The Jaffe Briefing - May 19, 2022
TRENTON – Tone deaf? Or worse? Just days after the mass shooting in Buffalo, among the many, many other mass shootings in the U.S. this year, Sen. Ed Durr believes it’s the perfect time to ease gun restrictions in New Jersey. You can’t make this up. Durr, a gun owner seeking a concealed-carry permit, wants to give $1 million for high schools to start gun clubs. No, we are not sniffing glue. And it gets worse. The freshman senator also wants schools to start teaching about gun safety, eliminate a gun owner’s duty to retreat before resorting to deadly force in self-defense, decriminalize armor-piercing ammunition and firearms with sound and flash suppressors and eliminate capacity limits on ammunition, among other alarming things. Durr tells New Jersey Monitor: “We know there’s a slim chance in hell of them passing, but I’ve always subscribed to the belief that a question not asked is going to get the same answer. So you might as well ask,” he said. “Let’s put it this way – last year, everybody was saying there was no shot in hell for Ed Durr to be a senator. So I will never say never to nothing.”
TRENTON – As we are ripping into Durr this morning, let’s add one more thing. Remember that controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill in Florida? Instruction on gay issues or sexual identify is banned in grades K-3, even if Johnny has two moms. Durr believes the 1950s-era law doesn’t go far enough, saying the restriction should include New Jersey kids up to sixth grade. Then, as NJ 101.5 reports, Durr’s proposed bill says that any instruction including gay or transgender issues for grades 7-12 could only happen if parents opt-in. Furthermore, the legislation allows school districts to be sued if the child takes any class without that parental permission, and could also lose state funding. So, in Durr-World, a New Jersey student could proceed through a school system without one educated, balanced conversation about homosexuality. So, the key to kids’ understanding a very complex, personal issue: glaring ignorance. You need to read this bill.
TRENTON – I smell refund! That’s the message whistling in the winds of Trenton, where state lawmakers are trying to figure what to do with the billions of extra dollars flowing into state coffers. Tax revenues have spiked $13.4 billion in only two years – more than 35% higher than 2020, as the state is sitting on an unexpected $8 billion windfall. With $51.4 billion expected by the end of June, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin is insisting on the largest tax relief program in state history. The state treasurer says New Jersey should thank the wealthy for the current situation, as skyrocketing corporate profits last year fueled income tax revenues. And now the state can play Robin Hood.
BRIEFING BREATHER
Women have more tastebuds than men
TRENTON – Everyone is excited about the Mets these days. But when you run out to buy a Mets frame for your license plate, think twice. Over the past five years, there have been more than 500,000 tickets written in New Jersey for motorists who bolt a frame around their vehicle’s license plate, professing allegiance to some team, hobby, college, pet, etc. NJ.com reports that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle want to give all us Mets fans a break. Under their proposed bills, drivers could have a license plate frame that partially covers the words “New Jersey” and “Garden State,” as long as it doesn’t obscure things too much. And, of course, the actual numbers and letters of the license plate would still need to be clearly shown.
TRENTON – The state’s police chiefs have been advocating for police officer licensure for years and now Gov. Phil Murphy is jumping on board. The governor is calling for nearly 40,000 law enforcement officers to be certified with a professional license in order to walk the beat. It is a smart way to further professionalize the job and ensure that rigorous training is being done. And with the police chiefs, the police labor unions and many legislators on board, it is a rare moment when most everyone agrees on a new policing policy in New Jersey.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
SOMERSET, Mass. – Unclear what the marketing folks at a cannabis dispensary were smoking, figuring it made perfect sense to erect a highway billboard showing actor Sacha Baron Cohen promoting their happy products – without bothering to hire him. Once the Borat star caught wind of this, lawyers quickly descended and demanded $9 million in damages. The lawsuit has since been dropped; there’s no public announcement of how much cash was forked over in damages. But, to quote Borat, assume “It’s nice!,” with two thumbs up. We’d show a photo of Borat to go along with this story, but don’t want any attention from these lawyers.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
It was this day in 1992 that Vice President Dan Quayle targets the fictional Murphy Brown – an unwed mom-to-be – as a poor example of family values. Plenty of fiction all around.
WORD OF THE DAY
Indoctrinate – [in-DAHK-truh-nayt] – verb
Definition: To teach (someone) to fully accept the ideas, opinions, and beliefs of a particular group and to not consider other ideas, opinions, and beliefs
Example: It is getting time to begin indoctrinating football fans into another potentially-bright Rutgers season.
WIT OF THE DAY
“The difference between the humans and other mammals is that we know how to accessorize."
- Madeleine Albright
BIDEN BLURB
“Madeleine Albright was right: We are the indispensable nation.”
-Joe Biden
WEATHER IN A WORD
Clearing