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JERSEY REALTORS, THE VOICE FOR

REAL ESTATE IN NEW JERSEY.

MORE INFORMATION IS ONLINE AT

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SERVING THE INSURANCE NEEDS OF

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PROMOTIONAL SUPPORT IS PROVIDED

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ASSOCIATION.

REPORTING TO EXECUTIVE AND

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COUNTIES OF THE GARDEN STATE

SINCE 1954.

>> HI AND WELCOME TO

"REPORTERS ROUNDTABLE."

I'M COLLEEN O'DAY IN FOR DAVID

CRUZ, WHO IS OFF THIS WEEK.

GOVERNOR MURPHY UNVEILED HIS

2022 BUDGET THIS WEEK, WITH NO

NEW TAXES BUT LOTS OF SPENDING.

$45 BILLION WORTH.

HERE TO TALK MORE ABOUT THE

BUDGET AND WHAT HURDLES IT MAY

FACE FROM LAWMAKERS IS

ASSEMBLYWOMAN ILIANA MARINE,

CHAIR OF THE ASSEMBLY BUDGET

COMMITTEE.

WELCOME.

YOUR COMMITTEE WILL TAKE THE

GOVERNOR'S BUDGET PLAN AND CRAFT

A DOCUMENT BASED ON IT.

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU'VE HEARD

SO FAR THAT YOU DISAGREE WITH

AND WANT TO CHANGE OR ANYTHING

THAT YOU ARE HOPING TO SEE

THAT'S NOT INCLUDED?

>> WELL, I THINK THAT OBVIOUSLY

THIS IS THE FIRST BUDGET -- AND

WE'RE SKIMMING THROUGH THE

DETAILS.

UNTIL WE GET A FURTHER BUDGET

DOCUMENT, WHICH IS, USUALLY

TAKES ABOUT TWO WEEKS I CAN'T

SAY WHETHER THERE'S ANYTHING

THAT I DISAGREE OR I DON'T AGREE

WITH.

BUT I WOULD SAY THERE ARE SOME

THINGS IN HERE A LOT OF US WILL

BE HAPPY, A LARGER PENSION

PAYMENT, SCHOOL FUNDING, WHICH

IS GOING TO BE CRITICAL IN

GETTING OUR KIDS BACK TO SCHOOL,

SO THERE'S A FEW GOOD THINGS,

BUT THE DEVIL IS ALWAYS IN THE

DETAILS, AND UNTIL WE REALLY

START OUR BUDGET ANALYSIS, WITH

THE BUDGET MEMBERS AND THE

COMMISSIONERS TO DISCUSS THEIR

BUDGETS, ONLY THEN WILL WE HAVE

A CLEAR TIME LINE AND ALSO WHAT

WE WOULD LIKELY AGREE WITH THE

GOVERNOR AND THE SECRETARY.

>> IN A STATEMENT, YOU ISSUED

AFTER THE BUDGET ADDRESS, YOU

SAID THE STATE'S ECONOMIC

OUTLOOK APPEARS MORE PROMISING

THAN ANTICIPATED LAST FALL.

DID YOU MEAN THAT WE DIDN'T NEED

TO BORROW $4 BILLION?

OR WE DIDN'T NEED TO INSTITUTE

THE MILLIONAIRE'S TAX LAST YEAR?

>> COLLEEN, I THINK WE TOOK A

LOOK AT WHAT APRIL -- SORRY,

APRIL AND THE NUMBERS, THE GDP

THE NUMBER OF CASES FOR

UNEMPLOYMENT.

WE WERE IN A POSITION TO TRY TO

MAKE SURE THAT MOVING FORWARD,

WE WERE GOING TO BE IN A BETTER

FISCAL POSITION THAT WE WOULD

HAVE MONEY ON HAND TO BE ABLE TO

NOT ONLY MAKE INVESTMENTS IN

AREAS THAT WERE CRITICALLY

NEEDED WITH OUR HOSPITALS, WITH

HEALTH CARE, WITH PPE, WITH

LOANS FOR ALL BUSINESSES WHICH

ARE STILL SUFFERING, I THINK IT

WAS THE RIGHT DECISION.

