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News 12 Staff

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Welcome back. This Tuesday, the governor delivers her first budget address, and state Republicans are all ears. In fact, Senate Republicans released a list of items to slash to save money. Joining me now to talk about New Jersey's spending problems is Assembly Republican Mike Ingatimore from District 24. It's great to see you. Thanks for coming to the studio. Thank you, Eric. Appreciate it. OK, I listen, as you know, I don't have to tell you this. This is something that your party has been screaming about for years, that New Jersey's got a spending problem. The governor announced this $3 billion structural deficit. Which Senator O'Scanlon among others have been warning about, um, what and how, let's say, let's start with the how, how should this be addressed? How do you then expect it to be addressed? Yeah, that is the central question, Eric. I, I think, uh, I cannot wait to hear what the governor has to say on March 10th. That's really the shotgun start of when this governor and the legislature are finally going to be talking about New Jersey issues and solving New Jersey problems, as you said, and Senate and Assembly Republican. I have been saying this for years. We have a spending problem in this state. I was encouraged that Governor Sherrill called it what it is a feeding frenzy. She was specifically talking about our last voting session in the previous legislature where $128 million in pork projects sailed right on through, $10 million for a parking garage, $26 million to advertise the World Cup. It goes on and on and on, not to mention. $300 million in tax credits for the billionaire owners of the Prudential Center. We have a tremendous spending problem in this state. That's the way to get out of this mess. Now Governor Cheryl has laid out some terms. She has said she will not increase taxes. She has said she will make a full pension payment, as you just stated. Her treasurer acknowledged we have about a $3 billion structural deficit in the state of New Jersey. How do you make all those component pieces work underneath the hood of a, let's say $59 to $60 billion budget? You got to cut the spending. Cutting spending, and there are people who are very worried that even though the governor said she's not going to raise taxes, there are people who worry that some of the steps that could be taken if perhaps the stay in jail program is cut or some other tax relief is cut, that that essentially translates into a tax hike. Well, the governor is going to have to make that proposal to the legislature, and that's what we're looking forward to hearing from her on the 10th. Will stay and be part of the conversation? I suspect it will. I don't have a crystal ball. I'd be surprised if the program went away, but might there be some tweaks to the criteria? I think that's possible. I think part and parcel, however, the governor would be well served by focusing on this profligate feeding frenzy of spending. There are hundreds of millions, billions of dollars that could be eliminated from the budget just there. Pork spending, it's these are pet projects. So these are, these are projects that your colleagues, many of them will, will fight for very, very strongly. They will, but listen, we are a state of 9.5 million people. I don't think 9.5 million New Jerseyans, you and me included, should be on the hook for a brand new parking garage at a relatively new middle school in Union City that I'm pretty sure I'll never use. All right, let's, let's talk about your district because it's been in the news quite a bit lately over the ICE detention facility in Roxbury. You visited this facility not long ago. Can you share your thoughts on it, including to the intense public backlash? Where do you stand? Yes, absolutely. I appreciate the question. By the way, if I may, I think it's important to understand this in the appropriate context. From 2021 through 2024, anywhere from 8 to 10 million individuals entered the United States illegally. Starting in 2025, the southern border has effectively been closed. There have been zero illegal crossings, and now the process of returning these individuals back home, it's going to take time. It's going to take resources, and yes, it's going to take physical space. I believe that if the Department of Homeland Security thinks that some of that physical space needs to exist in New Jersey, I think there are six logical places for it. The 6 county jails in New Jersey that are no longer in operation. I represent one of them up in Sussex County in Newton. There's the Sussex County Jail, and it is not being used currently. You know, the last time it was used to house individuals who were being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. You may not have even known that. I think most New Jersey. don't know that because it worked so well there was a good productive partnership between the county and the federal government to process these individuals in a safe, secure, dignified way. So those are the reasons I think a county jail, one, any or all of them, is a more appropriate site than the Roxbury location which, as you said, yes, I did visit it. There are, there are legitimate infrastructure limitations on the site. It has water capacity of about 11,000 gallons a day. That's good enough for 94 beds. The federal government is looking to have 1500 beds there. There are going to be some legitimate, legitimate infrastructure limitations. We're running out of time, so I want to talk about something that's near and dear to you here. This Monday is US hostage and wrongful detainee day. And New Jersey is the first state to also recognize the day this is thanks to your bill. Can you talk about what the inspiration behind this was? Thank you so much for this question. I am so honored to represent members of the Levinson family in my district. Uh, they're not far from me in Morris County. The Levinson family, beautiful, patriotic family whose father, uh, Robert Levinson, uh, was kidnapped in Iran, many years ago and holds the sad distinction of being the longest held American hostage in history. And what we did working with his daughter Sarah is we put together a resolution affirming that March 9th in the state of New Jersey will forever and always be US Hostage and Wrongful detainee Day in New Jersey. As you said, we're the first state to do that. This is already federal law and really proud that we are doing that in the state of New Jersey. On Monday, actually, here's a shot of the flag. So this flag was actually designed by family members. That is correct. The family members designed this flag. It will be, according to law, flown in New Jersey this coming Monday as it already is at the White House, State Department, and on Capitol Hill. This is something that's been such a long time coming. Even though there hasn't been closure per se or justice per se for the family, what does having this day mean to them? Well, it means a lot. This is a very significant day for the family, and we are giving them their space to process the emotion that comes with it. And Eric, it's happening at an auspicious time because just a week ago the United States struck Iran, eliminating. The Ayatollah, who was ultimately responsible for Mr. Levinson's capture and holding him hostage, in fact, also eliminated was the individual who is believed to have kidnapped Mr. Levinson. So now I believe that the family's attention is turning and to the extent I or our federal representatives can provide support on returning Mr. Levinson's remains back home where they belong. Assemblyman Mike in Gattimore, thanks so much for being here. Thank you, Eric. I appreciate it and keep it right here on Power and Politics. We have much more coming up. Spring's almost here, so is wildfire season. How New Jersey's preparing to prevent them.

