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Welcome back. The June primaries are a little under, if you can believe it from now, we're 3.5 months away, and this week on Power and Politics, we welcome another candidate in a very crowded and competitive field. He's the former mayor of Montclair and current president of the New Jersey Education Association. Sean Spiller, thanks so much for being here. Thanks so much for having me. All right, so listen, uh, you had your first debate already. And voters got to hear from you directly. You've been crisscrossing the state speaking to them. How do you stand out in such a competitive, such a large field of Democratic rivals? Well, certainly it's important what we're talking about. We're talking about the issues that matter to folks, you know, talking about making sure New Jersey is more affordable, uh, for, for everyday folks, which is housing costs, right, which is healthcare costs, which is making sure quality early education, childcare. Uh, it's also making sure that we're. Be very clear about the fact that I'm gonna stand up to what we're seeing in the White House right now, right? We're gonna stand up for every single one of our residents. We're gonna make sure we're pushing back against uh the things that he's doing to divide us, uh, so that all matters, but I think the messenger matters as well, right? We're we're out there, uh, talking about these things because I know it's what people care about, but also it's the things that have affected me, right? Uh, I'm the person who uh took years to find that multi-family home and it was the only thing I could afford. I've got the 4 year. and 6 year old now, a 7 year old just turned 7 now and um you know know the cost of of quality early education, child care, you know, know what it's like when you see these double digit percent increases in health care and the impact it has on families. So uh you know it's about what we're doing and what we're saying and and and certainly who we're fighting for, but it's also folks understanding that we're fighting for them. I'm one of them. Why do you stand the best chance in this field in November if, if you win the primary and what would your day one? Yeah, I, I think it's I think they're tied together, right? And I think it's because right now we understand that the things facing New Jersey families, it's about making sure things are more affordable, keeping more money in your pocket at the end of the day, and I gotta ask you, you know, is that a is that a conservative issue? Is that a progressive issue? Is that a, you know, left, right? It's, it's an issue that's affecting New Jersey residents, um, so certainly I'm out there talking about the things that matter to folks, uh, and telling them about the ways that we're gonna do something to make it better. This week, uh, state senator and Republican budget officer Declan O'Scanlon called Governor Murphy's final budget another missed opportunity to restructure the school funding formula at a time when some districts are being forced to cut programs, close schools, lay off staff, as you know, um, as president of the NGA NJEA vying for governor, I want you to weigh in on this. Would you. Restructure the school funding formula. Yes, I mean, the funding formula was supposed to be reviewed right periodically. Changes made right now it does not take into account the cost of students with special needs, the very varied cost of students with special needs, uh, some other indicators that that can raise it and lower it within a district. So we've got to look at the formula. We've got to make those tweaks, we've got to make those improvements, uh, and certainly around some of those edges too that often see those fluctuations. Year over year, um, so it needs to be looked at it should have been looked at. I've testified in front of the budget committee a number of times saying exactly that. So, uh, yes, I agree it should be, uh, but it does also we have to also understand that this has been reviewed by the Supreme Court and this is a formula that does work if you, if you make those changes, uh, so we don't throw it all out, but we do make the changes to make it better for districts. You were a supporter of the ban on book bans, uh, the Freedom to Read Act. Of which Republican candidate Jack Chittarelli, and I think we have a quote here, said this The so-called Freedom to Read Act is a little more than granting a legal license to public schools and libraries to distribute sexually explicit materials to minors. This has nothing to do with preventing book bans and. Censorship. So what do you say to those, to to Jack Chitarelli and those who feel that this undermines parental rights? Yeah, come on, you know that that's, you know, there's no librarian, right? There's no media specialist out there who's doing that, right? What it is is about the ability to go read books that. Maybe a student sees themselves or their future and it's about understanding a perspective that you've never heard before. It's about learning something that makes you more curious and and and desire to to to know more. That's what books are for. That's what libraries are for, uh, and as a parent myself, as I said before, of course parents have a role to play, right? You go in and, uh, my young kids and when they get older, uh, you talk to them, you have conversations what books are appropriate, what books are not appropriate, what. Age specific, uh, those are conversations every parent should be engaged in. I know that every media specialist, every librarian wants, but what we don't want is any one parent banning some segment of books for all of the rest of us and saying your child is not allowed to read it. Both you and by extension the NJEA or the other way around, uh, have been very vocal, very vocally against Linda McMann, uh, as the pick for Secretary of Education. Can you talk about how you view the the confirmation process as it's played out so far? Very frustrating. So I was down in DC for her hearing and certainly I attended some of the protests and the rallies that were that were held, uh, you know, tried to get our way in the in the confirmation room unsuccessfully. But listen, you hear the things that she's saying, right? Somebody who is literally vying for the position so she can end the Department of Education. You know, likely resulting in loss of funds or certainly a loss of that that that that broader support that's there from the federal government, uh, that is not what we need for our kids, right? And it's terrible that we are quite frankly in all levels of government that we see going on right now at the national level, but certainly with education we see folks who are literally being moved into positions to end the very things that they're vying for, and that's just unacceptable, as you know, uh, your position at the NJEA has has drawn some. Criticism in multiple media outlets and publications, articles that have been published, uh, drawing the ire in particular of an advocacy group called the Sunlight Policy Center with the headline NJEA President Sean Spiller's Personal Vanity Project funded by $35 million of teachers' regular dues. That's actually something that Mayor Ras Baraka had kind of alluded to and commented on at the Ryder debate where he referred to a $35 million. piggy bank. How do you respond to the criticism of, of having that kind of backing behind you? Look, I say this, right, we see it, it now, right, when you see the images of, of an Elon Musk, you know, standing over the president's desk and and moving the strings when we see in our state and others, right, who are always the ones who are in these positions or getting the opportunity to run. It's the uber rich, it's the wealthy, it's the politically connected, it's the folks that uh come in and and have that shot and the rest of us never do. I'm really proud that we've got working folks who've come together to say this is our chance. This is our chance to make sure that our voice is in the room when decisions are made. This is our chance to have somebody who, as I said before, you know, knows what it's like to be able to barely afford that first home or to you know struggle with healthcare costs and putting food on the table. This is our chance to do things differently and you know I appreciate it that others may be envious or jealous or whatever else. The fact that we've got hundreds of thousands of folks who've literally pulled together their dollars to be able to compete with the billionaires and millionaires that are out there and uh you know we're never gonna apologize for that. We're gonna fight for folks and make sure we're fighting for a better New Jersey that works for them. Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Spiller, thanks for being here in the studio. Thanks so much for having me. I appreciate it thank you so much and keep it right here on New Jersey Power and Politics. We have more news coming up right after the break, including the latest moves on congestion pricing.