IT WAS THE DECISION WE HAD AT

THE TIME AND IT WAS IN OUR BEST

INTEREST TO MOVE ON IT, AND I

DON'T THINK THAT ANYONE REALLY

FORESAW THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE

IN THIS STATE THAT WE'RE IN.

BUT I THINK WHEN WE DO A CLEAR

ANALYSIS AND DIG INTO THE

NUMBERS, WE'RE GOING TO SEE THAT

WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO

DO, IN ORDER TO KEEP THE ECONOMY

GOING.

>> THE AVERAGE PROPERTY TAX BILL

LAST YEAR WAS MORE THAN $9,100,

THE HIGHEST IN THE NATION, AS IT

HAS BEEN FOR A WHILE.

THE AMOUNT BUDGETED FOR THE

HOMESTEAD BENEFIT PROGRAM IS

DECLINING BECAUSE ITS PARAMETERS

HAVE NOT KEPT PACE WITH

INFLATION.

IS IT TIME TO MAKE SOME CHANGES

IN THAT PROGRAM TO GIVE PEOPLE

MORE RELIEF, AND WHY NOT JUST

PUT MORE MONEY INTO THE

HOMESTEAD INSTEAD OF CREATING

THE NEW MIDDLE CLASS TAX REBATE

THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS

RECOMMENDED?

>> SO WHEN IT COMES TO THE

HOMESTEAD, I THINK THAT'S

SOMETHING WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT.

THAT'S BEEN AN IMPORTANT

PROGRAM, THE SPEAKER'S FIRST

YEAR, I BELIEVE.

EITHER THE FIRST YEAR OR SECOND

YEAR, WHEN IT WAS CUT, HE MADE

IT A PRIORITY, AND I THINK ALL

OF US AGREED AS A CAUCUS THAT IT

WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO KEEP THAT

PROGRAM RUNNING.

I DID NOT TAKE A LOOK AT THE

EXACT NUMBERS.

I BELIEVE THAT THEY STILL HAVE,

THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE DID NOT

MOVE ON CHANGING THE NUMBER OF

THE QUALIFICATION, THE INCOME

LEVEL, AND THAT COULD BE

SOMETHING THAT WE TAKE A LOOK

AT, ONCE WE DIVE INTO THE REST

OF THE NUMBERS.

>> YES, I THINK YOU'RE STILL

LOOKING AT IT, IS IT 2006

PROPERTY TAX AMOUNT AND THE

$75,000 IS STILL THE INCOME?

>> RIGHT, AND I THINK

STATUTORILY, IT HAS CHANGED, SO

WE'LL HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT

WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO FOLLOW

THE STATUTE OR WHETHER WE'RE

GOING TO CONTINUE FUNDING IT AS

IS.

>> THERE IS SOME MONEY BUDGETED

FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE STATE

UNEMPLOYMENT SYSTEM, BUT NOWHERE

NEAR ENOUGH FOR AN OVERHAUL,

WHICH SOME SAY IS NEEDED.

IS THAT CONCERNING, GIVEN THERE

ARE STILL THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WE

HEAR WHO CANNOT GET THROUGH

ONLINE OR ON THE PHONE TO GET

THEIR BENEFITS AND REALLY ARE

HURTING THESE DAYS?

>> COLLEEN, WE'VE HAD

DISCUSSIONS EVEN WHEN I CAME

INTO TRENTON, NOT JUST THE

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TO BE HONEST

WITH YOU, I THINK JUST IN

GENERAL, TECHNOLOGY AS A WHOLE

FOR THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY HAS

REALLY BEEN LEFT BEHIND.

I THINK THAT YEAR AFTER YEAR WE

FIND MONEY TO DO PROGRAMS AND TO

GET THINGS DONE, BUT AT THE END

OF THE DAY, UNLESS WE REALLY

START TO TAKE A LOOK AT OUR

TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE, IT'S

ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE.

I HAVE TO SAY WITH THE

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, WE CAN TRY

TO FIX IT.

WE SAW SOME OTHER STATES THAT

TRIED TO FIX THEIRS, MADE LARGE

INVESTMENTS IN THEIR TECHNOLOGY.

