>> Tonight, replacing a New Jersey political legend, Governor Mercy six exerciser for Lieutenant Governor as the state bids a final farewell to Sheila Oliver.

A path to the future, gubernatorial candidate unveiled his plans to fix New Jersey, first up, the transportation and infrastructure system.

>> It all comes down to mobility and transportation and how do we move people around the congested state?

>> Also investigating Bob Menendez, the subject of a second federal inquiry.

The Justice Department and FBI looking at whether he accepted gifts in exchange for political favors.

>> As the investigation looks to be really expansive, it is not 100% clear what favors they may be looking at.

We can only guess based on where the probe is going.

>> Summer of storms, wind and rain wreaking havoc this past weekend as President Biden approves a federal disaster declaration from damage done in July.

NJ Spotlight News begins right now.

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♪ >> This is NJ Spotlight News with Rihanna Vannozzi.

>> Governor Murphy's administration is entering uncharted waters facing a booming deadline to choose a successor for the late Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver who died suddenly this month at the age of 71.

The governor must now tap someone to fill the post for the remainder of her term out according to the state constitution there is just about a month left to do so.

Briana: All of her was only the second person to ever hold the position.

Advocacy groups have already called on the Governor to appoint another black woman, noting it would be a fitting tribute to her legacy.

Members of the public were invited to pay their final respects during a three-day celebration of life.

Omitting this weekend -- culminating at the Cathedral Basilica at the Sacred Heart where all over, the first black woman elected to statewide office in New Jersey history was remembered as a trailblazer who became a champion of her community.

David Cruz reports.

David: With all of the formality of a state funeral, Sheila Oliver was at the Basilica for a final farewell, surrounded by those whose she had helped throughout her career in public service.

Inside, it was what the Reverend called the Basilica Baptist Church.

♪ David: Almost two dozen speakers representing the life and times of Lieutenant Governor remembered her with passionate presentations.

>> She taught us you can be pro-black without being anti-black.

She taught us that you can advocate for the poor without hating on the rich.

>> She never had forgot what she was willing to do!

Sheila never forgot the people in the room.

[INDISCERNIBLE] She was in the room to be in the room!

>> Even though she always said it was fine, pulling up a chair and saying that it was time to interject her voice into conversations that were our s. >> As we see each of these state representatives who come to ask God for the discipline, only God can hear.

In the memo Sheila Oliver, stickier time -- in the name of Sheila Oliver, stick to your time.

>> Oliver, trust me, she was confident!

>> I used to think that she was from New York City, -- David: There was a call to arms, the government and others telling individuals to walk the walk as Oliver did.

>> Our work together was hardly finished.

She and I were elected and reelected to finish this job together.

It breaks my heart to say that is no longer possible.

New Jersey, I need you.

We need you to finish the job together.

I need you to stand up and honor Sheila's legacy by joining together to fight as one New Jersey family.

>> We are on her shoulders, Sheila Oliver, for everything you have done for us, it is our time to do for you.

David: The process of naming a successor begins now, speculation and recommendations are rolling in, it will be hard to top Oliver's impact on the state and there is concern that a powerful progressive voice is now gone from the front office and many will look to the governor to ease those fears in the weeks ahead.

Invoking a frequent Oliver refrain.

I will be watching.

NJ Spotlight News.

Briana: In another shocking turn of the political events New Jersey's longest-serving lawmaker announced he is retiring.

Did Cody sit in a statement posted to his Facebook page, he is dropping his reelection bid and will retire at the end of his term in January after serving for 50 years in Trenton.

He stepped into service governor from 2004 through two 1005 following the resignation of former Governor Jim McGreevey, having also served as Senate President and minority leader.

He was 26 years old when he won his first term in 1973 as a state assemblyman and he recently won his primary race against another incumbent in the bid for his Senate seat.

Why is he leaving?

Because it is time to go according to him who says after half a century it is time to step aside and watch the next generation do their thing.

The next generation may include Mayor Steven Fulop, the hopeful is laying early groundwork in his campaign bid.

Unveiling an ambitious transportation plan to New Jersey on version -- New Jersey's version of a pricing plan.

Steven Fulop: in all comes back to mobility and transportation and how we move people around a city.

>> He wants to tax major corporations and hit New Yorkers with congestion pricing fees for driving east over the Hudson.

He is running for New Jersey Governor, he started his campaign policy on transportation straight into the progressive left lane.

Steven Fulop: I think we have put together a plan here that will change the focus more towards mass transit and will have an impact on every resident in New Jersey.

>> His policy paper lists some long wanted gold like a dedicated funding source for transit which was an early campaign promise of Governor Murphy.

>> They will fix transit if it kills me and it might!

>> He aims to reverse the policy and reinstate the 2.5% surcharge on New Jersey's corporate business tax due to sunset to help with the deficit.

