>> Major funding for "Reporters Roundtable" with David Cruz is provided by RWJBarnabas Health, let's be healthy together.

Rowan University, educating New Jersey leaders, partnering with New Jersey businesses, transforming New jersey's future.

♪ David: The state of the state is pretty OK, just don't look too far ahead.

Hey, everybody.

It is "Reporters Roundtable," I'm David Cruz.

Our panel today includes a reporter here, and we will hear from the panel in just a little bit, but we begin today with one more look at Governor Murphy state of the state speech from Tuesday, a speech that had a lot of legislative proposals in it, some more easily achieved than others.

Let's take a look with the senior counsel and the economic justice program of the New Jersey Institute of social justice, good to meet you.

Welcome.

Guest: Funeral 2 -- Thank you.

Good to be here.

David: What did you like about the speech.

Guest: There are a number of things that could change her mind about the state of the state address.

-- change your mind about the state of the state address.

We appreciate anybody touring the bill to people on probation, ending gerrymandering, which allowed those to be counted prior to grand incarceration on the address they were living at, as well as has been a leader in lowering the voter age for the state, and the governor wasn't supported that, as well as early voting and online registration, so these are significant and important advancements in our democracy and increasing access to the ballot.

David: I'm sorry, go ahead.

Guest: We also appreciate the governor support for same day voter registration, as well as jury service for those who had no convictions, and then as well as we encourage the governor, or what we like the governor to do is support the New Jersey voting rights act, and it was an important step in relief increasing and expanding our democracy.

David: No mention of that in the speech, and we spoke to Senator about the proposals.

He is not so hot for same day voter registration.

Says it is an opportunity for at least incompetence, if not corruption.

He also pointed out that when 16-year-olds were in the ballot, in the booth this past election and it Newark, it did not have tickets, not much at all.

Not a lot of kids voted.

So there is still work to be done on that.

Guest: Yeah, there is certainly work to be done.

This is just the beginning.

Democracy is always about experimenting.

And allowing folks who are impacted by the policies of their school board, particularly young people, particularly at a time when we see low turnout rates, allowing young people to participate is an important first step and we are just beginning this, and as more people know about this, we can really expand this work, and also with same day, we have the technology, there's no additional cost, there's no reason people cannot register and vote on the same day.

That is not an opportunity for corruption but democracy.

David: We had a question here.

Guest: Hi, I'm from NJ.com here.

The question I have is New Jersey often times posits itself as progressive state in terms of its own perception.

Yet, even according to some of your institution statistics, it has very stark racial disparities in terms of economic income, so how do you reconcile those two images?

Guest: Thank you for that question.

New Jersey does benefit from a halo of progressivism.

As he pointed out, New Jersey has if not the largest racial wealth gap in the country, and it is only increasing.

This is an opportunity for New Jersey to be bold, brave, and to take policy recommendations that they have proposed to close the racial gap wealth by increasing ownership for black and brown new Jerseyans, particularly in this high cost state, so we would urge the governor to support legislation that make housing more affordable for every new Jerseyans, particularly because the racial wealth gap is driven by original homeownership divide, so we know that if we can close that racial divide, we can also close the racial wealth gap in the state.

David: Speaking of being progressive, on a scale of one to 5, 5 being the most progressive, where does Murphy land?

Guest: So, you know, I used to be an assistant, and one of the things I learned as a teaching assistant was item for final grades before the semester is done.

We still have one more year and Governor Murphy's term, so we will wait for Murphy to finish his term, but what I can't say is there are important steps taken, and there is much more work that can be done and Governor Murphy's last year, as well.

David: Let's put it to the MLK holiday upcoming trade I always wonder how Dr. King may have dealt with the Donald Trump, you ever wonder that?

Guest: Good question.

I thought about that, so have others.

I think Monday's date is an interesting juxtaposition for this country.