HOWEVER, I THINK IT ALSO NEEDS

TO COME AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL

THAT THE FEDS ALSO NEED TO FIX

THEIR SYSTEM IN ORDER FOR ALL OF

THE FOLLOWING STATES TO

COLLABORATE.

LISTEN, MY OFFICE DEALS WITH

UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS ALL THE

TIME.

IT IS STRAINING.

I DON'T THINK THAT'S A SECRET,

AND IT IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING

THAT I'M HOPING THAT THE

GOVERNOR'S OFFICE WILL BE

WORKING ON.

>> NOW, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME

COMPLAINTS RECENTLY FROM BOTH

THE LEFT AND THE RIGHT THAT THE

LEGISLATIVE PROCESS IN GENERAL

HAS BEEN MORE RUSHED AND LESS

TRANSPARENT RECENTLY.

I'M WONDERING HOW ARE YOU GOING

TO HAVE A THOROUGH AND OPEN

BUDGET REVIEW PROCESS AS THE

PANDEMIC CONDITIONS?

>> I DON'T NECESSARILY -- ON

INSTANCES I THINK THERE'S BEEN

CERTAIN BILLS THAT EVEN THOUGH

IT FEELS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE

TRYING TO HURRY UP AND FINISH

AND GET THEM THROUGH THE FINISH

LINE, I THINK THAT THESE ARE

ALSO PIECES OF LEGISLATION THAT

HAVE BEEN TALKED ABOUT FOR A

LONG TIME.

IT'S JUST UNFORTUNATELY MEETING

IN PERSON HAS BEEN VERY

DIFFICULT AND I THINK THAT WE'RE

DOING THE RIGHT THING WHEN IT

COMES TO SAFETY.

THE WHOLE PROCESS, WE'RE

PLANNING ON FOR THE PUBLIC

HEARINGS TO BE VIA ZOOM, I THINK

THAT'S THE SAFEST WAY, DURING

OUR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.

SOMETIMES WE WOULD HAVE 50, 60,

70 PEOPLE WAITING IN THE

HALLWAYS.

I DON'T THINK WE CAN DO THAT

SAFELY, SO THAT'S GOING TO BE --

AND I THINK WHEN THE

COMMISSIONERS COME BEFORE US,

THAT'S A DISCUSSION AS TO

WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO HAVE IT

IN PERSON OR WHETHER WE'LL

CONTINUE TO DO IT VIA ZOOM.

I THINK IT'S JUST GOING TO

DEPEND ON EVERYONE'S SAFETY

LEVEL.

>> ASSEMBLYWOMAN, THANK YOU FOR

YOUR TIME.

WE APPRECIATE IT.

>>> NOW LET'S BRING IN OUR PANEL

OF REPORTERS TO BREAK DOWN WHAT

THE BUDGET MEANS FOR NEW JERSEY

AND LOOK AT SOME OTHER NEWS THAT

HAPPENED THIS BEAK.

JOINING US ARE STACEY SHERMAN,

MANAGING EDITOR OF "U.S. BEAU

R

BUREAUS" FOR BLOOMBERG, MATT

FRIEDMAN AND BACK FOR ANOTHER

WEEK, IS HE A BUDGET EXPERT,

JOHN RITEMEYER, WITH "NJ

SPOTLIGHT NEWS."

WELCOME, AND LET'S GET TO IT.

JOHN, I WANT TO START WITH YOU.

YOU HAVE A STORY TODAY THAT

TALKS A BIT ABOUT WHAT THE STATE

HAS DONE WITH BORROWING AND HOW

WE'VE KIND OF GOTTEN TO THIS

BUDGET.

GOVERNOR MURPHY A FEW MONTHS AGO

LIKENED THE ECONOMIC CRISIS TO

THE GREAT DEPRESSION, AND YOU

HAVE THE RECORD PENSION PAYMENT.

HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?

>> A BIG CHANGE IN RHETORIC IN A

MATTER OF MONTHS AND A CHANGE IN

FORTUNES FOR THE STATE BUDGET.

