NJ Replaces Funds Planned Parenthood Lost over Federal Abortion Edict

From NJSpotlight


Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday signed a law that, for now at least, inoculates women’s health clinics run by Planned Parenthood and other agencies against the loss of nearly $10 million under an anti-abortion edict issued by the Trump administration.

Last August, Planned Parenthood, which runs 22 clinics in New Jersey, opted to forgo millions in federal funding over the administration’s so-called gag rule, which forbids agencies that take money under the Title X program from advising clients about abortion.

The bill — approved by the Democratic majorities in both houses in late 2019, over the objection of anti-abortion advocates — allocates state money to restore the $9.5 million that had been forfeited.

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Friday Facts and Fireworks: July 5, 2019

From NJPP

Friday Facts and Figures is a brief digital newsletter focusing on data points from NJPP reports, research, and policy debates in New Jersey and beyond. This is a special edition with four facts to celebrate the Fourth of July.  Sign up here


72 Percent
A majority of corporate tax subsidies are sold to companies that never applied for them, according to a new analysis by NorthJersey.com. From 2014 to 2017, corporations receiving Grow NJ or residential ERG tax credits sold 72 percent of their subsidies to other companies. These sales are allowed — tax free — under the existing laws governing the state’s corporate tax incentive programs. Corporations are incentivized to sell their tax credits as they often exceed their annual tax liabilities. Until this summer, the state Treasury Department could not fully track the sale and transfer of tax credits between companies. [NorthJersey.com / Ashley Balcerzak]

$235 Million
On Sunday, Governor Murphy signed the Fiscal Year 2020 budget, averting a state shutdown just in time for the holiday weekend. The budget does not include the millionaires tax, meaning there is no new, sustainable revenue to offset the increased spending proposed by lawmakers (the budget passed by the legislature paid for new spending with rosy revenue projections). To protect against a revenue shortfall later in the year, the governor put $235 million worth of line items in a “lock box,” freezing the appropriations until the state has the revenue to pay for them. This fiscally responsible maneuver symbolizes a much-needed departure from gimmicky budgets of the past and could motivate lawmakers to pass a millionaires tax later this year. [NJ.com / Samantha Marcus]

$9 Million
This was a big week for the 2020 Census. First, the Supreme Court rejected the Trump administration’s rationale for a citizenship question, then a few days later, the Justice Department pledged the census would be printed without the question. Now, the Justice Department has reversed course and is searching for new ways to get the question back in. Amidst the chaos, New Jersey is taking proactive measures to ensure an accurate count. In the FY 2020 budget signed by Governor Murphy, the state will appropriate $9 million for census outreach and assistance. This appropriation protects against an undercount, which would risk the loss of billions of dollars in federal funds, fewer congressional seats and Electoral College votes, and inaccurate legislative district boundaries. [The Philadelphia Inquirer / Michaelle Bond]

$3.1 Million
The budget signed by Governor Murphy also includes $3.1 million for legal aid in immigration courts, representing a near-50 percent increase from last year. Free, court-appointed counsel for low-paid immigrants ensures due process and increases the odds of residents winning their case and being reunited with their family. A 2018 report by NJPP found that individuals detained for civil immigration violations are three times as likely to prevail in their cases when they have legal representation. [Asbury Park Press / ​Stacey Barchenger and Ashley Balcerzak]

ICYMI
Catch up on this year’s budget season with NJPP’s FY 2020 Budget: Rapid Reaction. This informal recap includes the data and analysis NJPP is known for — with plenty of gifs! Click the link to see what’s in the budget, what’s out, and why we’re so excited about Governor Murphy’s $401 million deposit into the state’s rainy day fund (spoiler: it’s a budgeting best practice that prepares the state for the next economic downturn). NJPP President Brandon McKoy and Flyers’ mascot, Gritty, make cameo appearances. [NJPP / Louis Di Paolo et al.]

Have a fact or figure for us? Tweet it to @NJPolicy.