We are facing an administration that faces issues of economic and racial justice, and really a multiracial democracy, we are quite skeptical, and Kings holiday is an opportunity for us to think about what we can do in New Jersey to realize not only Dr. King's dream but the dream of founders, providing society that people can thrive, people can be free, so it is an opportunity for New Jersey to be bold at a time when the federal government may not be supporting a lot of the key issues that will make Black and brown new Jerseyans' lives better.

David: I was having a conversation with John Harmon of the African-American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey, and he said Black voters need to seriously start looking at alternatives to the Democratic Party.

They are not getting a return on investment.

Do you agree with that and wh were that all alternative be -- and what would that alternative?

Guest: Black voters should always be thinking about -- you know, there are no permanent enemies, only permanent interest.

Looking at supporting particular parties, we should be thinking about particular interests, which is social justice, closing the racial wealth gap, improving the lives of everyone, not only New Jersey -- David: I understand that, but when you are really going to push for it, those victories are won at the ballot box because that is how you elect folks who are going to agree with your agenda and your priority.

Guest: I think abandoning one particular party, you should be trying to get both parties support.

Domination is not a one party went on both parties.

And all parties are interested in gaining people's votes, it is on everybody because this is something that is not just the obligation of one particular person for one particular party, it is the obligation of all of us.

If people are running for elected office, they should make appeals to those people who are the least of us in many ways, so the obligation is really on them to expand their programs, their policy proposals, their platforms to gain those voters.

David: What I think I hear you kind of saying is infiltrate the Republican Party and adjust the way that they see things?

Guest: I think I would be more toward saying all parties should be involved in this.

This is an obligation -- David: I only make that point because 85% of Black men and more of Black women are voting Democratic.

Guest: As you know, there is a long history, particularly since 1964 with LBJ support for the voting rights act, and there was even a little break prior to the 1930's with FDR's massive new Deal, and Black people went to the party that supported civil rights.

That is the reason why we have seen the systematic and solid support for Black the Democratic Party by voters since the 1960's.

That kind of party alignment since then, that is why we have seen the consistent voting patterns along racial lines and party lines.

And if we don't see significant departures from that, we will consistently see those voting lines.

Until we see major break, which I don't suspect will happen the next four years, we will see, continue to see Black voters supporting the Democratic Party along those lines.

David: Jean-Pierre Brutus's Senior counsel and economic justice program of the New Jersey Institute for social justice.

Good talking to you.

Thank you for coming on.

Guest: Thank you for having me.

David: Panel, welcome to you all.

Let me start with you, as far as I know, the state broadcaster has never been in the room for a state of the state speech, so that was pretty cool to me to have you down there on Tuesday, but so much protocol this year, no?

Briana: the security was really high-end, and they have been getting bomb threats, not New Jersey, there is no known or heightened right here, but they definitely took all of the security precautions to the nth degree.

It was great to be down there, we did the broadcast live from inside.

Usually we are hanging out in the hallway, talking to folks, but it was nice to have our team down there, and a lot of folks have been talking about this being the governor's last state of the state speech.

It is not, he has got one more to go, but this is the last time we are going to hear him lay out his priorities in this way.

David: What did you take away?

Something jumped out at you for sticking with you as we go into the weekend?

Briana: A couple of things.

He promised he would still have policies that he wanted to champion, and they definitely delved out.

They were mostly low hanging fruit, but things like he will be able to accomplish.

He got a lot of bipartisan laws, like things like the nine or 11 districts that do not yet have full-time pre-k or Kindergarten, rather, you know, paid family leave, paid family leave for state workers, things like that, which are not too much of a heavy lift, but you could probably get across the finish line.

I also took note that he struck a more combative tone than we typically see in these speeches, specifically in firing at some of the gubernatorial candidates and Republicans in particular who have taken him to task for the amount of spending that has ballooned under his administration, which essentially said this is what happens when you pay your bills and meet your obligations.

I thought that was a different tone than we have heard from Murphy, and we did not hear them talk about estate NJ.

-- about Stay NJ.

David: Good point.

What is in your notebook?

Jelani: I think all of those are great points made, but what did strike me that was missing somewhat from the conversation were the fiscal issues that may be on the horizon.