IT WAS A FEW MONTHS AGO THERE

WERE COMPARISONS TO THE GREAT

DEPRESSION AND THE STATE ISSUED

ALMOST $4 BILLION IN DEBT

WITHOUT VOTER APPROVAL, ACTUALLY

RECEIVED MORE THAN $4 BILLION

BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE BONDS

WERE WORKING AT THE TIME AND THE

WAY THE BONDS WERE STRUCTURED.

THAT MONEY IS IN THE SAFE

COFFERS, AND THEN ANOTHER

IMPORTANT FACTOR IS A LOT OF THE

REVENUE PROJECTIONS THAT SAW

STEEP LOSSES YEAR OVER YEAR, THE

LATEST PROJECTIONS FROM TREASURY

ARE ALMOST MATCHING UP AT THIS

TIME LAST YEAR BEFORE THE

PANDEMIC STARTED OR AT LEAST GOT

UNDER WAY IN NEW JERSEY, WHICH

IS PRETTY REMARKABLE, YOU COULD

HAVE A REVENUE PROJECTION FROM

LAST YEAR AND THEY'RE ALMOST

GOING TO HIT THAT WITH THE

PANDEMIC.

DOING BETTER ON REVENUES, THERE

WERE TAX HIKES ENACTED LAST YEAR

AS WELL, LOOKING AT COMING OUT

OF THE CURRENT YEAR IN THE BALL

PARK OF $6 BILLION IN RESERVES

BUT A TREMENDOUS NUMBER AND THE

QUESTION FROM THERE, WHAT DO YOU

DO WITH IT?

DO YOU SIT ON IT AS RESERVES FOR

THE NEXT DOWNTURN, DO YOU SPEND

IT?

LOOKS LIKE MURPHY WILL SPEND

DOWN A GOOD PORTION IF LAWMAKERS

GO ALONG WITH IT AND YOU COULD

ARGUE ON PUBLIC WORKER PENSIONS

AND K THROUGH 12 EDUCATION,

SMALL BUSINESS AID, HIGHER

EDUCATION FUNDING.

THE DEBATE THAT GOES FORWARD,

WHAT DO WE DO WITH THIS

LARGESSE.

THE PROBLEM SPENDING DOWN, HOW

DO YOU FILL THAT GAP IN THE NEXT

BUDGET?

DO WE NEED CUTS OR TO RAISE

TAXES?

EVENTUALLY THAT BORROWED MONEY

AND THE RELIEF THE STATE HAS

RECEIVED GOES AWAY.

>> THIS IS THE GOOD OLD FISCAL

CLIFF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT,

RIGHT?

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

SO WE'RE NOT EVEN TO THE NEXT

BUDGET, BUT LET'S GO TO THE NEXT

BUDGET AFTER THAT, AND THAT'S

WHERE WE START TO TALK ABOUT

WHAT ARE KNOWN AS ONE-SHOT

REVENUES OR ONE-TIME

NON-RECURRING SOURCES OF

REVENUE.

MURPHY IS PROPOSING A FULL

PENSION CONTRIBUTION, THE FIRST

TIME I'VE EVER COVERED ONE IN MY

WHOLE CAREER BUT I'VE HEARD

GOVERNORS FROM OTHER PARTIES

BOTH PARTIES MAKE PROMISES ON

PENSION FUNDING IN THE PAST, AND

NOT BE ABLE TO LIVE UP TO THEM.

THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A

PROMISE PAYMENT AND WHAT GETS

DEPOSITED INTO THE PENSION FUND

AND I'VE SEEN GOVERNORS TRIPPED

UP INTO THE PAST.

>> STACEY, WE'RE TAPING THIS

FRIDAY MORNING BUT IT'S SAFE TO

ASSUME THE HOUSE IS GOING TO

PASS THE STIMULUS PACKAGE TODAY.

DOES THAT MEAN WE'LL HAVE MORE

MONEY COMING TO THE STATE AND IF

SO, HOW ARE WE GOING TO SPEND

THAT?

>> IT LOOKS PRETTY LIKELY THAT

THE HOUSE IS GOING TO PASS IT

TODAY.

IT'S NOT AS CERTAIN IN THE

SENATE.

NEW JERSEY'S GOING TO GET A GOOD

AMOUNT OF MONEY.

