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Briana: Tonight on "NJ Spotlight News" -- Plastic pollution in the state, it is the focus in Trenton on this Earth Day.

>> You get that plastic out of the environment because it is killing us and we have to recognize that finally and maybe that's why the current recycling law is not enough.

Briana: As state leaders continue to combat the impacts of climate change in the Garden State, searching for a more sustainable future.

>> We need to show ourselves and us in government, we must show the public that there is a pathway, an affordable pathway to a clean energy future, and there is.

Briana: Plus, two years in.

The recreational cannabis business is cashing in, with some seeking to grow weed at home.

>> We are removing the stigma.

Still ways to go.

But just to see the progression from the initial to now has been overwhelming.

Briana: And calls for housing, not handcuffs are heard in Newark today, as the U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments on whether removing the homeless from public property is cruel and unusual punishment.

"NJ Spotlight News" begins right now.

♪ Announcer: From NJ PBS Studios, this is "NJ Spotlight news" with Briana Vannozzi.

Briana: Good evening.

Thanks for joining us this Monday night.

I'm Briana Vannozzi.

It is the planet versus plastic this earth day, with organizers in New Jersey and across the country calling to cut plastic production by 60% the next 20 years, partly because single use plastics are everywhere but also because researchers and scientists have now spent years documenting their harmful effect on humans and the environment.

Eventually breaking down into tiny particles that enter our bloodstream through drinking water, food, and even the air we breathe.

That's caused some lawmakers in New Jersey to go back to basics when it comes to eliminating the pervasiveness of plastics, holding a rare joint session of the Senate and assembly environment committees today to figure out what else New Jersey can do to rid itself of plastic pollution.

Our senior correspondent, Brenda Flanagan, reports.

Reporter: Senator Bob Smith says testimony today about plastic pollution's devastating impact on planet Earth and human health helps convince New Jersey in such a drastic measures which includes resurrecting the controversial bottle bill where folks collect on a refundable deposit when they return cans and bottles for recycling.

It is about all that's waged in New Jersey since the 1980's, but -- >> We will have to consider all the 10% deposit bottle bill, sounds like the right thing to do.

>> Recycling is real except for plastics.

Reporter: Smith spoke after a panel of experts and assembly environment committees that the plastic industry is trashing the planet, making 450 million tons of plastic a year currently.

Unlike glass bottles or aluminum cans, most plastics are to chemically complex to properly recycle, says the former EPA regional administrator, Judas Enck.

>> For 40 years, the plastics industry has said, don't worry about the massive amount of plastics we are producing.

We can just recycle it.

That turns out not to be true.

Less than 10% of plastics are actually recycled.

Reporter: She says New Jersey should keep collecting recyclables curbside but also enact a bottle bill, reduce Street later, and -- street litter and increase the rates in refundable container laws.

Some are hard against it, saying the bottle bill is too inconvenient for most folks and would siphon off revenues from recycling centers.

>> Imagine running any business and you have taken away from you 40% of your revenue.

What you are going to do is put in jeopardy the entire recycling infrastructure of the state.

We have put in place a very strong platform for total recycling.

A bottle bill would take us backward.

Reporter: But scientists researching the impact of plastics on human health told lawmakers they find it everywhere, as millions of nanoparticles invisible to the human eye.

These micro-plastics have been connected to cardiac issues.

>> Plastic particles have been identified in the human lung, human liver, human kidney, urine, feces, hearts, placenta, blood, and breastmilk.

Reporter: Researchers also claim certain plastic chemicals impact human hormones, increasing the chances of breast cancer and human infertility problems and reducing spam counts -- sperm counts.

>> They are disrupting hormones and increasing health risks.

Reporter: The bottle bill is only one piece of the reforms in the renewed war of plastics pollution, others include waste reduction.

>> We a strategy to reduce litter and waste.

Reporter: A group of environmental advocates want New Jersey to enact a skip the stuff long like New York City requiring tenors to request a cut plastic where and truthfully label plastics that are in fact an recyclable -- not recyclable.

>> There are solutions here today.

We don't always have to wait for legislation to kick in but we are going to fight all of us together, to fight for those big state laws as well as stepping the stone.

Reporter: I hope to meet again on these issues later this summer.

Brenda Flanagan, NJ Spotlight News.

Briana: The Biden administration kicked off Earth week by unveiling roughly $7 billion in grants to support more clean energy development, designating the money for solar expansion in low income areas which includes more than $150 million to New Jersey's Board of Public utilities to prop up the work being done here.