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Wildfire season is approaching. News 12 New Jersey's Tom Krasnowski here now with more on how communities around New Jersey are getting wildfire ready. Despite this wet winter, New Jersey is in a statewide drought warning. The state DEP and Forest Fire Service announced $90,000 in grants to 22 communities, the most at risk from the next weather threat, the spring wildfire season. They say it's part of Governor Sherrill's focus on protecting the state from climate change. Now this footage is from last year's. Jones Road wildfire that burned more than 15,000 acres, including in Barnegut and Waretown. Those towns are on this year's list along with nearby Tom's River in Manchester. Further north, Hardwick Township in Warren County, and as far south as Egg Harbor. We've reported on so many damaging wildfires around the state the last few years. You might remember this. 2024, the Jennings Creek wildfire. It burned the New Jersey- New York border near West Milford for two weeks. Now the goal here is to reduce the risk by cleaning up this, the fuels for the fire. The grants also include what's called home hardening, that could include installing fire resistant landscaping or even completely removing it for the homes closest to the danger zone. And conservation experts say now is the prescribed fire season, so you might see a controlled burn to prevent a larger uncontrolled fire. The full list of fire-wise towns across New Jersey that received funding is on our website, newstwelve.com. Tom Krasnowski, News 12, New Jersey. Tom, thanks. NJ Transit can now be sued in other states. The US Supreme Court making this ruling, noting that two incidents where people were injured in separate bus crashes in Manhattan and Philadelphia. Both sued New Jersey Transit for negligence, but the agency moved to dismiss, arguing it is entitled to sovereign immunity, meaning they can't be sued because they're a state entity. NJ Transit saying it's looking into. Next steps, Garden State drivers might soon be able to ditch their EPs. Instead of that white brick they have the Velcro to your windshield, drivers will get a sticker with a digital chip inside. The Turnpike Authority is testing the idea on its own vehicles first. If the trial goes well, the stickers could be rolled out to drivers by the end of the year. A turnpike spokesperson saying it will likely be years before every customer receives the new stickers. And that'll do it for this week's show, as always, but thank you so much for watching New Jersey Power and Politics. I'm Eric Lancre. We'll see you again next time.

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Retired Marine Corps Intelligence Officer Hal Kempfer, Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer and Republican Assemblyman Mike Inganamort join the show this week.

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