EnviroPolitics Blog

‘Attack On Democracy:’ NJ Congress Reps Shelter, Decry DC Riots

U.S. Capitol Police hold protesters at gun-point near the House Chamber inside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

By Tom Davis, Patch staff

NEW JERSEY – As protesters supporting President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol on Wednesday afternoon, several members of the New Jersey’s congressional delegation were among those sending out messages confirming their safety from the shelter of undisclosed locations around the Hill.

Joined by ex-Gov. Chris Christie and current Gov. Phil Murphy, they also decried the violence and rioting that took place at the Capitol and forced congressional members to seek safety as they were confirming the electoral count for President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.

Here are the reactions of congressional representatives:

Bob Menendez, Cory Booker Of NJ ‘Safe’ Amid Protest At Capitol

It was a scene that “goes against every value we pledge to uphold as a nation,” according to Sen. Robert Menendez.

Jeff Van Drew: Capitol Riots ‘Disrespectful Of Democracy’

After rioters stormed the Capitol, Rep. Jeff Van Drew said the violence was “unacceptable, un-American, and disrespectful of democracy.”

Rep. Payne Of NJ Is Safe, ‘Away From Chaos’ Of Capitol Protest

“This is a sad, sad day for America,” US Rep. Donald Payne Jr. said.

Rep. Watson Coleman Safe, As Pro-Trump Mob Breach U.S. Capitol

Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman tweeted from the United States Capitol, saying she was safe.

Malinowski Safe, Locked Down As Protestors Storm Capitol Hill

Congressman Tom Malinowski is safe and locked down inside Capital Hill as protestors forced their way into the chambers of Congress, according to his spokeswoman Amanda Osborne.

Rep. Pascrell On Rioters, Republicans: ‘This Is Fascism’

Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. said “rioting right-wing mobs” outside the Capitol are “egged on” by President Donald Trump.

Trump Is ‘Inciting A Coup,’ NJ Congressman Norcross Says

Rep. Donald Norcross called Wednesday’s storming of the nation’s Capitol a “direct attack on our democracy.”

Mikie Sherrill: Capitol Riots ‘An Attack On Our Democracy’

As rioters stormed the Capitol, Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill made a secure exit.

‘Dark Day For Our Democracy:’ Kim, Staff Safe Amid Capitol Siege

New Jersey’s 3rd District House member said he was “heartbroken by this assault” after protesters stormed the Capitol building.

Pallone: ‘Trump’s Disdain For Our Democracy In Full View’

“No one has the right to commit acts of violence just because they disagree with the outcome of an election,” said Rep. Frank Pallone from the Capitol.

Congressmen Praise Probe Into NJ Veterans Home

Congressmen Josh Gottheimer and Bill Pascrell, Jr. are applauding news of a grand jury investigation into the handling of the pandemic.

Rep. Gottheimer: Capitol Riots ‘Sad And Dark Day For Our Nation’

Gottheimer said he went to the Capitol today to certify the results of the election. “We will finish what we came here to do,” he said.

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Another snag delays NJ legalized-marijuana

Two months after voters gave their signoff, governor cites ‘drafting error’ in long-delayed bills as reason for withholding his signature

Voters okayed recreational marijuana in November, but Trenton has yet to finalize the legislation needed to make it legal.

IAN T. SHEARN, CONTRIBUTING WRITER, NJ Spotlight

Creating law can be a messy affair. And this is why legislators invented the “clean-up” bill.

And that is exactly what Gov. Phil Murphy is insisting on, to fix what his office said is a “drafting error” in the two landmark pieces of legislation to legalize recreational marijuana that have been languishing on his desk since Dec. 17.

Though the bills have been years in the making, it was only when they were passed and were sent to his desk that he realized they didn’t address something he believed was important — specifying penalties for minors who possess cannabis. Not until a third, clean-up bill is drafted and passed addressing that issue, he insisted, would he sign the other two.

So instead of tweaking the current bill, both houses of the Legislature are working on a third piece of legislation.

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The bill is scheduled for committee hearing in both houses Thursday, and then a floor vote on Monday.

Fix ‘unintended consequences’ later

“We understand the need to discourage minors from using marijuana, and a structure with fines is better than one with criminal consequences,” said ACLU-NJ Executive Director Amol Sinha. “That said, we are concerned that these fines are too high, especially for those in lower-income communities, and we want to make sure this isn’t another back-door pathway into the criminal justice system. … Meaning what happens if someone can’t pay the fine? Will they be arrested? We should avoid any such entanglement with the criminal system, and commit to fixing unintended consequences along the way.”

Asked Tuesday when the Senate version of the new legislation will be finalized, Sen. Nicholas Scutari, sponsor of the legalization bill, said, “sometime between now and Thursday morning.” Scutari said lawmakers in the upper house want to make one final tweak, adding language that would create a mechanism to insure that there would be no arrest record for a minor caught with cannabis.

Read the full story

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EPA finalizes ‘secret science’ rule, limiting use of public health research

BY REBECCA BEITSCH, The Hill

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Tuesday finalized one of its most controversial rules, limiting the types of studies the agency can weigh when crafting its policies.

The rule has been one of the top concerns for public health advocates and environmentalists who say it will restrict the EPA’s ability to consider landmark public health research and other studies that do not make their underlying data public.