I WAS TRYING TO LOOK AT A

BREAKDOWN, $350 BILLION FOR

STATES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.

I SAW REUTERS ESTIMATE IT WAS,

IT WOULD AMOUNT TO ABOUT $1,000

PER PERSON FOR NEW JERSEY WHICH

IS LIKE $8 MILLION, $9 MILLION,

AM I DOING MY MATH RIGHT?

I'LL LET SOMEONE ELSE DO THE

MATH.

IT WAS A GOOD AMOUNT, SO THAT

WILL HELP THE BUDGET SITUATION

BUT THE FEDERAL, THAT WILL GO TO

OUR SPECIFIC COVID RELIEF ITEM.

>> AND MATT, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE

GOING TO HAVE EVEN MORE MONEY

COMING IN FROM LEGAL MARIJUANA

SALES, RIGHT?

I MEAN, POT IS FINALLY LEGAL,

ISN'T IT?

ANY IDEA HOW MUCH MONEY AND WHEN

THIS IS GOING TO START COMING

IN?

>> ASSUMING THEY CAN, YOU KNOW,

THE GOVERNOR SAID ABOUT SIX

MONTHS PLUS OR MINUS.

GIVEN HOW LONG IT TOOK US TO GET

THIS LAW IN PLACE, I'M GOING TO

GO WITH A PLUS ON THAT ONE.

A LOT OF PLUS.

JUST FROM HAVING WATCHED THIS

ALL HAPPEN, SIX MONTHS SEEMS

OPTIMISTIC TO ME IN TERMS OF

GETTING THIS IN PLACE, AND I

ALSO, YOU KNOW, THE AMOUNT OF,

HOW MUCH ARE WE REALLY GOING TO

HAVE PEOPLE SELLING IT IN SIX

MONTHS AND ULTIMATELY, WE'RE

TALKING ABOUT A COUPLE HUNDRED

MILLION DOLLARS HERE IN THE BIG

SCHEME OF THINGS IN THE BUDGET

IT'S NOT THAT MUCH.

AS FAR AS PLANNING FOR THE

BUDGET, IT'S HARD TO FAULT THE

ADMINISTRATION, THE LEGISLATURE

FOR SAYING WE'RE FACING A DIRE

FISCAL SITUATION AND NEED TO

CONSIDER BORROWING.

BUT I DON'T THINK -- MARIJUANA

IS NOT A SAVIOR.

IT WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT CHUNK

IN THE BUDGET BUT NOT HUGE IN

THE BIG SCHEME OF THINGS AND

FRANKLY, I'LL BE SURPRISED IF WE

GET IT, IF WE START SEEING THAT

MONEY REALLY IN A VERY

SIGNIFICANT WAY IN THIS BUDGET.

>> I THINK VERY INTERESTING, HOW

GOVERNORS PLAY THE WHOLE

MARIJUANA THING.

THEY TALK ABOUT IT AS IF IT'S A

BIG LIFELINE, WHEN REALLY FOR

NEW JERSEY AND OTHER STATES,

EVEN WHEN IT'S FULLY AMENDED,

WE'RE TALKING A COUPLE HUNDRED

MILLION DOLLARS IN, YOU KNOW, A

$40 BILLION-SOMETHING BUDGET.

IT'S A GOOD, IT'S GOOD FOR THEM

TO SAY WE GOT MARIJUANA, IT'S A

PANACEA.

>> RIGHT, RIGHT.

MATT, IS THERE ANY PART OF LEGAL

WEED THAT ISN'T MIRED IN

CONTROVERSY?

ON THURSDAY, THE GOVERNOR

ANNOUNCED THREE MORE

APPOINTMENTS TO THE CANNABIS

REGULATORY COMMISSION AND ALMOST

IMMEDIATELY, HE WAS CRITICIZED

BY SOCIAL JUSTICE ADVOCATES

SAYING THE COMMISSION'S

MEMBERSHIP DOES NOT

APPROPRIATELY REFLECT THE

COMMUNITIES THAT WERE MOST HURT

BY THE WAR ON DRUGS.

DO THEY HAVE A POINT?

