North Carolina must redraw GOP’s gerrymandered map

Gary D. Robertson reports for the Associated Press:


RALEIGH, N.C. — Federal judges ruled Tuesday that North Carolina’s congressional district map drawn by legislative Republicans is illegally gerrymandered because of excessive partisanship that gave GOP a
rock-solid advantage for most seats and must quickly
be redone.


The ruling marks the second time this decade that the GOP’s congressional boundaries in North Carolina have been thrown out by a three-judge panel.

In 2016, another panel tossed out two majority black congressional districts initially drawn in 2011, saying there was no justification for using race as the predominant factor in forming them. The redrawn map was the basis for a new round of lawsuits.


The latest lawsuit — filed by election advocacy groups and Democrats — said the replacement for the racial gerrymander also contained unlawful partisan gerrymanders. Those who sued argued that Republican legislators went too far when they followed criteria designed to retain the party’s 10-3 majority.


At the time of debate, according to the order, House redistricting chief Rep. David Lewis attempted to justify the criteria by saying “I think electing Republicans is better than electing Democrats. So I drew this map to help foster what I think is better for the country.”

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Trump-appointed regulators reject his coal, nuclear plan

Energy Secretary Rick Perry with VP Mike Pence in background



Steven Mufson reports for The Washington Post:


The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Monday unanimously rejected a proposal by Energy Secretary Rick Perry that would have propped up nuclear and coal power plants struggling in competitive electricity markets.


The independent five-member commission includes four people appointed by President Trump, three of them Republicans. Its decision is binding.


At the same time, the commission said that it shared Perry’s stated goal of strengthening the “resilience” of the electricity grid and directed regional transmission operators to provide information to help the commission examine the matter “holistically.” The operators have 60 days to submit materials. At that time, the agency can issue another order.


Perry’s proposal favored power plants able to store a 90-day fuel supply on site, unlike renewable energy or natural gas plants.


The plan, however, was widely seen as an effort to alter the balance of competitive electricity markets that federal regulators have been cultivating since the late 1980s. And critics said that it would have largely helped a handful of coal and nuclear companies, including the utility FirstEnergy and coal-mining firm Murray Energy, while raising rates for consumers.


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NJ energy/enviro bills passed hours before session closes

New Jersey State Assembly Chamber

The New Jersey Senate and Assembly raced to give final approval to hundreds of bills on Tuesday. The current legislative session will wraps up business on Wednesday.


Both houses will reorganize for a new, two-year session on the same day and then meet in a joint session to receive Gov. Chris Christie’s final State of the State address. Christie’s term expires on January 16.  

Among the bills that cleared the voting deadline, and were sent on to Governor Chris Christie for his approval or veto, were the following environment and energy measures: 


A-261  McKeon, J.F. (D-27); Spencer, L.G. (D-29);
Kennedy, J.J. (D-22)
Prohibits installation and sale of wheel weights
containing lead or mercury; prohibits sale of new motor vehicles equipped with
wheel weights containing lead or mercury.
     Jan 8, 2018     – Signed by the Governor: PL257


A-1954  Coughlin, C.J. (D-19); Benson, D.R. (D-14);
Spencer, L.G. (D-29)
Makes changes to funding provisions for financial
assistance and grants from Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund.
    Jan 8, 2018     – Passed
by the Assembly (71-0)
    Jan 8, 2018     – Passed by both Houses (Sent to the Governor)

A-2082  Mukherji, R. (D-33); Pintor Marin, E. (D-29)
Requires OAL to maintain Internet database summarizing all State rule-making actions.
     Jan 8, 2018     – Signed by the Governor: PL262

A-3295  McKeon, J.F. (D-27); Benson, D.R. (D-14);
Kennedy, J.J. (D-22)
Concerns low emission and zero emission vehicles;
establishes Clean Vehicle Task Force.
     Jan 8, 2018     – Passed by the Assembly
(50-17)
     Jan 8, 2018     – Passed by both Houses
(Sent to the Governor)

S-848  Stack, B.P. (D-33); Oroho, S.V. (R-24)
Requires certain State oversight of budgets of regional
sewerage authorities.
     Jan 8, 2018     – Passed by the Assembly
(50-12)
     Jan 8, 2018     – Passed by both Houses
(Sent to the Governor)

S-1986  Cruz-Perez, N. (D-5); Cunningham, S.B.
(D-31); Eustace, T. (D-38)
Establishes “Milkweed for Monarchs” program.
     Jan 8, 2018     – Signed by the Governor:
PL252 

S-2276  Smith, B. (D-17); Bateman, C. (R-16);
DeAngelo, W.P. (D-14)
Modifies State’s solar renewable energy portfolio
standards.
     Jan 8, 2018     – Passed by the Senate
(26-8)
     Jan 8, 2018     – Passed by both Houses
(Sent to the Governor) 

