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NJ Spotlight--Sweeney, NJEA Square off in Ugly Brawl About School Funding
Never good friends, the Senate president and the state teachers union punch and counterpunch over $125 million school-aid plan
In an ironic twist, the fate of school funding for next year may not hinge on the usual Democratic-Republican politics, but instead on what has become a nasty feud between New Jersey’s top Democrat and its dominant teachers union.
State Senate President Steve Sweeney and the New Jersey Education Association have never been close friends, but their animus has become more apparent in the past week as Sweeney has pressed for a new school-funding plan and the union has pushed back — hard.
John Mooney | June 21, 2017
NJ Spotlight--Supreme Court Rules OPRA Applies to Email, Other Electronic Data
In strongly worded reversal of lower court decision, top court says information stored electronically by state agencies qualifies as ‘government records’
Reporters, researchers, and regular folks should have an easier time getting access to electronic data held by New Jersey public entities as a result of a Tuesday state Supreme Court decision definitively calling information stored electronically “government records.”
http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/17/06/20/supreme-court-rules-opra-applies-to-email-other-electronic-data/
Colleen O'Dea | June 21, 2017
Star Ledger--Christie says Democrats not 'stupid' enough to shut down state over school funding
PENNINGTON -- Gov. Chris Christie threw down the gauntlet Tuesday on school funding, saying Senate President Stephen Sweeney's warning that "we figure it out or we have a problem" is just bluster.
"I don't think it will happen," said Christie. "I don't think that Democrats would be that irresponsible. Or that politically stupid to close down government in an election year."
Sweeney (D-Gloucester) on Monday repeated that he would not pass a budget without a school funding plan in place. Without a budget to fund operations when the fiscal year begins on July 1, the governor can shut down state government.
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/06/christie_democrats_not_politically_stupid_enough_t.html#incart_river_index
Claude Brodesser-Akner| Updated on June 20, 2017 at 9:10 PM Posted on June 20, 2017 at 4:12 PM