>> WELL, IN TERMS OF THERE NOT

BE A BLACK MAN ON IT AND NO ONE

IS HURT MORE BY MARIJUANA

ARRESTS THAN BLACK MEN, YES.

OVERALL, I THINK ALSO A BIG PART

OF THE CONTROVERSY RIGHT NOW IS

THAT IT REALLY -- I THINK A LOT

OF NEW JERSEYIANS, I DON'T KNOW

HOW MUCH THIS WILL PLAY BUT A

LOT WILL THINK IT'S RIDICULOUS

IF A COP FINDS A KID SMOKING

WEED, THEY CAN'T TELL THEIR

PARENTS.

BUT THAT WAS A COMPROMISE,

REALLY LAST-MINUTE THING IN A

DESPERATE EFFORT TO WIN SUPPORT

FOR THIS CLEANUP BILL SO THE

GOVERNOR COULD SIGN THE LEGAL

MARIJUANA LEGISLATION.

REPUBLICANS ARE HAVING A FIELD

DAY WITH IT, BUT I THINK ONE

POINT THAT WE MISS IS THAT 67%

OF PEOPLE VOTED FOR LEGAL

MARIJUANA AND THEN DEMOCRATIC

INFIGHTING BASICALLY DERAILED

THAT FOR MONTHS.

WHAT REPUBLICANS -- IT'S EASY TO

SIT BACK AND WATCH DEMOCRATS

SCREW THINGS UP.

WHAT IF REPUBLICANS KIND OF CAME

TO THE TABLE HERE AND SAID OKAY,

WE'LL WORK WITH YOU ON THIS

CLEANUP BILL AND THAT WAY IF RON

RICE AND TAKE A LOT OF LAWMAKERS

WITH THEM, WILL HAVE ANOTHER

PRESSURE RELEASE VALVE WHERE WE

CAN FIND SOME VOTES.

IF THERE HAD BEEN AN EFFORT, WHO

KNOWS IF WE WOULD HAVE HAD THIS

CURRENT LAW IN PLACE.

I THINK YOU'LL HEAR A LOT IN

THIS ELECTION YEAR, THE FACT

THAT POLICE WON'T BE ABLE TO

NOTIFY PARENTS ON THE FIRST

OFFENSE.

I BELIEVE THEY CAN ON THE

SECOND.

BUT RIGHT NOW, I THINK THAT'S

WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE REALLY

TALKING ABOUT WITH MARIJUANA AND

IT'S A VALID POINT.

I THINK THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF

OVERBLOWN STUFF HOW HARMFUL

MARIJUANA IS, BUT CERTAINLY IF A

CHILD IS USING IT, IT'S KIND OF

HARD TO ARGUE THEIR PARENTS

SHOULDN'T KNOW.

>> YES.

STACEY, SO WE'VE GOT LEGAL WEED

AND WE'VE GOT THIS BUDGET

PROPOSAL.

DO THESE THINGS HELP OR HURT

GOVERNOR MURPHY IN THIS ELECTION

YEAR?

>> I THINK THIS WAS A WELL

THOUGHT OUT BUDGET.

IT WAS, YOU KNOW, I COVERED

ELECTIONS WAY TOO LONG, 30

YEARS.

I'VE SEEN A LOT OF ELECTION YEAR

BUDGETS AND THIS ELECTION YEAR

BUDGET IF I'VE EVER SEEN ONE,

THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS IN IT

THAT WILL HELP THE GOVERNOR.

THERE'S NO TAX INCREASES.

THERE'S THE BIG PENSION PAYMENT.

THERE'S RELATIVELY, YOU KNOW,

LITTLE CUTS AND A LOT OF

SPENDING ON A WHOLE BUNCH OF

DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT WILL

MAKE A LOT OF INTERESTS HAPPY.

>> AND HOW ABOUT COVID?

WHEN WE FACTOR IN COVID-19 AND

WHERE WE ARE TODAY, HOW THE

GOVERNOR HAS HANDLED THIS SO

FAR.

HE'S NOW BEGUN TO SLOWLY REOPEN

THE STATE.

I NOTICE HE MADE SOME

ANNOUNCEMENTS ON MONDAY, THE DAY

BEFORE HE PUT HIS BUDGET IN

PLACE, AND THEN NOTED THAT IN

THE SPEECH.

