Not SAFER
The state doesn’t want Atlantic City to apply for federal grants that would pay for some of its firefighters’ salaries, David Danzis reports for The Press. My memory might be getting foggy, but I remember last year’s incarnation of state overseers also objected to the use of federal money to pay for municipal firefighters. The state says that the federal grants don’t cover 100 percent of new hires’ salaries and the city would be on the hook down the road. But the grants can be rolled over, so turning down the chance to apply doesn’t make a whole lot of immediate sense to me, unless it’s about reducing the state’s future pension liability, which – I think that horse bolted.
PSEG Files
Meanwhile, on the topic of state funds… your $300 million plan to subsidize PSEG could benefit power plants that are in Pennsylvania. “PSEG head acknowledges nuclear plants in Pennsylvania could benefit from subsidies awarded to his company,” writes NJ Spotlight.
Medical Marijuana
Enrollment in New Jersey’s medical marijuana program has increased 25 percent as the list of qualifying medical conditions has been expanded by Gov. Murphy. Maybe that’s not surprising. The Inquirer says it’s because there is pent-up demand.
In the rest of the day’s news, Ocean Resort (when we will drop AKA Revel?) has torn down its fancy slate wall so visitors will now have direct access to the Boardwalk (smart), some important adjustments were made to NJ’s criminal justice reform efforts, the school-funding debate rages on with new talks about the property tax cap exemption (paywall) and Camden got a bike share program (and we need to figure out what happened to the Downbeach effort on Absecon Island).
For everything else:
Murphy Praises New Labor Deal, But Total Cost Is Unclear–Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy on Tuesday hailed a new labor contract with New Jersey's largest state workers union and said the agreement is covered by his $37.4 billion budget proposal, but he failed to detail how much it would cost taxpayers. www.philly.com
Parents, Students Protest Camden School District To Demand Adequate Funding For Books And Supplies–Students in Camden’s public schools are without laptops, textbooks, and sometimes even paper because school funding is inadequate, said students and parents who gathered for a protest at the superintendent’s office Tuesday afternoon. www.philly.com
Burlington County’s Lone Catholic School Is Saved–Faced with possibly closing its doors only a few months ago, Holy Cross Academy took a major step Tuesday to keep the only Roman Catholic high school in Burlington County open. The Trenton Diocese and school officials signed a 20-year lease to transfer the sprawling, 94-acre campus on Route 130 in Delran to a new board that will operate Holy Cross as an independent Catholic school beginning July 1. www.philly.com
New Owner Eager To Take Over Struggling Salem County Hospital–South Jersey leaders are cautiously optimistic about the plans of a healthcare facility group to revitalize a long-struggling Salem County hospital, an operation that healthcare advocates and public officials agree is a crucial asset in a rural corner of the state. www.njspotlight.com
NJ Supreme Court Ruling Refines State’s Criminal Justice Reform Program–Unanimous decision says judges cannot determine whether to detain someone based solely on crime committed, except in cases of murder, sex trafficking, and other heinous offenses. www.njspotlight.com
These 24 NJ Gas Stations Stiffed Workers Out Of $2M In Wages, OT Pay–Owners of 24 gas stations in New Jersey will have to pay attendants more than $2 million in back compensation for failing to pay workers minimum wage and overtime since January 2017. The federal Department of Labor's Wage and Hours Division found the stations violated fair labor regulations for 87 employees and failed to keep accurate time and payroll records, the agency said Monday. www.nj.com
A.C. Councilman Gets Temporary Restraining Order Against Wife Who Alleged He Abused Her–An Atlantic City councilman charged with assaulting his wife got a temporary restraining order against her Tuesday. Jeffree Fauntleroy II also will keep custody of the couple’s three children. breakingac.com