OPINION: Our Support For Ukraine Must Outlast Russia. Ukraine is not Afghanistan. A growing minority have begun to question how long and how much should we support Ukraine, a democratic ally whose people and leaders have fought off the unprovoked invasion from Russia for over a year now. President Joe Biden was right to walk alongside Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky in the streets of Kyiv while air sirens wailed last week. It sent the message to Russia President Vladimir Putin that Ukraine and its people have our unwavering support. That message was not just intended for Russia but others that threaten democracy across the globe. The world’s response has been strong, led by America and its President. There are those that want a foreign policy that is isolationist; that is policy that has never worked historically but made us more vulnerable. Democracy should always be defended by the U.S., at home and abroad. And that is why our support for Ukraine must be unwavering. North-JerseyNews.com
China’s Foreign Ministry said the United States was being “hypocritical” with its warnings against sending weapons to Russia for use in Ukraine. President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said on Feb. 26 that Western allies were sending a “clear message” to China that it would be a mistake to give Russia weapons because they would be used to attack civilians. U.S. officials are closely watching China’s stance on the conflict, especially as Beijing prepares this week to host Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko, a major Kremlin ally. The New York Times
The U.S. Energy Department has concluded that the coronavirus pandemic most likely arose from a laboratory leak, according to a classified intelligence report recently provided to the White House and key members of Congress. The Energy Department’s conclusion is the result of new intelligence and is significant because the agency has considerable scientific expertise and oversees a network of U.S. national laboratories, some of which conduct advanced biological research. The Energy Department made its judgment with “low confidence,” according to people who have read the classified report. The Wall Street Journal
Support for abortion access has risen in New Jersey over the last decade, according to a recent Monmouth University Poll which found three-fourths of the state’s residents supported maintaining legal access to abortion, either with or without some limitations. Sixty-two percent of New Jerseyans describe themselves as pro-choice, according to a recent Monmouth University Poll. That number rose eight percentage points from 54% in 2013. North-JerseyNews.com
State lawmakers are considering a package of bills to reduce period poverty. The proposals include better healthcare screenings to help New Jersey women address heavy, painful monthly bleeding; funding for food pantries to stock period products; and free pads and tampons for poor residents so they don’t have to make do with newspapers, rags and plastic bags to hide their menstruation. NJ Spotlight News
A last-minute round of revisions to an overhaul of state campaign finance rules would change how people and companies with public contracts can donate to politicians, parties and other groups. One controversial amendment tucked into the proposed “Elections Transparency Act” gave the governor power to appoint the executive director of the Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC), the agency that oversees all elections in New Jersey. Currently, the four ELEC commissioners choose the executive director. The change would mean the agency head “shall serve at the pleasure of the governor,” which critics say erodes the independent nature of the role and agency, and opens up the potential for political interference and abuse. The Daily Record
An attorney for Jeff Brindle, the executive director of the ELEC, said the amendment inserted into the campaign finance bill is the culmination of an attempt by Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration to force him out of the job over an alleged anti-gay remark. Brindle wrote to another ELEC staffer in response to an emailed communication about National Coming Out Day, asking if she was coming out and lamented that employees couldn’t celebrate the birthdays of George Washington or Abraham Lincoln but could celebrate people coming out. Bruce Afran, an attorney for Brindle, characterized the exchange as “a political opinion by somebody, not an example of anti-gay bias…(Murphy Administration officials) immediately demanded his resignation that day, allegedly on the grounds that he had made an ‘anti-gay’ remark.”. PoliticoNJ
State Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-36) has introduced a bill that would sharply raise no-bid thresholds for public contracts issued by school boards and local and county governments. The bill would more than double limits on the size of contracts that local and county governments can issue without soliciting bids, raising it to $50,000from $17,500 for municipalities without a qualified purchasing agent. The proposal would “give a little more flexibility to the larger cities and towns,” said Sarlo. “(The cash cap) hasn’t moved in years…$44,000 is the bid threshold, and that’s for a town of 5,000 people or a town of 700,000 people.” New Jersey Monitor
Gov. Phil Murphy is set to unveil his next spending plan Feb. 28, kicking off four months of negotiations with the Democratic-controlled state Legislature. Murphy’s administration was still ironing out details about the Democratic governor’s sixth budget address as late as this weekend. But Murphy has recently revealed some of his plans for using taxpayers’ money in the fiscal year that begins July 1, including more property tax relief and the state continuing to meet its public worker pension payment. NJ.com
