Sweeney rips governor over Rutgers appointment

Senate President Steve Sweeney today tore into Gov. Chris Christie over the governor's appointment of Martin Perez to the Rutgers Board of Governors.

(Darryl Isherwood)

http://www.politickernj.com/61902/sweeney-rips-...

Pallone reminds party chairs about interest in Senate seat

Against the backdrop of Newark Mayor Cory Booker’s examination of his future statewide plans, U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6) is reaching out to Democratic Party chairs to remind them that in the event of an eventual U.S. Senate opening, he remains interested.

(Max Pizarro; PolitickerNJ.com)

http://www.politickernj.com/61893/sources-pallo...

LG 23 incumbents announce decision to run again

State Sen. Michael Doherty and New Jersey Assemblymen John DiMaio and Erik Peterson today formally announced their intention to seek re-election to the state Legislature to represent the 23^rd Legislative District.

(Max Pizarro; PolitickerNJ.com)

http://www.politickernj.com/61891/lg-23-incumbe...

Latest from State Street Wire

Attorney general announces another round of alleged price gouging lawsuits

TRENTON – New Jersey’s Attorney General announced Wednesday the state filed six additional lawsuits against hotel operators and a gas station following allegations of price gouging in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.

(Matthew Arco; PolitickerNJ.com)

http://www.politickernj.com/61894/attorney-gene...

Lesniak, Turner to introduce bill on gun violence, mental health issues

TRENTON – Less than a week after a gunman killed 26 people, including 20 children, in Newtown, Conn., Sens. Ray Lesniak and Shirley Turner have taken action to try and combat the level of violence in this country.

(Bill Mooney; State Street Wire)

http://www.politickernj.com/61890/lesniak-turne...

From the Back Room

Ramos fund-raises in Newark

Regardless of what happens in 2013, the 2014 Newark mayor's race is already at full tilt.

(Politicker Staff)

http://www.politickernj.com/back_room/ramos-fun...

Senate Republican proposal would slash Sandy aid from $60B to $24B

Republicans moved on Wednesday to dramatically slash a proposed relief bill for areas hit by superstorm Sandy from $60.4 billion to $23.8 billion — a proposal that New Jersey’s two Democratic senators blasted as a slap in the face that would leave the state to fend for itself.

(Herb Jackson and Abbott Koloff; The Record)

http://www.northjersey.com/news/Senate_Republic...

Gov. Christie balks at free beach access in towns accepting Sandy aid

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie was skeptical tonight about a bill that would require all towns accepting state or federal aid to rebuild their beaches after Hurricane Sandy make access to them free.

(Matt Friedman; Star-Ledger)

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/12/go...

More suits filed against Assemblyman Schroeder

Three more lawsuits have been filed recently against embattled state Assemblyman Robert Schroeder, who is also the target of forfeiture actions filed by the state Attorney General’s Office last month.

(Chris Harris and Kibret Markos; Bergen Record)

http://www.northjersey.com/news/More_suits_file...

NRA sees rise in membership after school shooting

The National Rifle Association, while staying mostly quiet in the immediate aftermath of the mass shooting in Connecticut, has registered an average of 8,000 new members a day since the tragedy, an NRA source told Fox News.

(FoxNews.com)

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/12/19/nra-...

Obama, Boehner: Fiscal cliff stalemate

There are no events on President Obama's public schedule Thursday -- and it's hard to say how much is going on behind the scenes on the fiscal cliff.

(David Jackson; USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/theoval/2012/12/2...

Point Pleasant has credit rating downgraded, making post-Sandy rebuilding more costly

SEASIDE HEIGHTS — The borough of Seaside Heights, already battered by Hurricane Sandy, has taken another hit: a chip off its credit rating.

(Eugene Paik; Star Ledger)

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/12/seasid...

Jenkinson’s owners to reparir boardwalk so bars can stay open past midnight

POINT PLEASANT BEACH — The owners of Jenkinson’s Boardwalk will pay up to $1 million to repair the borough’s Hurricane Sandy-battered boardwalk, as part of an agreement that could allow local bars to once again stay open past midnight, Mayor Vincent Barrella said.

(Eugene Paik; Star Ledger)

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/12/jenkin...

Gov Christie says ‘national discussion’ needed on gun control

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie said tonight that gun control is one of several issues that must be examined to prevent tragedies like Friday’s school shooting in Connecticut.

(Matt Friedman; Star-Ledger)

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/12/go...

Carroll: We need less gun control, not more

There's a scene in "Spaceballs" in which Lone Star hands Princess Vespa a gun to fight off the oncoming enemy soldiers. She holds it sheepishly with two fingers and tells him, "I ain't shooting this thing. I hate guns."

(Louis Hochman; NJ.com)

http://www.nj.com/morris/index.ssf/2012/12/asse...

New Jerseyans more fond of their state in wake of Sandy

TRENTON — Hurricane Sandy devastated New Jersey, but it also may have made residents feel better about the state, according to a Monmouth University poll released this morning.

(Matt Friedman; Star Ledger)

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/12/in...

NJ Turnpike Authority to use social media to promote safe driving

The number of fatalities on New Jersey’s two main toll roads fell 40 percent over the first 11 months of the year compared with the same period in 2011, with total accidents down 7 percent, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority reported Wednesday.

(Steve Strunsky; Star Ledger)

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/12/nj_tur...