Good Wednesday morning! Could New Jersey be New Amsterdam?

A lot of states have legalized recreational cannabis in recent years, but only a handful will allow consumption on site — similar to Amsterdam.

New Jersey is one of those. So is New York, but let’s ignore that fact for the moment. Right now, neither state has consumption lounges open (New York doesn’t even have recreational dispensaries running yet).

According to NJ Advance Media’s Gabby Warren, a cannabis entrepreneur in Atlantic City hopes to be the first to open a consumption lounge this summer in Atlantic City. No word on when they’ll reach North Jersey, but when they do, we’ll call them “cawfee shops.”

DAYS SINCE MURPHY REFUSED TO SAY WHETHER HIS WIFE’S NON-PROFIT SHOULD DISCLOSE DONORS: 304

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WHERE’S MURPHY? — Having a “a minor, same-day, outpatient medical procedure, unrelated to prior health issues.”

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I’m just tired of them standing there and saying how wonderful the Capitol police is and then they turn around and … go down to Mar-a-Lago and kiss his ring and come back and stand here and sit with – it just, it just hurts.” — Gladys Sicknick, mother of the late Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, on Republican leaders 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY – Mary Pat Angelini, Christopher J. Brown, Ethan Hasbrouck

GET WELL SOON — Murphy to undergo minor medical procedure, by POLITICO’s Ry Rivard: New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is scheduled to undergo what his office described as a minor medical procedure on Wednesday. Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver will serve as acting governor during the procedure, which will take place in New Jersey and will not require an overnight stay in the hospital. The governor’s office said the procedure was unrelated to a cancer scare that caused a tumor to be removed from Murphy’s left kidney in early 2020 around the start of the pandemic. The governor’s office did not specify the nature of Wednesday’s procedure.

STAY LIFTED (THAT’S ALSO MY MOTTO) — Bear hunt back on after court lifts stay, by POLITICO’s Ry Rivard: New Jersey’s controversial bear hunt is back on after a judge on Tuesday dissolved a court order that briefly delayed it. Hunting can begin immediately after the same judge lifted the stay she granted last week. Judge Lisa Rose of the Superior Court of New Jersey Appellate Division lifted the order, citing the need for “protection of the public from the growing bear population and commensurate damage and nuisance incidents.” The stay, meant to give the court time to look over various arguments, kept hunters from going out on Monday, the first day of the planned hunt, which lasts through Dec. 10.

CHECK THE BRUINITED VAN LINES SURVEY — “Tracking N.J.’s bear population proves elusive as hunt court battle lingers,” by NJ Advance Media’s Katie Kausch and Steven Rodas: “A Department of Environmental Protection spokesman said there is not a current estimate for New Jersey’s bear population. Without a bear hunt in the past two years, the state hasn’t been able to collect information used to make those estimates, officials said. Instead, the state is using a common projection calculation. But measuring total bear numbers is less important in deciding to restart the hunt than the amount of damage those bears are causing, bear population management experts told NJ Advance Media. It’s not unusual to use historical data to create population projection estimates, Duane Diefenbach, a professor of wildlife ecology at Penn State University who studies black bear population and harvest rates, said. New Jersey’s approach to re-starting the hunt is in line with how other states handle their hunts, he said.”

NOVID — “N.J. lawmakers won’t launch their own probe into COVID, at least not now, top Dem says,” by NJ Advance Media’s Brent Johnson: “While Gov. Phil Murphy last week announced a long-awaited outside review into how New Jersey responded to COVID-19 under his leadership, Republican lawmakers have continued to call for a separate legislative probe, complete with subpoena power. But New Jersey’s top state lawmaker said there aren’t plans for the Democratic-controlled state Legislature to launch one, at least not immediately. ‘It’s not gonna happen now,’ state Senate President Nicholas Scutari, D-Union, told NJ Advance Media on Monday at the Statehouse in Trenton. ‘Might it happen in the future? Sure. I think it’s possible.’ Scutari, the leader of the Legislature’s upper house, noted how Murphy, a fellow Democrat, just announced the review and said legislative leaders will wait until it’s over — possibly a year from now — before evaluating the situation.”