Steven Fulop: it only impacts the larger corporations, there is no reason to have that sunset.

And matches almost perfectly with the gap that exists today.

It clearly is an attainable goal because it is something that has been done before.

>> The policy promotes mass transit over regular highway driving although he wants to reform New Jersey's motor vehicle commission, prioritizing the path train service which he says the port authority often ignores.

They would pay for expansion and upgrades by imposing a congestion pricing fee on New York drivers who crossed the Hudson tunnels and bridges into New Jersey.

He supports the concept as environmentally sound and says New Jersey should reflect its port authority leverage instead of filing a lawsuit to get a better deal.

Steven Fulop: that is better than going through the courts which we will lose.

I think it is a mistake, the tone of New Jersey in regards to how we have approached the congestion pricing conversation.

>> Transportation as just the first item on his agenda.

He plans to introduce more over the next few months, part of a political campaign with a deliberately long runway.

>> If you are trying to use your time to your advantage, by the time of the candidates announce you want to have built a bandwagon.

You want people on board with you.

He has to present interesting ideas.

>> His entry into the 2025 race for governor, gets some time to build name recognition outside of Jersey City where he served a decade as mayor.

He has earned support from Hudson and Warren County Democrats and is willing progressives as likely primary voters.

>> I think some of our more liberal, progressive voters in this country are in our cities.

It does not surprise me that an urban transportation agenda would be more progressive.

>> He says New Jersey really elects the same party to the governor's office three times in a row, he has to buck that trend and offer Democrats something different in the primary, at least.

Steven Fulop: policy oriented, grassroots campaign, who will put everything we have into it and let the voters decide.

Briana: The senior U.S.

Senator Melendez is under investigation again by the FBI and Department of Justice.

It is the second time in the last decade and this probe appears to be focused on whether Menendez and his wife accepted undisclosed gifts in exchange for political favors.

A spokesperson for the Senators today said he has not distracted by politically motivated smear campaigns and has denied any wrongdoing.

Reporters at the record habit weaving together the tangled web of characters involved in this mess.

Jane and Kristi join us.

Thank you both for coming in to talk to me about your reporting.

Let me start with you because it is this messy, I will call it a tangled web of folks who are involved in this probe, some of whom we did not know, or necessarily connected -- were connected, or the second federal probe for the Senator, talk to me about the characters who have emerged as potential key players?

>> As of characters who have emerged in this case are coming off of three investigative angles that prosecutors are following.

One involves a company that certifies halal meet that is run by an Egyptian immigrant.

It has to do with a property sale in Edgewater where a portion of the property has been sold to a Qatari sheik.

And there is the third area of inquiry where the bill to protect the Palisades Cliffs has been -- that later died, there is a group of people who are involved with that.

Briana: All of this comes back to whether or not the senator and his wife accepted cash, jewelry, luxury cars, tell me an apartment in exchange for a political favor?

What types of favors are the FBI and the DOJ looking at?

>> As the investigation looks to be really expensive, it is not 100% clear what favors they may be looking at.

We can only guess based on where the probe is going.

Based on a bill that looks to have been stalled indefinitely.

Based on a sale of property.

Based on this Egyptian immigrant rising to such a high level after as our story told, what looked to be falling on hard financial times.

Briana: His fortunes were reversed once he was introduced to the senator which let me just shift over to you Kristi, you did some extensive reporting on the property in Edgewater that jean mentioned which also involves a very big developer not just in New Jersey, but globally?

What is his role in this and what is this property having to do with Senator Menendez?

>> A developer owns this property, the Qantas Superfund site.

It is something that has been in development for 25 years.

Briana: We have the senator Menendez In the middle here, potentially has wife, who has connections with both the developer and this owner of the halal meat business, how did they all come together in this probe?

Jean: they have seemed to come together and there is the attorney named Andy, and he appears to be the point of connection with all of these people.

The attorney is very close friends with the senator's wife, both of them are Armenian, the attorney and misses Menendez.

They know each other and he introduced the Egyptian immigrant to Mrs. Menendez.

Kristi: Fred Davies was and is under investigation, waiting for his sentencing hearing for several years, almost two years now.

It got postponed to October.

A lot of experts were talking, no one can figure out why it keeps getting postponed.

He already said instead of getting sentenced up to 30 years in prison he landed on a probation deal and he just had his sentencing hearing delayed for five times now.

The next scheduled hearing is in October and that is not normal or typical.

They are all, everyone is wondering, when it is a probation deal, you want to get it over with, it leads you to liability.

Briana: Something a senator that could have sway in.

We should mention that Senator Menendez Is complying with the investigation and has said there is no wrongdoing there.

Thank you both for coming in.