The cell phone ban did have a lot of bipartisan support, something quite frankly I saw the Republicans stand up and pause for.

Back to my days as an education reporter, Republicans and conservatives were always really big on cell phone bans.

If anything, it's took the Democrats a little bit to come over to that side of the aisle.

As we have seen the rise of cyber bullying and mental health crisis, and seen suicide crisis, it seemed like one of the few bipartisan issues that everybody was able to agree on.

The Republicans primary criticism did not really seem to go in the decision of potential physical either, and they seem to be going more in the direction in their minds how much New Jersey, from their perspective, is going to need the Trump administration to accomplish some of their objectives, so it seems like the Republicans are making more of a nationally censored argument here.

David: A chock full of proposals going into the final year, but as Briana said, a lot of it was low hanging fruit and stuff that had been cooking already, yeah?

Dustin: yeah, he has been trying for years to cut out-of-pocket costs for abortion.

He has tried for same-day voter registration and getting 16 and 17-year-olds to vote board elections.

So, yeah, I don't know.

It has not passed so far.

I'm not sure if it is going to have much legs this time around.

You know, it is sort of a hodgepodge of things that he would like to get done.

You can probably categorize it as constituent services, like if you put it all together, just there's really no big thing, big brass ring he's trying to reach for.

He's just trying a reflection of things.

And who knows.

I mean, lawmakers are skeptical afterwards.

We will see how things shake out.

The big thing is the budget.

David: To use a sports metaphor, a lot of singles and doubles with no home runs in that speech.

No talk of Stay N.J., as mentioned.

Bri, you and Colleen talked about this on Tuesday, do you think it is dead?

Briana: Well, I don't know.

I don't think it is dead, but they still need to make another hundred million dollar installment in order to make it happen, and as Dustin pointed out, there are a lot of fiscal issues.

I mean the governor in November said that email asking all the state agencies to tighten their belts, 5% budget cuts, pay freezes, things like that.

So, I think it is going to be a big power struggle for sure, and the fact he did not mention it I think said more to me than if he had.

David: Right.

Some of the criticism of Stay N.J. is that it mostly helps seniors who are pretty well off as opposed to the anchor program , which touches a lot more people, yeah?

Jelani: I mean, yeah, that is the criticism and also the overall criticism has consistently been how is the state going to make the money at up and actually implement these things for the full term?

That has not exactly been explained yet either, and with what appears to be what could be a very savage fiscal cliff on the horizon, something tells me that that question is going to become all the more cognizant.

David: Most of the governor candidates skip the speech.

I saw Sean Spiller, we had him on with us.

I was most interested in the fact that a lot of people I was talking to were saying do not sleep on Steve Sweeney.

He is one of the six Democrats, as you all know, running for governor.

He was not there.

He has a new ad.

I think it is his first since his announcement, raising lots of money, and seemingly has south jersey on lot.

Is there some Sweeneymentum out there?

Dustin: I would not use that term.

David: I will never use it again either.

[LAUGHTER] Dustin: It is January.

The thing about the primary is we don't have a county line.

I think that just blows anything wide-open.

I think everybody has a fair shot.

And Steve Sweeney is included.

He has the capability to raise a lot of money, and he has got relationships up and down the state, so you cannot count him out.

He has been quiet to this point, but it will pick up soon.

Briana: I have seen Steve Sweeney for whatever reason a bunch of political events like work adjacent on weekends and things, and he is definitely the most relaxed that I've ever remembered him being.

Like almost jovial.

He's really enjoying running this campaign for whatever that is worth.

I think sometimes when folks jump in early like Philip did, you know, we as reporters and news consumers maybe start to put them in the back of our minds.

But he is definitely out there, shaking hands and kissing babies and doing all the things that he needs to do.

David: You're beat his state house, but you were the cannabis correspondent for a while.

The governor did not mention weed at all in his speech, I don't think, and he certainly did not urge the industry to get moving on consumption lounges, for instance.

Where is the industry nowadays, and should Murphy consider its rollout of victory?

