents should teach their children to “reject crackpots like Steven Tobias.” The Record
It was considered a big victory when Rep. Josh Gottheimer won the endorsement from the New Jersey State Policemen’s Benevolent Association (NJSPBA) over the Summer. Gottheimer, facing a rematch against Frank Pallotta who had the unions backing two years earlier, has been one of the leading voices in his party that he would not support any defunding of the police. “Congressman Josh Gottheimer has proven to be a fierce, loyal advocate for law enforcement, firefighters, and all first responders,” said NJSPBA President Patrick Colligan in New Milford to make the announcement this August. “Josh’s advocacy for first responders does not just help his district, he fights for officers throughout the country.” The union has backed Tom Kean Jr. in the 7th district but has not announced who they will back in the 11th in race between Rep. Mikie Sherrill and former Passaic County prosecutor Paul DeGroot. North-JerseyNews.com
U.S. Senate Republicans sought to draw attention to U.S. crime rates Sept. 14, saying they plan to introduce a bill that would direct more resources to state and local police departments. The yet-to-be released bill would create a grant program for police departments to hire more officers and detectives to focus on violent crimes as well as increase resources for police departments to address drug crimes. New Jersey Monitor
Three residents of Iran face federal charges for hacking computers in the United States, including in New Jersey and Pennsylvania where victims included a domestic violence shelter, a township in Union County, and an accounting firm in Morris County. In Union County, the hackers infiltrated a township government’s website in February, “gaining control and access to the township’s network and data,” the indictment states. It’s not clear from court records whether the hackers demanded money from township officials or if New Jersey residents’ private information was obtained by the hackers. The suspects—who have remained in Iran—are charged with conspiracy to commit fraud, intentional damage to computers, and transmitting demands. NJ.com
Public employees throughout the state can expect an increase on their health insurance plans, with some much larger than others. State workers that are part of certain unions—including AFSCME Council 63, CWA, IFPTE Local 195, the New Jersey Council of State College Locals, AFT and IBEW Local 33—will only see an increase of about 3%, after agreeing to a deal with the Murphy Administration to double co-pays for specialists from $15 to $30 and for urgent care from $15 to $45. Employees on the local and county level will see a spike of about 20% after the rate spike was approved Sept. 14 by the State Health Benefits Commission. New Jersey Herald
Freight rail companies and unions representing tens of thousands of workers reached a tentative agreement to avoid a nationwide strike after all-night talks brokered by Labor Secretary Martin J. Walsh, President Joe Biden said Sept. 15. The agreement now heads to union members for a ratification vote, which is a standard procedure in labor talks. While the vote is tallied, workers have agreed not to strike. The talks brokered by Walsh lasted 20 hours. The New York Times
Retail sales rose 0.3% in August, the Commerce Department said Sept. 15, showing the resilience of U.S. consumers in the face high inflation. Retail spending, which mostly encompasses spending on goods such as furniture, vehicles and groceries, has largely remained resilient in recent months despite inflationary pressures and rising interest rates that make car loans more expensive. The Wall Street Journal
The number of Americans working remotely more than tripled in 2021 from 2019, according to new federal data, and the trend shows signs of persisting this year. In 2021, 27.6 million people reported primarily working from home nationwide, up from 9 million in 2019, according to new 2021 American Community Survey estimates released Sept. 15 by the Census Bureau. In percentage terms, that translated to 17.9% of employees who worked mainly remotely in 2021, compared with 5.7% in 2019. The vast majority of these are likely white-collar jobs. The Wall Street Journal
New Jersey on Sept. 14 reported another 1,587 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 8 new confirmed deaths. There were 868 patients with confirmed or suspected coronavirus cases reported across the state’s 71 hospitals. Of those hospitalized, 85 are in intensive care and 35 are on ventilators. New Jersey’s rate of transmission was 0.91 and the statewide positivity rate for tests conducted Sept. 9 was 10.7%. North-JerseyNews.com
Mahwah, Montvale and 11 other municipalities spanning New Jersey have sued Gov. Phil Murphy, alleging he violated the Fair Housing Act and demanding the administration bring back the defunct Council on Affordable Housing. The lack of a council board “has caused tremendous delays in the creation of affordable housing units throughout the state,” said Mahwah Councilman David May, the affordable housing liaison for the township. The municipalities want a court order to reconstitute the agency to protect towns “from runaway development while creating actual and livable affordable housing consistent with sound land use planning principles.” The Record
Assemblyman Christopher DePhillips (R-40) took issue with legislation specifically targeting a government-created board that would control prescription drug prices. DePhillips said this would not help patients, arguing it would destroy the state’s acclaimed life sciences industry instead. “New Jersey, which is home to 14 of the world’s 20 largest pharmaceutical companies, cannot afford the Democrats’ plan to put bureaucrats in charge of drug prices,” DePhillips said. “Our state ranks dead last in the nation for its business climate and we have the highest-in-the-nation corporate business tax.” North-JerseyNews.com
Under a legal agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, GE will begin testing fish, water and sediment from the lower Hudson for PCB contamination. Although sampling locations have not yet been determined, the project calls for testing to occur along the 20-mile portion of the river in New Jersey. The project is set to begin in early 2023 and would last until at least 2024. EPA Regional Administrator Lisa Garcia said the data would help the EPA determine what future actions to take with the river. The Daily Record
Hoboken and Hudson County began installing new signage and striping to reduce the citywide speed limit to 20 MPH. Eight speed feedback signs at gateways to Hoboken and new 20 MPH speed limit signs have been installed across the city. Hudson County will restripe portions of Willow Avenue to convert existing 25 MPH pavement markings to 20 MPH. Police officers will be on site to mitigate temporary traffic impacts on Willow Avenue. The Jersey Journal
Dirt bikes and ATVs will no longer be allowed on the streets of Jersey City after a new ordinance was passed that will ban the vehicles from being driven in the city. Any such vehicles that are driven on such roads will be considered contraband, with violators subject to a minimum fine of $50. The vehicle may be impounded and disposed of, or destroyed. Councilmembers said the usage of dirt bikes and ATVs in the city streets have been a growing concern for a number of residents in the last year. Hudson Reporter
Phillipsburg is planning to increase its enforcement of curfew hours for minors. From 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., any minor caught in a public area in the Warren County town without a parent or guardian could now be fined up to $1,000 and required to do community service. This includes walking, biking on streets, highways, alleys, parks and other public places. News12 New Jersey
And finally…New Jersey Jackals announced their move to Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson. ROI-NJ.com