Briana: A federal court in Trenton is hearing oral arguments involving a lawsuit filed by course of it, the company running the state's last remaining detention center in Elizabeth.

It is challenging a law banning local jails from housing immigration detainees and has the backing of the Biden administration.

Activists are fighting back.

>> [speaking Spanish] >> Protesters shouted in Spanish asking lawyers to leave.

The EDC and the Department of Justice.

>> Whatever it moral high ground the Democrats and Biden claimed during the Donald Trump years when it comes to immigration, they just ceded today.

>> A statement of interest signed in support of core civic, as the company challenges New Jersey's law banning new contracts between ice and detention centers for immigrants.

People who were kept in the area spoke.

>> She was detained for more than a year after being accused of having a fake human passport.

She spent seven months in Elizabeth.

>> Every time you needed them to do their job, I mean ice, you have to go on a hunger strike.

I should not have to harm my body for you to do your job the you are getting paid by taxpayer dollars.

>> Like other detainees, she is accusing ICE of abuse and withholding medical care.

>> All of the detainees told the officer, if you need to go to medical, she does not look good.

She said I am not going to call medical because she is acting.

The officers shouted at me, I wish you had exploded!

They said this is America, I can talk anyway I want.

If you do not like this, go back to your country.

>> Attorneys for core civic and the Department of Justice argued that the ban on private detention centers for immigrants is unconstitutional and would create widespread chaos in other states that followed suit.

There is no.

law conflicting with the laws signed into effect two years ago, Robert Kirsch said a written decision will come down before August 31, the last day of the contract with New Jersey, an injunction against the law would mean that the EDC stays open.

>> Intimidation and retaliation, it is normal.

Neglect, systematic, they say these are just sporadic incidents, note this is a procedure.

>> He is denying the arguments of the State of New Jersey, when it came to its rights to regulate ICE within the state.

It is shocking to hear the judge say things like minimizing the fact the only two people have died as a direct result of being incarcerated at the detention facility.

>> Two deaths out of the thousands of people who go through the EDC and how it would not be an ally compared to jails and prisons.

>> We need to bring accountability to people who are doing this, 97% of people who represent themselves in immigration court, I know somebody who was detained by ice for nine years.

>> Protesters are holding rallies until the decision comes down.

NJ Spotlight News.

Briana: New York City and Newark recently reached a settlement over a controversial homeless relocation program.

The agreement comes after the state's largest city sued New York officials in 2019 over a special one-time assistance program.

It paid participants a year's worth of rent to relocate to more permanent housing either in New York or elsewhere including New Jersey.

At one point city leaders in Newark reported more than one 1000 families relocated there.

New Jersey's government claimed it had no knowledge of the program until getting complaints from the new residents who were often living in uninhabitable or illegal apartment units.

Under the terms of the agreement, decided in federal court, New York City must notified Newark if they move more than 20,000 families a year there.

There are also required to vet the conditions of the home, chair addresses, and inspection records with new work every quarter -- Newark every quarter.

A key month for the state's notoriously high gas tax.

Analysts in Trenton are in the midst of annual review, they are looking at data from gas tax revenue to see if there is enough funding coming in under the current rate to keep up with all of the planned asportation spending tied to it.

-- transportation spending tied to it.

It could either be increased, lowered, or left unchanged depending on what the analysts find.

It comes as all 120 legislators are on the ballot this fall and inflation has begun to ease according to a year ago.

John Reitmeyer says those two factors alone will play a big role in whether the rate is changed.

>> The gas tax is reset every year and it is amulet driven, that has not stopped -- formula driven, that has not stopped the clinical Arena from trying to make hate from it.

We will see any type of an increase coming, prices are not as high as they were at this time last year, but they have creeped up a little bit as we have entered the summer and there is not as much tolerance for an increase.

Briana: Turning to Wall Street, here is how trading numbers closed today.

>> Support for the business support provided by the Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey, prosperity by connecting community leaders for 150 years, membership and invent information online at chamber S and J.com.

-- chambersnj.com.

Briana: Following a string of wild weather, the White House has proved a made of -- approved a major declaration disaster for the state, helping with the cleanup and recovery costs in areas affected by severe flooding and other damage amid the July storm.

Left parts of Warren County devastated, downed trees, and powerlines.

It cost 100 people to be displaced.

Governor Murphy declared a state of emergency and sent a letter to the president requesting federal help.

Meteorologists say it has been an active season for New Jersey, already more than 13 tornadoes touched down here when we typically see two per year.

The National Weather Service says there is more rain, winds, and possible flash flooding on the way.

That will do it for us tonight, a reminder to download the NJ Spotlight news podcast as can listen anytime.

For the entire NJ Spotlight News team, thank you for being with us, have a great evening, we will see you tomorrow.

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♪