Renewable energy is seen as a key factor to mitigating the effects of climate change what can be -- which can be charted by rising sea levels and warming temperatures across the globe.

Today, the state Department of environmental protection released a draft, extreme heat -- released a draft extreme heat resilience action plan to help state agencies understand what they can and should do in an extreme heat event.

Scientists say those are becoming more frequent throughout our region.

Last year was the earth's warmest on record since scientists began tracking at roughly 150 years ago.

One way the state is trying to do its part is by transitioning to 100% clean energy by 2035.

A big feat when you consider the hurdles.

Here to talk about that and the rest of the state's plans as a Department of environmental protection commissioner, Shaw l aTourette.

Thanks for joining me.

A lot to talk about with Earth today and where the state sits right now and where leaders like yourself want to see it in the future.

I'm especially thinking about this transition to 100% renewable energy.

Much of the state is fueled by natural gas.

Where do you CS the next 10 years?

-- Where do you see us the next 10 years?

Because there are pending proposals to come online, what is your stance on that and we do you see us in the next decade?

>> I see us in the next decade moving aggressively forward to embrace the clean energy future that is already under development here in the state of New Jersey.

What we have been working on over the course of the last figures under Governor Murphy's initiatives is a plants architect the clean energy future but also put in place the incentive programs and regulatory reforms that will enable a continued transition.

The truth is that we are all -- whether we realize it or not -- on the clean energy transition already.

Briana: What does that look like?

>> What that means is, we see private entities, private industry, utilities of varying sorts including those with deep roots in the fossil fuel generation sector moving toward a clean energy future.

Is it all going as quickly as it needs to?

In order to blunt the worst experience is of climate change, no.

I won't sit here on earth day and tell you otherwise.

But would it requires is continued focus -- what it requires is continued focus and commitment to those goals.

That means continuing to issue solicitations for offshore wind and solar projects, continuing to support the baseload clean power that already fuels New Jersey in the form of our nuclear facilities, and slowly transitioning off of natural gas.

And I say slowly in part because we have really old housing stock in the state of New Jersey and we cannot flip a switch and turn off all natural gas immediately.

It's going to take time.

Briana: Yeah.

I mean, when you talk about the transition -- And we've had that conversation before.

You just can't take everything online and switch to the new, whether it's natural gas or electric vehicles.

But when you think about the PVSC sewage plant in Newark, for example, that proposal is still pending, needing approval from your department.

The folks have looked at that specifically as, if we are transitioning, why not make one of the areas where rather than bring a new gas plant online, you've heard this argument, where does that stand?

>> That application is still under review by the Department of Environmental Protection and under consideration by the sewerage commission which by the way it is not a state-controlled entity.

It is a regionally controlled utility by 48 municipalities and counties in that section of our great state.

Only one entity will determine whether or not that project remains under consideration.

That entity is the PVSC itself.

If the project does continue under consideration, the DEP will ensure that consistent with the environmental justice law, the facility reduces net impacts to that overburdened community.

There's no question the Environmental justice law requires that.

Briana: Just recently, the EPA not only finalize drinking water rules when it comes to Forever Chemicals, but also for the first time detailed two of the most common of those PFAS chemicals that are listed as a hazmat.

I'm wondering what this means for New Jersey.

We have quite a few of those sites that have been identified.

What it means for the cleanup and how those rules affect New Jersey.

>> So, the short answer is, not too much, do they affect New Jersey.

Why?

Because once again President Biden and vice president Harris have taken a page out of Governor Murphy's playbook.

New Jersey has led the nation in addressing PFAS contamination.

Some of the science that was the basis of the recent announcements by the federal government started right here in New Jersey.

With respect to the federal listing as a hazardous substance under the Superfund law, we already have that here in New Jersey.

PFAS, PFOA, PFNA, they are already hazardous substances under our New Jersey spill act, which was the basis for the Superfund law back in the 1980's.

So we are already well on our way to achieving control at environmentally hazardous sites all across the state that have PFAS concerns.

Of course, it's a long road.

We have a lot of cleanup to do within our environment.

We are going to seek to hold and already are seeking to hold the manufacturers of PFAS accountable.

We have sued, beginning in 2019, the major manufacturers of PFAS and we will make sure that they do not leave the residents and taxpayers of the state of New Jersey holding the bag, we will make them clean up their mess.