S-2389  Bucco, A.M. (R-25); Oroho, S.V. (R-24)
Establishes Lake Hopatcong Fund and dedicates $500,000
annually from certain power vessel operator license fees to the fund.
     Jan 8, 2018     – Passed by the Assembly
(68-0)
     Jan 8, 2018     – Passed by both Houses
(Sent to the Governor)

S-2872  Pou, N. (D-35); Bell, C. (D-2); Van Drew, J.
(D-1)
Provides certain incentives to qualified businesses in
Garden State Growth Zones; creates Garden State Growth Zone at Atlantic City
International Airport and surrounding area.
     Jan 8, 2018     – Passed by the Assembly
(64-5)
     Jan 8, 2018     – Passed by both Houses
(Sent to the Governor) 

A-4540  Muoio, E.M. (D-15); Eustace, T. (D-38);
Kennedy, J.J. (D-22) 
Requires municipal land use plan element of master plan
to address smart growth, storm resiliency, and environmental sustainability
issues.
     Jan 8, 2018     – Signed by the Governor:
PL275 

A-4786  Taliaferro, A.J. (D-3); Mazzeo, V. (D-2);
Pintor Marin, E. (D-29)
Streamlines authorization for farmers market programs
to participate in WIC and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
     Jan 8, 2018     – Signed by the Governor:
PL278

A-4787  Andrzejczak, B. (D-1); Houghtaling, E.
(D-11)
Authorizes alternate members for farmers on State
Agriculture Development Committee.
      Jan 8, 2018     – Passed by the Senate
(35-0)
     Jan 8, 2018     – Received in Assembly
without reference
     Jan 8, 2018     – 2nd reading Assembly, concurrence w/amendments
     Jan 8, 2018     – Passed by the Assembly
(66-0)
     Jan 8, 2018     – Passed by both Houses
(Sent to the Governor)

A-4814  Rooney, K.J. (R-40); Johnson, G.M. (D-37);
Schaer, G.S. (D-36) 
Prohibits investment of pension and annuity funds by
State in entities that avoid Superfund obligations to State.
     Jan 8, 2018     – Passed by the Assembly
(69-0)
     Jan 8, 2018     – Received in the Senate
without reference
     Jan 8, 2018     – 2nd reading in Senate
     Jan 8, 2018     – Substituted for another
bill: S3487
     Jan 8, 2018     – Passed by the Senate
(33-0)
     Jan 8, 2018     – Passed by both Houses
(Sent to the Governor)

A-4846  Houghtaling, E. (D-11); Taliaferro, A.J.
(D-3)
Revises and expands laws on trespass and vandalism on
agricultural/horticultural lands.
     Jan 8, 2018     – Passed by the Senate
(36-0)
     Jan 8, 2018     – Received in Assembly
without reference
     Jan 8, 2018     – 2nd reading Assembly concurrence w/amendments
     Jan 8, 2018     – Passed by the Assembly
(67-0)
     Jan 8, 2018     – Passed by both Houses
(Sent to the Governor)  

S-3521  Gordon, R.M. (D-38); Oroho, S.V. (R-24)
Allows expanded use of recycled asphalt pavement.
Related Bill: A-5194
     Jan 8, 2018     – Passed by the Assembly
(70-0)
     Jan 8, 2018     – Passed by both Houses
(Sent to the Governor)

S-3538  Greenstein, L.R. (D-14); Codey, R.J. (D-27)
Amends list of environmental infrastructure projects
approved for long-term funding for Fiscal Year 2018 to include new projects and revise
allowable loan amounts for already approved projects.
     Jan 8, 2018     – Passed by the Assembly
(68-0)
     Jan 8, 2018     – Passed by both Houses
(Sent to the Governor)

S-3539  Smith, B. (D-17); Codey, R.J. (D-27)
Authorizes NJ Environmental Infrastructure Trust to
expend additional sums to make loans for environmental infrastructure projects
for FY2018; allocates funds from Local Aid Infrastructure Fund for operating
and administrative expenses for transportation
     Jan 8, 2018     – Passed by the Assembly
(66-0)
     Jan 8, 2018     – Received by the Senate
     Jan 8, 2018     – 2nd reading Senate
to concur w/amendments
     Jan 8, 2018     – Passed by the Senate
(37-0)
     Jan 8, 2018     – Passed by both Houses
(Sent to the Governor)

SCR-163  Smith, B. (D-17); Bateman, C. (R-16);
Greenstein, L.R. (D-14)
Invalidates certain DEP rules and regulations
concerning septic system density standards in Highlands Water Protection and
Planning Act Rules.
     Jan 8, 2018     – Passed by the Senate
(21-16)
     Jan 8, 2018     – Received in Assembly
without reference
     Jan 8, 2018     – 2nd reading in Assembly
     Jan 8, 2018     – Substituted for another
bill: ACR255
     Jan 8, 2018     – Passed by the Assembly
(41-25)


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Report: Big $ needed to plug aging, leaky water pipes in NJ

A water main break repair in Montclair. Photo by Ricardo Kaulessar, NorthJersey.com



James M. O’Neil reports for The Record:


A state task force was poised to approve a report Monday outlining the dire condition of New Jersey’s aging drinking water infrastructure and recommendations to legislators for fixing the problem.


