Ocean County Republican Chairman Frank B. Holman III will not seek re-election in June and will support Sheriff Michael Mastronardy as his successor.
“Sheriff Mastronardy is a proven leader, a strong administrator, an uniter, a man of tremendous integrity, a great ambassador to our religious communities, and a dedicated public servant,” Holman said. “All of which has made him a pretty popular guy. I am confident that with your help, he will lead our party to even greater success.”
Ocean is New Jersey’s largest and powerful GOP organization.
Mastronardy, who is seeking a fourth term as sheriff this year, will make a potential comeback by former county chairman George Gilmore more difficult.
Gilmore resigned in April 2019 following his conviction on three federal tax charges. President Donald Trump pardoned Gilmore on his final day in office.
Holman won a special election the following month by 25 votes, defeating Gilmore’s candidate, Frank Sadeghi, 254 to 229.
As county chairman, Holman delivered a 98,274-vote plurality to Trump in 2020 and a margin of 77,141 vote, 68%-32%, for GOP gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli in 2021. Republicans on Holman’s watch won 92 of 94 local races
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The new president of the state Senate said he would like to see more information made public about the spending lawmakers add to the New Jersey budget every year just before they vote to approve it.
Lawmakers on average added $240 million a year over the past five years for special projects in their districts. In the current budget, the Democrats who control the Legislature added close to $1.6 billion to Gov. Phil Murphy’s original budget, boosting it to $46.4 billion. Most of that added money-funded programs with a statewide impact, including a boost to the popular Homestead property-tax relief program. But some $747 million, including $450 million in federal COVID-19 relief money given to three hospitals, is being spent on more parochial items, such as a garden, a YWCA, and a VFW post.
Senate President Nicholas Scutari (D-Union), an 18-year legislator sworn in Tuesday to what is arguably the second-most powerful position in the State House, said he supports letting legislators propose worthy projects for funding. But, Scutari said, it is “unfortunate” that these additions to the budget, as well as bills passed at the end of a legislative session such as the one that ended Monday, do not get more scrutiny.
“There’s no doubt that government at the end of the sessions runs really fast and sometimes members (of the Legislature), and the public as well, don’t have enough time to review this stuff,” Scutari told NJ Spotlight News in an interview. “We’ve got to do better on that, for sure. People have to have an opportunity to review budget items, and that goes for all types of legislation.”
‘Christmas tree’ items
Every year, after spending months analyzing the governor’s budget proposal, lawmakers add hundreds of millions of dollars for special projects, commonly referred to in Trenton as “Christmas tree items” at the 11th hour when lawmakers and the public have little time to review and comment on them. NJ Spotlight News outlined this process earlier this week in the series “Pet projects, public cash.”
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New Jersey Assembly Speaker Craig J. Coughlin (D-Middlesex) on Thursday announced three new appointments to the majority Caucus’ senior leadership team.
Returning to the Assembly Democrats’ senior leadership are Louis Greenwald (D-Camden, Burlington) as Majority Leader, Annette Quijano (D-Union) as Majority Conference Leader, and Gary Schaer (D-Bergen, Passaic) as Policy Chair. Benjie Wimberly (D-Bergen, Passaic) takes up the role of Speaker Pro Tempore replacing now-Senator Gordon Johnson. The chairs of the Assembly Budget and Appropriations Committees also serve on the senior leadership team. Eliana Pintor Marin (D-Essex) will remain chair of the Assembly Budget Committee.
Assemblywoman Carol Murphy (D-Burlington) will serve as the Majority Whip and Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D-Mercer, Hunterdon) will serve as Constituent Outreach Chair, a newly created position. The Constituent Outreach Chair will lead efforts to communicate with and receive input from various constituencies about the caucus’ legislative agenda. Assemblywoman Lisa Swain (D-Bergen, Passaic) will serve as the Appropriations Chair rounding out the new additions to the senior leadership team.