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The war of words ramping up even more this week over congestion pricing. The MTA says the program brought in $48 million in its first month. This as the Trump administration hits New York City with a deadline to turn off towing machines. News 12 New Jersey's Naomi Jane with the story. In a letter from the United States Department of Transportation, New York City now has an official deadline of March 21st to comply with the feds and cut the cameras. Decreasing the trip times from New Jersey, New Jersey, New York State Governor Kathy Hochle sat in on an MTA meeting earlier today on the heels of the city receiving a letter from the The State's Department of Transportation that set a deadline to seize the collection of tolls on federal aid highways for New York's Central Business District tolling program or congestion pricing. The letter addressed to the MTA president and New York City DOT commissioners says in part, in order to provide New York State DOT and its project sponsors time to Terminate operations of this pilot project in an orderly manner. This rescission of approval and termination of the November 21, 2024 agreement will be effective on March 21, 2025. I don't feel that it's really changed that much except my, you know, my wallet, and that's what commuters driving through the Garden State can't make peace with. The fact that on top of, uh, you know, parking and everything else, now I'm paying another toll. I'm paying for the tunnel and now I'm paying another $9. The drivers say the program works. It does what we want it to do. But we need to give it time. Here in the Garden State, commuters along with elected officials praised President Trump's decision to suspend the program. However, back across the Hudson, Governor Hokle is ready for a fight. We are in court. You may have asked for. Orderly cessation. I will propose something in the alternative. Orderly resistance in Richfield, Naomi Ani, News, New Jersey. Another big story this week. Delaney Hall in Newark is reopening as an immigrant detention center. ICE confirming the plans with a new 15 year contract valued at a billion dollars going to a private company. This is the first detention center to open under President Trump. It will be the largest immigrant detention center on the East Coast with 1000 beds. Mayor Ras Baraka saying that the detention center is not welcome. The group that bought it says they plan to open in the spring. And that'll do it for this week's show. I'm Eric Lantzrunner, as always, we thank you so much for watching New Jersey Power and Politics. We'll see you again next time.

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Former Democratic Assemblyman John Wisniwski, GOP strategist Chris Russell and gubernatorial hopeful Sean Spiller join the show this week.

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Power & Politics: Norcross charges tossed; congestion pricing latest; 1:1 with Sean Spiller

Former Democratic Assemblyman John Wisniwski, GOP strategist Chris Russell and gubernatorial hopeful Sean Spiller join the show this week.

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