Jelani: [LAUGHTER] David: For his administration.

Jelani: You always know how to ask the most loaded questions.

[LAUGHTER] David: [LAUGHTER] Jelani: I mean, look, this is the first time that the industry broke one million, but, you know, there are still concerns, right.

And those concerns are quite frankly that the cannabis industry is subject to a lot of corruptions, specifically on the local level with allowing municipalities to essentially do whatever they want to advocate.

Some of the current system has pushed back against that.

Which is what usually happens when you have flaws in the legislation like that, municipalities are going to get sued, and courts are going to eat you decayed it.

More often than not, the court is going to rule in favor, so that is a rare occurrence, but you have had a couple of instances where even the courts have stepped in and have said the way that towns are being arbitrary and capricious is far beyond the pale, but exposing social equity applicants to that, exposing people with the least financial means to that political gain has heartbreaking and brutal and savage outcomes for them.

One of the most outspoken, you know, commissioners is also being replaced, and that has been viewed by many activists as tamping down on Black criticism of the market that revolves around economic opportunity.

So, I mean, there is your good and there is your bad.

Cannabis consumption lounges, they are places that are going to allow.

-- allow people to smoke weed , like a café.

There is legislation pending that would allow you to eat more like food products in there, and stuff like that.

Can it be considered a homerun by way of profit?

Yeah, sure.

Can it be considered a homerun by way of helping out the disenfranchised and the social justice aspects?

I have yet to run into any organization that feels that if she would be described as such, and it is also important to remember that a very eloquent op-ed was written on NJ.com, saying that the reason for cannabis legalization has always been about social justice.

So we also have to keep that in mind as reporters.

David: The governor did mention congestion pricing.

You wait and see, it is not over, he said.

Is it over?

Dustin: Seems over.

He has lost in court.

David: I don't know where else is going to go.

Dustin: Yeah, that whole stay tuned thing was rather curious.

I wonder what he means by that, but, he just lost in court.

It is done.

It is in place.

David: It is dead, right?

Briana: I mean, New Jersey lost all its leverage, in my mind, once the plan actually started.

Aside from spending more on attorneys to keep appealing in court, there are not many other avenues he has.

Largely, people who are paying the extra nine dollars to drive in say their commutes are better.

I think he should focus more on shoring up New Jersey transit because now everybody is taking the trains since the congestion pricing started have been extra tough, not only are trains delayed but they are also extra crowded.

I guess it remains to be seen.

Maybe he has a rabbit and his hat.

I don't know.

David: Katie Brennan, Robbie Bala running in the same district, very popular district.

Are we going to see more high-profile people running because the calculations are different now, no partyline, the machines have weekend, is this a sign of the times to come?

Briana: I think it is, and that is certainly what the advocates who prior to Andy Kim coming into the picture for the lawsuit that he brought that ultimately got the line abolished have argued, that players who would not have gotten in, and people who were not skilled or bring a lot to the table were being kept out because of the party establishment.

We know that has not gone away, and that still plays a big role of the vote, all of that.

But this has certainly now become a race to watch.

That is for sure.

David: Let me get really quick answers from each of you.

Trump 2 hits theaters on Monday, ironically enough, on the MLK holiday.

Fears, hopes, expectations, 10 seconds.

Jelani: My hope is we can resemble something of a normal country for the next 10 -- four years.

Briana: I mean, listen, there were a lot of promises made, so let's see how they pan out.

David: Is democracy going to make it??

Dustin: Of course it will, offshore is dead, immigration thrives.

David: Thank you.

Good to see you all.

Thank you to Jean-Pierre Brutus for joining us.

You can follow the show on at at @roundtablenj and subscribe to see without the team is up to.

For all of us here at Gateway Center, two Aapri Washington.

We will see you next week.

>> Major funding for "Reporters Roundtable" with David Cruz is provided by RWJBarnabas Health, let's be healthy together.

Rowan University, educating New Jersey leaders, partnering with New Jersey businesses, transforming New jersey's future.

♪