“Our caucus is lucky to have incredibly talented people with knowledge and experience in all walks of life,” said Speaker Coughlin. “The members listen to their constituents and come to Trenton ready to tackle the big issues we face to make life better for the people of New Jersey. This leadership team has gained the respect and trust of our colleagues and I look forward to working with them as we chart a path forward through these incredibly challenging times.”
Coughlin also announced the following committee chairpersons:
* Agriculture and Food Security – Asm. Roy Freiman (D-Somerset, Mercer, Middlesex, Hunterdon)
* Appropriations – Asw. Lisa Swain (D- Bergen, Passaic)
* Commerce and Economic Development – Asw. Britnee Timberlake (D-Essex, Passaic)
* Human Services – Asw. Angelica Jimenez (D-Bergen, Hudson)
* Law and Public Safety – Asm. Bill Spearman (D-Camden, Gloucester)
* Science, Innovation and Technology – Asm. Chris Tully (D- Bergen, Passaic)
* State and Local Government – Asm. Anthony Verrelli (D-Mercer, Hunterdon)
Previously serving as Chair of Homeland Security, Assemblywoman Angela McKnight (D-Hudson) will move to a new appointment as Chair of the Assembly Aging and Senior Services Committee.
The remaining Assembly committees will see the return of 219th session chairs. Reappointments are as follows:
* Budget – Asw. Eliana Pintor-Marin (D-Essex)
* Community Development & Affairs – Asw. Shavonda E. Sumter (D-Paterson)
* Consumer Affairs – Asm. Paul D. Moriarty (D-Gloucester)
* Education – Asw. Pamela R. Lampitt (D-Burlington)
* Environment and Solid Waste – Asm. James Kennedy (D-Middlesex, Somerset, Union)
* Financial Institutions and Insurance – Asm. John F. McKeon (D-Essex)
* Health and Senior Services – Asm. Herb Conaway, Jr. (D-Burlington)
* Higher Education – Asw. Mila Jasey (D-Essex)
* Judiciary – Asm. Raj Mukherji (D-Hudson)
* Labor – Asm. Joseph V. Egan (D-Middlesex)
* Military and Veterans’ Affairs – Asw. Cleopatra Tucker (D-Essex)
* Oversight, Reform, and Federal Relations – Asm. Joseph Danielsen (D-Somerset)
* Regulated Professions – Asm. Thomas Giblin (D-Essex)
* Telecommunications and Utilities – Asm. Wayne DeAngelo (D-Mercer)
* Tourism, Gaming, and the Arts – Asm. Ralph Caputo (D-Essex)
* Transportation and Independent Authorities – Asm. Daniel R. Benson (D-Mercer)
* Women and Children – Asw. Gabriela Mosquera (D-Gloucester)
* Special Committee on Infrastructure and Natural Resources – Asm. Robert J. Karabinchak (D-Middlesex)
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Gov. Phil Murphy stopped a commission from voting on a controversial power plant proposal in Newark on Thursday, saying it needed a more thorough review after opponents said it went against his clean energy goals and environmental justice initiatives to develop fewer polluting facilities in communities of color.
Murphy’s move came less than an hour before the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission was to vote on a key contract to build a $180 million backup generating plant for its massive sewage treatment facility along the Passaic River.
“While the proposed backup generation put forth by the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission is meant to provide a critical climate resilience solution, it is imperative that the project adheres to the administration’s core values on environmental justice,” Alexandra Altman, a Murphy spokeswoman, said in a statement.
The commission has said the plant is needed as a backup during emergencies such as when its treatment plant lost all power for three days during Superstorm Sandy in 2012, which caused 840 million gallons of raw sewage to pour into Newark Bay and surrounding waterways.
Opponents said the plant would pump greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and exacerbate the intensity and frequency of storms like Sandy by slowly warming the planet. It would also release other pollutants that would add to the poor air quality and high asthma rates in the area that is surrounded by highways, industrial facilities and the Port of Newark.
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