NEW JERSEY DRIVE — “How bad are car thefts in New Jersey? The real numbers for 2022,” by NJ 101.5’s Michael Symons: “theft totals have begun to recede in New Jersey, still up 9% through November compared to the same point in 2021 but dropping since August when compared to the same months one year earlier. There were 14,322 car thefts reported in New Jersey over the first 11 months of the year, 41% above the record low in 2020, New Jersey State Police Maj. Lawrence Williams told the Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee at a hearing Monday. That includes 3,903 thefts of high-end cars valued at $30,000 or more, up from 3,183 through the first 11 months of 2021 and 2,186 in the same period in 2020. ‘Bad news, there’s a lot of auto theft,’ Williams said. ‘Good news is what we’re doing is reducing the amount of auto thefts.’”

PERHAPS NOT COINCIDENTALLY, SACCO WILL SOON BE OUT OF THE SENATE — “Muniz resigns Horizon board seat,” by New Jersey Globe’s Daviod Wildstein: “Joseph Muniz, a top political operative and close ally of North Bergen Mayor and State Sen. Nicholas Sacco, has resigned his seat on the board of directors of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin had asked Muniz to step down after indicating that he would not reappoint him to the $83,200 -per-year board seat. Muniz had been named to the post by then-Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto in 2017.”

—“NJ Transit report card, part 3: The never-ending hold-up of board, committee members” 

—“Mom, son lured estranged father to N.J. town to steal his car, cops say” 

—“Plan to end 20 years of court oversight of child welfare system gains momentum after lawmakers initially stalled” 

—“Safety report card says N.J. needs speed cameras to reduce highway traffic deaths” 

—“NJ moves in interstate tax fight” 

—“Legislation on natural gas prompts clash of interests” 

WHO AMONG US HASN’T DINED WITH WHITE SUPREMACISTS AND CALLED FOR TERMINATING THE CONSTITUTION? — “Trump just dined with bigots and trashed the Constitution. Why do Republicans remain loyal?” by The Star-Ledger’s Tom Moran: “If you still support Donald Trump, I’d like to hear from you. I’d like to know how you get past his decision to have dinner with the two most prominent Nazi sympathizers in America, and a few days later, to declare his intention to trash the Constitution if that’s what it takes to return to power … For the record, I asked for comment from the three New Jersey Republicans who will be called upon to confirm the results of the 2024 election. None of them responded. That’s Rep. Chris Smith, Rep. Jeff Van Drew, and Congressman-elect Tom Kean Jr. Members of Congress take an oath to protect the Constitution, which these three are now breaking.”

— ”N.J. supports expanding Medicare to all U.S. residents, poll shows” 

IS BRIBERY ‘THE SECRET TO ACHIEVING BREAKTHROUGH RESULTS?’ — “After 5th continuance of 2022, ex-Hoboken Assemblyman Garcia to discuss ‘breakthrough results’,’ by Hudson County View’s John Heinis: “Former Hoboken Assemblyman Carmelo Garcia, indicated in a large-scale Newark bribery case in October 2021, received his fifth continuance of the year last week and will be discussing how ‘the secret to achieving breakthrough results’ this evening … Small Business Pro University Founder Andrew Frazier said that Garcia will be speaking live on YouTube this evening … Carmelo ‘Coach G.’ Garcia is an effective, visionary, inspiring leader who coaches teams & executives to accomplish the mission & goals!’ … The case has been delayed over a dozen times thus far, at least in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Garcia, also the former director of the Newark Department of Economic and Housing Development, is accused by federal prosecutors of soliciting corrupt payments in exchange for helping businessmen acquire and redevelop properties.”

NEW PARK PROMISES A SUPERFUN TIME — “NJ announces possible settlement over Toms River’s former Ciba-Geigy chemical site,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Amanda Oglesby: “One of New Jersey’s most infamous pollution sites, one associated with a cluster of childhood cancers in the 1990s, will be protected and turned into a 1,000-acre park, according to a proposed agreement announced Monday by the state Department of Environmental Protection. The BASF Corporation, which owns the site formerly owned by the Ciba-Geigy Corp., agreed to restore most of the property to a natural state and break ground on the future 1,000-acre park in 2023, according to the DEP. The proposed park would have restored freshwater wetlands, created upland grasslands, pollinator habitats, public access trails, boardwalks for wildlife viewing and an environmental center, according to the state agency.”