NJSpotlight: $15 MINIMUM WAGE ON VERGE OF BECOMING LAW IN NEW JERSEY

I know that raising the minimum wage to $15 hr in NJ, is a big topic right now and on the verge of becoming a reality once Governor Murphy signs the bill that is currently sitting on his desk.

There are pros & cons and people for or against the proposal on both sides; I happen to be for it but here's the thing, I don't believe it should be across the board. There should be a two (maybe three) tiered minimum wage based on age and seasonal employment that protect both low income earners and small business.

I feel that those that rely on "Tips" for income should have a standard minimum wage over and above whatever tips are earned, but less than the maximum $15.

Here is more from NJSpotlight:

$15 MINIMUM WAGE ON VERGE OF BECOMING LAW IN NEW JERSEY
JOHN REITMEYER | FEBRUARY 1, 2019

Governor says he’ll sign compromise measure approved in Legislature yesterday elevating wages of low-paid workers nearly 70 percent by 2024

Over the objections of Republican lawmakers, the Democratic-controlled Legislature easily approved a measure yesterday that will raise the state’s minimum wage for most workers to $15 over the next five years. The bill now goes to Gov. Phil Murphy, who’s promising to sign it within days.

There was little suspense heading into yesterday’s votes. The legislation was the result of a closely negotiated compromise involving Murphy, a first-term Democrat who campaigned on the wage increase, and Democratic legislative leaders who had been more qualified in their embrace of the concept.

GOP lawmakers pleaded with Democratic sponsors yesterday to abandon their deal with the governor, suggesting the proposed increase could lead to job losses and other unintended consequences. But the sponsors noted that similar concerns were raised in 2013, the last time the state changed its minimum-wage policies and the bill passed both houses easily, 52-25 in the Assembly, 23-16 in the Senate.

“If we make mistakes, we’ll address mistakes, but raising people out of poverty is not a mistake,” said Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester).

Murphy responded quickly to the votes on social media, promising he would sign the wage increase Monday.

“Working families can’t wait,” the governor said.... 

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Bye-Bye Gerry: Murphy Fires Scharfenberger

Earlier today PoliticsDW.com posted an article that stated Governor Murphy fired fellow Middletowner and former Township mayor, Gerry Scharfenberger from his $95,000 a year job as Director of the Office for Planning Advocacy (OPA) for the State of NJ.

The reason being given for Scharfenberger's termination " ...was a result of his refusal to endorse Murphy's plan" and his refusal to show at Friday's press conference in Marlboro, where Murphy announced his plan to that would allow residents to pay a portion of their property taxes, that exceeds $10,000, as charitable contributions to their towns, as a way to off set and get around the limits that the Trump Tax plan has placed on the federal property tax deduction.


Rumor had it that Scharfenberger wished to stay on as the head of the OPA, going as far as asking Murphy if he could retain his position within the administration. From published accounts, Murphy was considering it even though many of his advisers were pushing him to get rid of him. I'm sure that Murphy's decision to Dump Scharfy, was made much easier after Scharfenberger, a Republican, was appointed as a Monmouth County Freeholder last week  to succeed Serena Dimaso, who was elected to the NJ State Assembly this past November.

The website PolticsDW is operated by the infamous David Wildman, the Chris Christie crony partially responsible for the George Washington Bridge closing debacle know as Bridgegate that dogged Governor Christie for the last two years of his governorship.


 

Pallone to Sessions: Let the People of NJ Decide Path Forward on Marijuana Legalization

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 23, 2018

Washington, DC - Today, Congressmen Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions asking that the Justice Department allow the people of New Jersey to choose its path forward on marijuana legalization. On January 4th, Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a memo rescinding guidance given during the Obama administration which shifted strict enforcement of federal cannabis prohibition toward a more accommodating approach for jurisdictions that have enacted laws legalizing marijuana. In November, Phil Murphy was elected Governor of New Jersey, after making marijuana legalization part of his platform.