BUT WE'VE GOT A LOT OF SCHOOLS

THAT REMAIN CLOSED TO IN-PERSON

INSTRUCTION, AND OF COURSE

VACCINES ARE STILL VERY LIMITED.

HOW DO YOU THINK THIS PLAYS OUT?

>> I THINK IT'S ALL ABOUT

GETTING THE ECONOMY BACK AND

THAT BEGINS WITH VACCINES AND IT

BEGINS WITH GETTING SCHOOLS

BACK.

I HEARD THE GOVERNOR TALKING

ABOUT WOMEN AND HOW THEY HAVE

BEEN A LESSER PART OF THE

WORKFORCE BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN

HOME WITH THEIR KIDS AND THE KEY

TO THE ECONOMY IS GETTING THE

SCHOOLS BACK OPEN AND GETTING

WOMEN BACK IN THE WORKFORCE OUT

OF THEIR HOMES AND I THINK THAT

IS GETTING THAT DONE AND

SIGNIFICANTLY BEFORE THE

ELECTION WILL BE KEY FOR

GOVERNOR MURPHY.

>> JOHN, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE

WRITTEN ABOUT PROPERTY TAXES AND

THE INCREASE THIS YEAR, A RECORD

HIGH.

IN ADDITION, THE GOVERNOR DID

GET TO MORE THAN $2 BILLION FROM

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR COVID

RELIEF AND MANY BUSINESS AND

RESTAURANT OWNERS SAYS THAT

HASN'T HELPED THEM AND SLOW COME

OUT AND THOSE GUYS VOTE, TOO.

WHAT IS YOUR SENSE FOR HOW THAT

HELPS GOVERNOR MURPHY AND HIS

ELECTION CHANCES.

>> THE GOVERNOR HAS HAD

FORMIDABLE APPROVAL RATINGS FOR

THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS DUE TO

HIS HANDLING OF THE COVID

RESPONSE.

ONCE THAT PERSON STARTS TO

APPEAR ON TV COMMERCIALS, ON THE

STAGE WITH YOU AT DEBATES, A

WHOLE NEW SET OF ISSUES COME

FORWARD.

THAT'S WHERE WE TAKE A LOT OF

FLACK ON THINGS LIKE MOTOR

VEHICLES AND THE HANDLING OF THE

UNEMPLOYMENT SYSTEM AND

INTERESTING TO SEE WHEN SOMEBODY

IS GOING NEGATIVE AGAINST THIS

GOVERNOR, WHETHER THAT BRINGS

HIM DOWN OR NOT.

PROPERTY TAXES, THE STATE DOES

NOT LEVY BUT THE STATE DOES A

LOT THAT INFLUENCES PROPERTY

TAXES SO EDUCATION AID,

MUNICIPAL AID, THE DIRECT

PROPERTY TAX RELIEF PROGRAMS YOU

TALKED TO THE ASSEMBLYWOMAN

ABOUT, THOSE GO INTO THE MIX BUT

THE GOVERNOR HAS ANOTHER TRUMP

CARD COMING BECAUSE IN A FEW

MONTHS, THERE'S THAT DIRECT

REBATE PROGRAM THAT'S FUNDED

WITH THE NEW BUDGET SENDING

PEOPLE CHECKS UP TO $500 BEFORE

THEY GO VOTE FOR A GOVERNOR AND

LAWMAKERS, AND SO IT'S GOING TO

BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THIS

PLAYS OUT OVER THE NEXT FEW

MONTHS WITH THE PANDEMIC AND THE

UNPREDICTABILITY OF THAT ALL IN

THE BACKDROP.

CERTAINLY THE SPORTS FRANCHISES

ARE HAPPY TO SEE WHEN IT'S

LIFTED BECAUSE SOME OF US WHO

LIKE SPORTS MAY ACTUALLY BE ABLE

TO GO SEE A GAME SOMEDAY.

>> MATT, TO SWITCH GEARS A

LITTLE BIT.