Dubbed by former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt as a way to battle “secret science,” the agency has billed the rule as a transparency measure.

But critics say it’s unnecessary for the agency to review spreadsheets full of sensitive personal health data or proprietary business information rather than evaluating the scientific underpinnings of the research itself.

“Too often Congress shirks its responsibility and defers important decisions to regulatory agencies. These regulators then invoke science to justify their actions, often without letting the public study the underlying data. Part of transparency is making sure the public knows what the agency bases its decisions on,” EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler wrote in an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal late Monday before the rule was unveiled.

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The first version of the 2018 rule sparked major pushback — the 600,000 comments it elicited made it one of the EPA’s most commented-on regulations ever. Its merits were even questioned by the agency’s independent science board, who said the agency had not resolved how to protect sensitive data.

“Their own scientists said this is just a bad idea, and they said, ‘Well we’re doing it anyway.’ If it’s about better science, don’t you think the scientists might know something about that?” said Andrew Rosenberg, director at the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists.

“They’re blocking epidemiological research during the biggest epidemiological crisis in the past 100 years.”

Tuesday’s rule is the third iteration, a slightly narrower take than earlier versions by focusing on dose-response studies that show how increasing levels of exposure to pollution, chemicals and other substances impact human health and the environment rather than all studies. It would allow the administrator to make an exception for any study they deem important.

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New Jersey Highlands Development Credit Bank seeking proposals for real estate analysis

The New Jersey Highlands Development Credit Bank (“HDC Bank”) is soliciting proposals to perform a real estate analysis for the Highlands Region as part of the Highlands Region Transfer of Development Rights (“TDR”) program.

Specifically the HDC Bank seeks technical assistance related to the establishment of a “municipal average value,” as referenced at N.J.S.A. 4:1C-31.c and N.J.S.A. 40:55D-159.b. Proposals must be received no later than 11:00 a.m. on Friday, February 19, 2021.

Complete details here in the RFP.

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https://www.nj.gov/njhighlands/news/rfps/muniaverage/rfp_muniaverage.pdf

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Detroit urges judge to throw the book at attorney Sidney Powell

By John O’Brien, Legal Newsline

Powell

DETROIT (Legal Newsline) – Not only should the lawsuit contesting Michigan’s Presidential vote results be thrown out of court, the Trump-backers who brought it should be penalized.

That’s the argument of the City of Detroit, which on Dec. 22 filed a motion to dismiss the case and to impose sanctions on former federal prosecutor Sidney Powell, who rounded up plaintiffs to allege voting machines changed the outcome of the 2020 election in favor of Joe Biden.

Powell is currently appealing the decision of federal judge Linda Parker to deny an injunction against the results of the vote. In the meantime, defendants and other intervening groups are moving to dismiss her lawsuit entirely.

Detroit took it a step further, arguing Powell has caused the defendants to incur expenses and attorneys fees by pursuing an unreasonable lawsuit.

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“If sanctions are not deserved in this case, it is hard to imagine a case where they would be,” attorneys for the city wrote.

“Sidney Powell has stated that the courts have rejected her lawsuits ‘because the corruption goes deep and wide.’ But, in truth, she filed lawsuits devoid of any factual or legal merit, hoping not to prevail but to damage democracy.”

Because of the nature of the litigation, attorneys involved should be held to the highest standards, the motion says. Powell and her co-counsel owe Detroit its litigation costs, the city argues.

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N.J.’s Mikie Sherrill one of only five House Democrats not voting to re-elect Nancy Pelosi

Gov. Murphy holds press conference about funding new Portal Bridge

Rep. Mikie Sherrill did not support Nancy Pelosi for re-election as House speaker.Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media

By Jonathan D. Salant | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Rep. Mikie Sherrill began her second term in Congress the way she did her first: Refusing to support Nancy Pelosi for speaker.

Sherrill, D-11th Dist., didn’t vote for anyone else but rather voted “present” — a third option that functions like an abstention. And since only votes that name a specific candidate count, it reduced the size of the majority Pelosi needed to win.

Also voting present with Sherrill, a former Navy pilot, were two of her close allies in the House, Reps. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., and Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., both former Central Intelligence Agency officials.

Two years earlier, Sherrill voted for fellow Democratic Rep. Cheri Bustos of Illinois, who ran the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee during the 2000 elections.

“I committed to the people of the 11th District that I would fight for new leadership,” Sherrill said. “I look forward to continuing to grow strong leadership in the Democratic Party.”

Two years ago, 18 Democrats didn’t back Pelosi, many of them fulfilling pledges during their congressional campaigns, as she became the first person to reclaim the speakership since Rep. Sam Rayburn, D-Texas, in 1955. She is the only woman ever to hold the post, second in line behind the vice president in succession to the presidency.

With a shrunken majority this time around, only five House Democrats failed to support Pelosi, who previously indicated she would give up the speakership after the 2022 elections.

The other two House Democratic dissenters, Reps. Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania and Jared Golden of Maine, voted for other lawmakers.

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Related news stories:
Sherrill is lone N.J. Democrat not to vote for Pelosi for Speaker (NJ Globe)
Sherrill Again Refrains from Backing Pelos (INSIDERNJ)

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