“Residents of states like Colorado, California, Oregon, and others that have moved to legalize marijuana should have the peace of mind to know that they can engage in legal intrastate commerce without the threat of federal enforcement actions,” said Pallone. “In New Jersey, a majority of voters strongly support a campaign proposal by Governor Phil Murphy to legalize possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use. New Jerseyans understand the important implications legalizing marijuana would have for our state.”



January 23, 2018

The Honorable Jeff Sessions
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530


Dear Attorney General Sessions:

I write to urge the Department of Justice to retract the memorandum it released on January 4 regarding federal cannabis enforcement policies. The memorandum rescinded previous guidance documents that were issued by former U.S. Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole on August 29, 2013, colloquially known as the “Cole Memo,” which shifted strict enforcement of federal cannabis prohibition toward a more accommodating approach for "jurisdictions that have enacted laws legalizing marijuana in some form and that have also implemented strong and effective regulatory and enforcement systems to control the cultivation, distribution, sale and possession of marijuana." The Justice Department must provide clear direction that balances rule of law with the overwhelming support for legalized marijuana in the 30 states and territories that have moved in that direction.

Rescinding the Cole Memo would once again apply federal law to the sale, purchase, and possession of marijuana that occurs entirely within the boundaries of states that have legalized such commerce, undermining the Tenth Amendment rights of the American people. Residents of states like Colorado, California, Oregon, and others that have moved to legalize marijuana should have the peace of mind to know that they can engage in legal intrastate commerce without the threat of federal enforcement actions. In the words of President Trump on October 29, 2015, “In terms of marijuana and legalization, I think that should be a state issue, state-by-state.”

In New Jersey, a majority of voters strongly support a campaign proposal by Governor Phil Murphy to legalize possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use. New Jerseyans understand the important implications legalizing marijuana would have for our state. For instance, they understand that the inclusion of marijuana in the Controlled Substance Act of 1970 and the subsequent “war on drugs” that began under President Richard Nixon have disproportionately impacted impoverished communities and communities of color. Reinstating the failed policies of the past is not the way forward.

The implications of the Justice Department’s January 4 decision on the independent rights of states are clear. I urge you to reverse this decision and to uphold the Cole Memo, which would allow states and territories to enforce their own marijuana laws without unnecessary federal interference.

Sincerely,



FRANK PALLONE, JR.
Member of Congress

Insider NJ: A Political Test for Murphy: The Scharfenberger Imbroglio

Last week  Insider NJ published this little tidbit about whether or not Governor Murphy will cut loose follow Middletowner, Gerry Scharfenberger from his job as Director of Planning for the State of New Jersey.  Evidently Gerry wants to keep his job, but seeing how it was a political appointment to begin with I doubt he has much of a chance keeping his $95K a year position.

And when taking into consideration that he is a Republican in a Democratic administration, his extreme partisanship and the fact that he wants to run for the Monmouth County Freeholder, I say .... Cut him loose.

Insider NJ:

Middletown Twp. Committeeman Gerry Scharfenberger, the frontrunner to grab Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso’s (R-13) freeholder seat, apparently wants to keep his job as Director of Planning for the State of New Jersey, a source tells InsiderNJ.

But Democrats heady with Murphy partying over the course of the last few government-transitioning days, are reluctant to comply, the source said, as they consider some of the loyal Republican’s pre-election statements on Facebook.

“The difference between the two candidates could not be more stark,” wrote Scharfenberer. “If we don’t want New Jersey to face a $1.3 billion tax hike, the designation as a sanctuary state, legalized pot, and record-breaking increases in spending, then everyone will come out to support Kim [Guadagno] and the entire Republican ticket.”

Whether or not Murphy keeps Scharfenberger, sharpening to run countywide even as Democrats look to compete to hold ground won last year in LD11, could have political consequences for the governor, who resides in the committeeman’s hometown.