Gov. Phil Murphy pitched his plan for liquor license reform at a roundtable featuring restaurateurs who argued broader license availability would help an industry still recovering from the pandemic. The governor and restaurant owners with and without licenses argued last week that loosening a Prohibition-era law — one that limits how many liquor licenses towns can have — would boost traffic to struggling eateries still fighting to recover from the pandemic and foster competition that could enliven the industry as a whole. The state currently restricts municipalities to one consumption liquor license per 3,000 residents. New Jersey Monitor
Landlords in more than 40 New Jersey towns across 16 counties were put on notice Feb. 24 for allegedly discriminating against prospective tenants. Attorney General Matthew Platkin and the office’s Division on Civil Rights said 59 landlords have been warned for allegedly violating the Fair Chance in Housing Act, which went into effect last year after Gov. Phil Murphy signed it in 2021, making it illegal and discriminatory to ask about criminal history on an application or in an interview before giving the applicant a conditional offer. NJ.com
Republicans and Democrats are pressing for major Congressional legislation to counter rising threats from China, but a bipartisan consensus is at risk of dissipating amid disputes about what steps to take and a desire among many Republicans to wield the issue as a weapon against President Joe Biden. For now, only a few, mostly narrow ventures have drawn enough bipartisan interest to have a chance at advancing amid the political tide—legislation to ban TikTok; bills that would ban Chinese purchases of farmland and other agricultural real estate, especially in areas near sensitive military sites; and measures to limit U.S. exports and outbound investments to China. The New York Times
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) declined to describe himself as a Democrat during a television interview on Feb. 26 and didn’t say if he is running for re-election. “I identify as an American,” said Manchin when asked repeatedly during a Fox News appearance if he still considered himself a Democrat. “I’m an American through and through.” When asked if he would run for re-election in 2024, Manchin demurred, replying: “My main concern is how do we bring this country together? How do we make it work? How do we make Democrats, Republicans become Americans again, and not just party affiliates?” The Wall Street Journal
Bloomfield Mayor Michael Venezia and Carmen T. Morales, the principal of Newark Tech High School, have emerged as the leading contenders for two open State Assembly seats in the newly-drawn 34th district after appearing before an Essex Democratic screening committee. Venezia and Morales would replace Britnee Timberlake (D-34) and Ralph Caputo (D-34). Timberlake is running for the State Senate, and Caputo plans to resign after the State Senate confirms him to a seat on the Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey Board of Directors. New Jersey Globe
Rutgers University faces its first faculty strike in its history as union leadership called for one at its regional campuses in New Brunswick, Camden and Newark. The three big demands from the Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union that represent represents full-time faculty, graduate workers, post-doctoral associates, and counselors with the Educational Opportunity Fund program include job security, fractional appointments and healthcare. The Record
New Jersey residents support later high school opening times, according to the latest Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) Poll, which found 55% of those polled were in favor of new legislation that would push back high school start times to 8:30 a.m.The bill was particularly popular among Democrats and women, with only 30% opposing the measure. Democrats (65%) were the most likely to support the measure, but Republicans seemed evenly split on the issue: 42% supported the new idea and 42% of the cohort opposed it. North-JerseyNews.com
Christopher L. Hughes, a 24-year-old who won a Mahwah school board seat last November, has been named chief of staff to Assemblyman Christopher DePhillips (R-40). Hughes finished second in a field of four candidates for three school board seats in 2022, and just six votes out of first place, ousting incumbent Brett Coplin by 131 votes. A political science major and member of the College Republicans, Hughes is a 2022 graduate of Ramapo College who volunteered on Republican Frank Pallotta’s campaign to unseat Rep. Josh Gottheimer. New Jersey Globe
Gas prices continued to fall over the weekend in New Jersey, down seven cents per gallon in the last week for a statewide average of $3.20 per gallon for regular gas, according to AAA. The cheapest gas, on average, can be found at stations in Burlington county at $3.08 a gallon. NJ1015.com
Central Jersey has long been a paradox to Garden State residents, debating whether a region nestled comfortably between North and South Jersey actually exists. Assemblyman Roy Freiman (D-16) publicly acknowledged that “Central Jersey” does exist and officially recognizes it as one of three State tourism regions. The Central tourism region will include Hunterdon, Somerset, Union, Middlesex, Mercer, Monmouth, and Ocean counties. “These bills can lead to attracting more visitors, boosting local economies, and truly celebrating each and every corner of our state,” said Freiman. North-JerseyNews.com
The waterpark at American Dream is finally open again with state approval after a prop helicopter fell into a kiddie pool and injured four people. According to New Jersey Department of Community Affairs spokesperson Lisa Ryan, the firm found damage on the wire rope that had been suspending the prop helicopter, damage that was “a direct contributing factor” to the incident. This helicopter feature has been permanently removed…the firm also deemed the current remaining features to be structurally sound and safe for continued use.” NJ1105.com
And finally…A wet snow, wintry mix on the way; northern Sussex could see up to six inches of snow. News12 New Jersey