Briana: Commissioner Shawn LaTourette, thanks so much.

Hundreds of thousands of Jews in New Jersey will begin celebrating Passover tonight, the holiday is a celebration of resilience, unity, and freedom and it will be particularly emotional this year amid ongoing tensions over the Israel-hamas war in Gaza.

At Colombia University today, all in person classes were switched to virtual only following protests against the war in Gaza held both on and near the New York City campus over the last few days.

The demonstrations led to the arrests of over more than 100 students, including Jews participating in the event.

Many of those students say they faced unfair repercussions for peacefully gathering at an encampment.

Mike Rutgers University Columbia student Protesters are calling on school leadership to divest all economic and academic stakes in Israel.

But videos of anti-Semitic harassment by protesters outside school grounds also surfaced on social media this weekend.

That drew condemnation from university and city officials.

An Orthodox rabbi urged students to stay home out of concern for their safety.

But the University's halal disputed that and is called for increased protection on campus.

It all comes as the U.S. House on Saturday passed a $95 billion bipartisan aid package that will give security help to both Ukraine and Israel.

The Senate will begin considering the bill as early as tomorrow.

Meanwhile, a 24-year-old North Plainfield man has been arrested and charged with a federal hate crime for allegedly vandalizing the Center for Islamic life at Rutgers University.

According to a complaint from the FBI, Jacob Beecher is in custody in connection with the crime that took place during the Eid holiday marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

He was caught breaking into the center April 10 around 2:41 a.m. damaging several religious items and other property totaling $40,000.

Beecher is facing two federal charges, one count of damage to religious property and one count of making false statements to federal authorities.

He denied that he broke into the center.

The 24-year-old made an initial appearance today in Newark federal court and remains in federal custody.

According to Rutgers police, the investigation is still active.

Additional state charges are pending.

A case before the U.S. Supreme Court today could have sweeping implications for cities across the U.S., including in New Jersey.

As justices wrestle with a set of Oregon laws that ban camping on public property like streets and sidewalks, benches and town parks, all in order to curb homelessness there.

The high court will decide of -- decide if arresting the unhoused violates the Constitution's eighth amendment which bars cruel and unusual punishment, or whether being homeless constitutes a crime.

Ted Goldberg reports from a rally in Newark.

>> Housing, not handcuffs!

Reporter: As the Supreme Court heard arguments about whether cities like Grants Pass, Oregon can fine or arrest people for sleeping outside, protesters rallied against those kinds of laws here in Newark.

>> The outcome will determine whether the United States will be a country that fines or arrests people for experiencing homelessness, or a country that invests in solutions.

Reporter: The case before the Supreme Court was brought by two homeless people claiming removing, fining, or arresting the homeless from the streets was a form of cruel or unusual punishment.

>> We know what works.

We know what success looks like.

It's not locking people up.

It's not fining them.

Reporter: Advocates spoke in Harriet Tubman square in Newark, a city that's drastically reduced homelessness according to state data without fining people or throwing them in jail.

>> This is a city that has seen a reduction in unsheltered homelessness of 57.6% because of the work being done in Newark.

>> Any way to avoid negative interaction with police and the community is important.

In this case, being homeless is not something that may end up in a negative reaction.

>> As if they don't have enough challenges to get out of that cycle of homelessness and poverty, now you are going to add a criminal record onto that making it more difficult for them to get housing, more difficult for them to get jobs.

Reporter: And having a job is not always enough to avoid homelessness.

>> I am fearful to sleep in the station, fearful to get kicked out.

Reporter: Keisha was one of today's speakers that have not -- that has not been able to find a place to stay.

Sometimes shelters do not have room and sometimes affordable housing is not so affordable.

>> Even though we say, OK, we will give you affordable housing, how affordable is it?

Because then the landlords can say, well, we don't want to take you.

>> Experiencing being homeless, out on the street, then having to go to certain people's houses and you have to leave when they leave, oh, god, it hurts.

Reporter: But will it be legal to ban or remove folks like this from the streets altogether?

>> This community, this city is what it is because of every resident.

Whether you've got an address to put mail in or not.

Reporter: People here say if the Supreme Court rules in favor of Grants Pass, Oregon, they will take their fight to Trenton and argue there on behalf of the homeless.

In Newark, Ted Goldberg, NJ Spotlight News.

Briana: In our Spotlight on business report tonight, cornering the cannabis market.