ALTHOUGH THERE IS SOME ELECTION

IMPLICATION HERE, NEW JERSEY

LOST A REPUBLICAN INSTITUTION

LAST SATURDAY WITH THE DEATH OF

SENATOR GERALD CARDINALLI IN THE

LEGISLATURE FOR 42 YEARS.

WHAT IS HIS LEGACY?

>> DEEPLY CONSERVATIVE.

QUESTIONING.

IN THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE BILLS

THAT OFTEN SEEMED NOT EVEN

POLITICALLY CONTROVERSIAL NOW.

GERRY CARDINALLI HAD SOMETHING

TO SAY AND OFTEN THOUGHTFUL.

HE WAS A SMART GUY AND WELL

RESPECTED EVEN THOUGH HE WAS

VERY CONSERVATIVE FOR NEW JERSEY

AND A DISTRICT THAT IS

REPUBLICAN LEANING BUT NOT AS

CONSERVATIVE AS HE IS.

HE WAS ALSO I THOUGHT VERY

PRINCIPLED IN A LOT OF WAYS, IN

THE MARIJUANA DEBATE, HE WAS

VERY ANTI-MARIJUANA, AND A LOT

OF ATTITUDES ABOUT THE

SUBSTANCE, KIND OF ROOTED IN OLD

STUFF BUT ONCE 67% OF NEW

JERSEYIANS SAID AS LONG AS

THEY'VE DONE THIS, WHY SHOULDN'T

THEY BE ABLE TO GROW IT AND

INTRODUCED A BILL MUCH MORE

PROGRESSIVE THAN ANYTHING ANY

DEMOCRATS THAT I KNOW OF HAD PUT

FORWARD AND A LOT OF NEW

JERSEYIANS TO GROW UP TO

SOMETHING LIKE SIX PLANTS.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE OF

THAT BILL IS NOW, ESPECIALLY

WITH HIM HAVING DIED.

IT'S ALSO SOMETHING THAT THE

LEGISLATURE IS ABOUT TO UNDERGO

A BIG CHANGE, THE SENATE, AND

WITH THE SENATE USUALLY GOES THE

ASSEMBLY.

THERE IS AT LEAST FIVE SEATS ARE

GOING TO BE REPRESENTED BY

DIFFERENT PEOPLE COME 2022, AND

I'M NOT SURE THERE'S A BIG

TURNOVER SINCE I COVERED

POLITICS IN 2007, THAT WAS THE

BIGGEST TURNOVER PRIOR TO THIS

ONE THAT I CAN REMEMBER.

>> YOU JUST READ MY SCRIPT.

I WAS GOING TO ASK ABOUT THAT

BUT I FEEL WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF

TIME.

YOU HAD A GREAT STORY THIS WEEK

ABOUT ONE OF THOSE BATTLES, FOR

SENATOR WEINBERG'S SEAT IN THE

ASSEMBLY.

I KNOW WE'VE GOT OTHER ASSEMBLY

MEMBERS.

WE'LL HAVE A SHAKEUP THIS YEAR,

RIGHT, REAL QUICKLY?

>> BIG TIME.

CARDINALLI PRIOR TO HIS DEATH

WOULD BE CHALLENGED BY

ASSEMBLYWOMAN AND BROWN IN SOUTH

JERSEY NOT RUNNING FOR

RE-ELECTION AND A COUPLE OTHER

SENATORS WHO WON'T BE RETURNING.

IT'S A BIG SHAKEUP, DIFFERENT

MAJORITY LEADER AND MINORITY

LEADER.

TOM CAIN IS LEAVING PROBABLY TO

RUN FOR CONGRESS AGAIN.

THAT'S NOT JUST TURNOVER ON

PEOPLE BUT TURNOVER IN

LEADERSHIP.

>> WELL THIS IS GOING TO GIVE US

A LOT TO WRITE ABOUT AND TALK

ABOUT ON FUTURE EPISODES FOR THE

COMING YEAR, THIS ELECTION.

I'M SORRY, THAT'S ALL WE HAVE

FOR "ROUNDTABLE" TODAY.

I WANT TO THANK OUR GUESTS,

ASSEMBLYWOMAN MARINE AND OUR

GREAT PANEL OF JOURNALISTS, MATT

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I'M COLLEEN O'DAY.

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