January 23, 2018

January 23, 2018 Rain with high temperatures in the upper 50s. COVERING UP POLICE MISCONDUCT COSTS MILLIONS, REPORT SAYS A two-year investigation by the Asbury Park Press finds that various government entities have spent more than $40 million over the last decade to cover up police misconduct. “A veil of secret settlements and nondisclosure agreements” have been used to silence victims of rogue cops, the Press reports. Among the police transgressions are deaths, physical abuse, sexual misconduct, false arrests and harassment. NJ HOME VALUES COULD DROP BY 7.5%, CREDIT RATER SAYS A reduction in the state sales tax combined with recently enacted federal tax cuts could cause a drop in value for the average New Jersey home of 7.5 percent, warns the credit-rating agency Moody’s, according to The Record. The federal tax overhaul limits the amount of property taxes that homeowners can deduct to $10,000, while the average deduction taken in 2015 was $17,850, Moody’s says in a report. And the sales tax cut could reduce state revenue by nearly half a billion dollars, the agency says. DESPITE LOOMING RETRIAL, DEMOCRATS NOT ABANDONING MENENDEZ Even though he is facing retrial on federal corruption charges, Sen. Bob Menendez is seeking re-election and still has the support of the state’s Democratic leaders, Politico.com reports. The Justice Department announced Friday that it would retry the senator on bribery and corruption charges and asked the court to set the matter for “the earliest possible date.” But LeRoy Jones, the Democratic chairman of Essex County, said, “I have a strong belief in Bob Menendez that is, I would say, unflappable.” MEASURE FOR PSEG NUCLEAR SUBSIDY IS REVIVED IN LEGISLATURE Controversial legislation that would provide PSEG subsidies to keep three nuclear power units in South Jersey operating is being revived, even though the bill died in the lame-duck legislative session, NJ Spotlight reports. The Senate Environment and Energy Committee is scheduled to consider the bill on Thursday. The measure would provide the power company up to $300 million a year in subsidies paid by ratepayers. NJ MEDICAL EXAMINER CALLS FOR OVERHAUL OF DEATH INQUIRY SYSTEM State Medical Examiner Andrew Falzon testified Monday at a Senate committee hearing in Trenton that the system used for investigating deaths needs upgrading, NJ.com writes. Falzon said the system, which relies on a mixture of state and county medical examiners, was in “desperate need of updating in order to bring it in line with current forensic pathology practices and guidelines." But officials in various counties contend that their offices are efficient and well financed.