The report urges the legislature create a new grant program, financed by $400 million in bonds, to begin urgent upgrades to the state’s complex patchwork of drinking water systems, especially smaller systems and those in economically distressed communities.


Editor: As if on cue,

  • Atlantic City facing ‘unprecedented’ 12 water main
    breaks     The Municipal
    Utilities Authority was facing a record number of water main breaks Friday but
    was managing to keep the water on for customers, Executive Director G. Bruce
    Ward said     Atlantic
    City Press


“New Jersey is facing a hidden infrastructure crisis underneath its streets in the pipes that transport its water,” the report argues. “Much of this infrastructure has aged past its useful life and is breaking down due to decades of under-investment.


“Failure to replace them will result in an unreliable supply of safe drinking water, increased service interruptions, more frequent and costly emergency repairs” and “insufficient water flow and pressure.”


The problem could be exacerbated as continued development, combined with more numerous droughts from climate change, push up water demands.


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Trump killed Paris Accord but maybe not for New Jersey


Multistate initiative hopes to counterbalance Trump’s decision to yank United States out of climate agreement

Tom Johnson reports for NJ Spotlight:

Polluting smokestack

New Jersey may soon be joining an alliance to combat global warming, working cooperatively with 13 other states to achieve the aims of the Paris Climate Accord.
The Assembly is expected to vote to have the state join the U.S. Climate Alliance, a multistate initiative to curb carbon pollution in the wake of the Trump administration’s decision to pull out of the Paris Accord.
The legislation (S-3317) already has cleared the Senate. Its approval by the Assembly would send the bill, sponsored by Sen. Bob Smith (D-Middlesex) to Gov. Chris Christie for consideration. Three Democratic governors from California, Washington, and New York formed the alliance after the United States withdrew from the world agreement to reduce climate change.
The alliance is designed to act as a forum to strengthen existing climate programs, promote the sharing of information, and implement new programs to curb emissions of greenhouse gases from all sectors of the economy.
New Jersey has a long history of joining with other states to battle air pollution on a regional basis, beginning with efforts to curb emissions that contribute to smog, perhaps the nation’s most persistent air pollutant.

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Former New Jersey Governor Brendan Byrne dies at 93

Ted Sherman reports for NJ.com:

Former Gov. Brendan T. Byrne, who left an enduring legacy in New Jersey that ranged from enacting the state’s first income tax and the legalization of casino gambling to the development of the Meadowlands sports complex and preservation of the environmentally fragile Pine Barrens, died today.
He was 93 years old.
The announcement of his death was made by Gov. Chris Christie, paying homage to “an extraordinary career of public service.”
Christie said he considered the late governor a mentor and a friend.
“My life is richer for having known him as I am sure are the lives of every person who had the privilege to meet him,” said Christie.
A Democrat and two-term governor from 1974 to 1982, Byrne weathered periods of extreme unpopularity, was criticized as stubborn, stiff, and was widely seen as lacking in charisma.
Yet his reputation as an party elder and statesman grew, and he became warmly regarded; beloved even, in the decades after leaving office. He remained an instantly recognizable public figure, relishing appearances, telling funny stories, and giving advice.
In many ways, he was unusual for a New Jersey politician. He couldn’t remember names and greeted most with a wave and a “Hi ya!” A former prosecutor and Superior Court judge, his best character witness might have been Angelo “Gyp” DeCarlo, an underworld crime boss secretly recorded on an FBI wiretap complaining that in a state where everything seemed to be for sale, Byrne couldn’t be bought. It became a defining message for his campaign for governor.

New Jersey Gov. Brendan Byrne, right, sits beside President Jimmy Carter, center, at a 1977 White House meeting. (Charles Bennett/AP)


Related stories:
A timeline of former governor Brendan Byrne’s life (NJ.com)
Brendan Byrne, Former NJ Governor, Is Dead at 93 (New York Times)
Brendan Byrne, two-term New Jersey governor in 1970s, at 93 (WaPost)
Former New Jersey governor Brendan Byrne dies (USA Today)

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