Sunday marked the two-year anniversary of New Jersey's recreational cannabis sales.

Since then, the market has ballooned from a few fledgling dispensaries across the state, to more than 100, including recreational only medical and a -- including recreational only, medical, and a combo of both.

But as Melissa Rose Cooper reports, as that side of the industry is booming, support for home growth is yet to take off.

>> Watching it grow has been amazing.

I'm still in disbelief.

I can't believe that we are here and doing it.

It was just a dream.

It was just something that we've talked about and now it's here.

Every day wake up and pinch myself, is this real?

Reporter: Feelings of excitement she still feels everyday she walks through the doors here at Noire, the cannabis dispensary she owns with her husband, Giovanni.

>> I'm going back to when I was a kid thinking about marijuana and how it was illegal and you say no to drugs to now know that it's legal that you can operate and sell, it's an amazing feeling.

It is so surreal, but exciting.

Reporter: The couple opened the store in September, becoming the second black-owned adult shop in New Jersey and the first to open in the northern part of the state.

>> I think it's awesome, seeing that everyone is embracing it and welcoming the product.

We are removing the stigma.

Still ways to go, but just to see the progression from the initial to now has been very overwhelming.

Reporter: And now Noir is joining thousands of New Jersey dispensaries as they mark the second anniversary of recreational cannabis sales in the state.

>> It's a huge milestone we are now two years into adult use cannabis sales in the state of New Jersey.

The market is expanding.

It still shows a lot of potential.

And it is growing day by day.

There are now 130 stores open, retail sites.

More and more cultivators are opening up.

More and more manufacturers so there is greater product diversity and more choices for consumers.

Reporter: Jeff Brown is the Executive Director of the New Jersey cannabis regulatory commission.

He says the adult use market helped generate $1.3 billion in cannabis sales since launching two years ago with $800 million in sales last year alone.

Since the state began reforming cannabis in 2018, the industry has generated $2 billion with another $1 billion projected this year.

>> Our team is moving through license applications they by -- day by day, month my month, we have received over 2500 applications, the vast majority of those are for conditional licenses, we have issued over 1800 licenses, license awards, and about 500 of those are for annual awards which would be for businesses to begin operation.

They would just need to fast final inspection before they can begin operation.

Reporter: While many cannabis entrepreneurs are happy about the progress made, they say there are still a number of barriers faced trying to enter the market.

>> On the licensing side, not only are you going through a rigorous process with the regulatory commission, you are also going through the process with the municipality.

You are sort of bumping shoulders with other hopefuls to be in this market and hope you get that sort of golden license, golden tickets operate.

-- ticket to operate.

Reporter: Precious tried to open a legal dispensary in her hometown of East Orange last year but was denied a license.

Although a disappointment, it forced her to pursue other ways of entering the market legally.

>> I said to myself, instead of having one dispensary, what about products inside dispensaries?

And I formed a pre-roll brand and named it precious because I want folks to remember there are many different avenues to join cannabis.

You can also be a brand.

Instead of having one dispensary, have a pre-roll -- I have a pre-roll product that will be in most dispensaries in New Jersey launching in May.

Reporter: But there's still at least one more avenue into the industry cannabis advocates want to be explored.

The ability to cultivate at home.

Senator Gopal supports the initiative and says he's disappointed New Jersey has yet to adopt it.

>> The purpose of legalizing cannabis was done for social justice purposes.

That's what everyone said the purpose was.

So, the optics right now is that it's being done to help a bunch of corporations, when every other state in the union has -- that has legalized cannabis has a good home grown provision, but we don't, that's pretty telling and pretty alarming.

There's no reason not to start at least and medical -- in medical patients.

It's pretty unacceptable at this point.

Reporter: As recreational sales increase, they maintain they have not forgotten about the medicinal community, implementing initiatives like in-person registration clinics to help people get signed up.

And despite any challenges, business owners say they are looking forward to the continued expansion of cannabis in the state.

For NJ Spotlight News, I'm Melissa Rose Cooper.

Briana: On Wall Street, Stocks bounced back today following the worst week of the year for markets.

Here's the closing trading numbers for this Monday.

♪ And that does it for us to not -- tonight, but don't forget to download the NJ Spotlight news podcast so you can listen anytime.

I'm Briana Vannozzi.

For the entire NJ Spotlight News team, thank you for being with us.

Have a great evening.

We will see you back here tomorrow night.

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