PATERSON — “Paterson cops won’t face charges in death of man they handcuffed,” by NJ Advance Media’s Anthony G. Attrino: “Two Paterson police officers will not face charges in the death of a man they handcuffed shortly after he was apparently injured while leaping across residential rooftops, a state grand jury has determined. The fatal encounter occurred about 5:25 p.m. on Oct. 2, 2021, when police received two 911 calls reporting a man in pajamas jumping between roofs. He had also broken a window to gain entry to a home in the 600 block of Madison Avenue, authorities said.”

—“Now there’s a third excessive force lawsuit filed against these indicted Paterson cops” 

DENOVA TO SPLIT RETIREMENT BETWEEN DELAWARE AND NORTHERN VIRGINIA — “Passaic County administrator to retire at end of 2022, replacement not yet named,” by The Record’s David M. Zimmer: “Passaic County is expected to have a new top non-elected official in 2023, as its long-time administrator prepares to retire. Anthony DeNova, hired as county administrator in April 2003, is stepping down at the end of December, a county spokesman said. A replacement has not yet been named by the Board of Commissioners, which next meets on Dec. 13. As administrator, DeNova has led the county government’s day-to-day operations under a framework of finance and policy defined by the board of commissioners for nearly two decades”

—“Trenton candidate asks judge to strike candidate’s use of hispanic maiden name from ballot”

—“Former Paterson official, accused of sexual harassment, files new defamation lawsuit” 

—“Our community is hurting. Police brutality complaints aired at meeting with U.S. attorney. | Opinion” 

—“Lakewood Annual births cross 5,000 for the first time in 2021, boys continue to outpace girls”

—“‘This is going to affect him’: Shortage of teachers riles up parents in Prospect Park”

—“Judge denies bid by Mount Olive schools superintendent to overturn suspension” 

—“Ocean City does away with term limits for board members” 

—“Wall just OK’d a key affordable housing project. What’s next in the 20-year legal fight?”

—“With servers still offline, Hudson County Schools of Technology goes old-school low tech” 

PROFESSORS DEMAND HIGHER SALARY FOR FOOTBALL COACH – Strike talk heats up among Rutgers faculty unions; national labor leaders signal their support, by POLITICO’s Carly Sitrin: Amid a nationwide reckoning in higher education labor relations, faculty at New Jersey’s Rutgers University may be among the next to strike. Hundreds of students, professors, labor leaders and graduate workers rallied in the rain Tuesday at the school’s campuses in New Brunswick, Newark, Piscataway and Camden, demanding Rutgers’ administration responds to the union’s contract proposals for salary raises, increased job security and expanded benefits. Faculty and staff from multiple Rutgers unions have been working without contracts since the summer.

HOSPITAL GUNS — State fines Hudson Regional Hospital $63K after discovery of weapons cache, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: The New Jersey Department of Health has fined Hudson Regional Hospital $63,000 in connection to the discovery of a weapons cache found inside the Secaucus hospital in July. A notice sent to Hudson Regional on Nov. 30 stated the hospital failed to notify the health department of a bomb threat — which was later determined to be a hoax — and the discovery of dozens of guns that were being kept in closet at the hospital. DOH said in its notice that the hospital also faces penalties “because the facility failed to maintain a violence prevention plan and implement policies and procedures to maintain a safe hospital environment.”

—“Red Bank OKs weed warehouse and nursery, but no marijuana dispensary” 

INVESTIGATORS HAVEN’T RULED OUT JEFF VAN DREW’S LUNCHTIME BURRITO — “Sonic boom? Mysterious ground-shaking noise in N.J. still under investigation,” by NJ Advance Media’s Jackie Roman: “The mystery surrounding loud booms and rattling windows reported through parts of southern and central New Jersey Monday afternoon is under investigation by military authorities to see if aviation training is the culprit. The Naval Air Station Patuxent River in southern Maryland was scheduled to conduct ‘noise generating’ aircraft carrier training from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday as part of a nearly two-week span of exercises, according to a noise advisory from the station’s public affairs office.”

—“Atlantic City casino theater to become adult entertainment venue in 2023”

—“The future of health care is through a TV screen? A N.J. hospital thinks so”