Snapchat with Governor Murphy

Moments ago Governor Phil Murphy invited the twitterverse to get updated on his behind the scenes activities via Snapchat.

Add me on Snapchat for a behind the scenes look at our state government. pic.twitter.com/CbAZIV3hms

— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) June 8, 2018

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Murphy puts the brakes on sports betting at NJ racetracks despite legislature’s green light

Don’t count on placing a bet on the NBA Finals or the Yankees/Mets subway series games this weekend at Monmouth Park.  Governor Phil Murphy has not signed the bill regulating sports betting that passed the legislature unanimously yesterday and the New Jersey Racing Commission, which Murphy controls, warned the state’s three tracks not to take bets before he does, according to a NJ.com report.

Following the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning the nationwide sports betting ban, except for Nevada, Dennis Drazin of Monmouth Park announced he was prepared to start taking bets at the William Hill Race and Sports Bar on Memorial Day. New Jersey already had a law on the books, and a state constitutional amendment, that allows sports betting, so with the federal ban overturned by SCOTUS, there was no legal barrier to accepting bets.

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Welle Underperforms Against Keady, Smith Overperforms Unopposed

By Art Gallagher

While much of the media is reporting how poorly U.S. Senator Bob Menendez performed in the  Democrat primary yesterday, I couldn’t miss how poorly Josh Welle, address none of your business, performed against former Asbury Park Councilman Jim Keady, Spring Lake, in the 4th congressional district primary.

With all three county party lines, more money and the endorsement of his former landlord, State Senator and honorary volunteer firefighter Vin Gopal, Welle only got 57% of the vote against Keady’s 43%.

Congressman Chris Smith, Hamilton, overperformed expectations, especially given that he was unopposed in the CD-4 Republican primary.

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Hugin releases video featuring supporters from all 21 NJ counties

Six hours before the polls close in the NJ GOP primary for U.S. Senate in which he is the heavy favorite for victory, Bob Hugin of Summit released a video on facebook and youtube featuring supporters from all 21 counties in New Jersey.

Watch closely or you might miss Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso representing Monmouth County.

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Murphy could hold sports betting bill as a chip to play in budget negotiations

The William Hill Sports Race & Sports Book at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey. Photo By Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO.

Dennis Drazin and his partners at Monmouth Park were ready to accept sports bets on Memorial Day weekend.  They wisely didn’t after Senate President Steve Sweeney announced he was inserting a provision in the state legislation regulating sports betting that would prohibit anyone who took bets before the regulations were passed from getting a license.

Sweeney was looking out for the Atlantic City Casinos who weren’t ready to take bets yet.   In the meantime, Delaware passed their spots betting regulations and bets will start being taken there today.  New Jersey loses out again.

What was considered a two or three week delay while legislation was passed now threatens to deprive New Jersey’s racetracks and casinos of sports betting revenue, and the related jobs, for a third or more of their summer season.  According to a report on Politico, Governor Murphy is prepared to hold the sports betting bill as a chip to play as he negotiates his first state budget with the more moderate Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin.

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Vote in the Primary Today, Polls are open from 6 a.m. till 8 p.m.

The mayor from Jaws is still the mayor in Jaws 2. It is so important to vote in your local elections.

— Adam Goodell (@adamgoodell) October 21, 2017

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Quick Action by Congressman Smith and Mayor Reid Keeps Manasquan Inlet Open This Summer

Pt. Pleasant Beach officials; Councilman Andy Cortes, Mayor Stephen Reid, Council President Bob Santanello meet with Congressman Chris Smith and Ray Bogan, legal counsel for the Marine Trades Association of New Jersey, Recreational Fishing Alliance, and United Boatmen of New Jersey, at the Manasquan Inlet. June 1, 1018

Quick action by Pt. Pleasant Beach Mayor Stephen Reid and Congressman Chris Smith will ensure that the Manasquan Inlet remains navigable for commercial and recreational marine traffic this summer.

Unexpected shoaling that threatens to block marine traffic has developed in the inlet since January when the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers performed their regularly scheduled survey.  Read the rest of this entry »

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Congressman Chris Smith Endorsed By NJ Building Trades Unions

Congressman Chris Smith chats with members of the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 9 after receiving the endorsement of the NJ Building and Trades Council

Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ-4) received the endorsement of the NJ State Building & Construction Trades Council during a ceremony at the Local Plumbers and Pipefitters #9 training facility in Manalapan this morning before approximately 100 union members and managers.

During his remarks, William T. Mullen, President of the 150,000 statewide council, said that all 15 local unions that comprise the council voted to endorse Congressman Smith for reelection. “It’s unanimous,” Mullen declared. Read the rest of this entry »

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Manalapan Man Arrested By Feds For Producing Child Porn

Angelo Curato, photo via facebook

Angelo Curato, 26, of Manalapan, was arrested by federal authorities today and charged with convincing children to engage in sexually explicit conduct online, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

On June 2, 2017, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Curato’s residence. A forensic review of Curato’s laptop revealed hundreds of sexually explicit chat messages on his Skype accounts and hundreds of screenshots of boys engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

The defendant was arrested by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s at that time and charged with one count of third degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child for Possession of Child Pornography and one count of second degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child for Distribution of Child Pornography.

He is charged today by federal complaint with one count of producing visual depictions of a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

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Menendez math: $58,000 = $1,000,000

U.S. Senator Bob Menendez is arguing that the $58,000 he reimbursed to Florida eye doctor Salomon Melgen for private jet flights, prior to his corruption trial, covers the almost $1 million in extravagant gifts and contributions that the Senate Ethics Committee ordered he repay, according to report at Politico.

“I think the Ethics Committee was unaware that there were a series of payments that were made before they continued their review,” Menendez said.

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