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>> Tonight on "NJ Spotlight News ," can New Jersey keep up with the World Cup?

Transit experts question the readiness for this global event.

>> It is critical to the success of the games, to the success and experience we delivered to visitors coming here for the first time.

>> Plus, nj decides 2024.

From congressional campaigns to a contentious Senate race, we break it down.

>> States are scrambling, all campaigns, to motivate voters to turn out.

>> Paid family leave takes center stage in Trenton as lawmakers try to revise the state's law despite pushback from the business community.

>> This bill goes too far and makes it hard for people to do business in New Jersey.

>> Calling any and all potential EMT to combat the ongoing shortage.

>> Unfortunately with family matters and dual income jobs, volunteerism has become more difficult in our communities.

>> "NJ Spotlight News" begins right now.

♪ >> From NJ PBS Studios, this is "NJ Spotlight News" with Briana Vannozzi.

Briana: Good evening and thanks for joining us.

I'm Briana Vannozzi.

When it comes to shuttling fans for the 2026 World Cup final New Jersey transit says, bring it.

They believe they are ready to handle the massive crowd expected for the game.

The Murphy administration pledged NJT is different from a decade ago when a throngs of fans were left stranded after the Super Bowl.

Plus, he said millions of dollars of in -- infrastructure updates will be added.

Some are frustrated the state can find money for improvements when it comes to a major event but not for daily trips taken by everyday residents.

Brenda Flanagan reports.

Brenda: Delirious cheers from Jersey movers and shakers greeted FIFA for the 2026 World Cup game.

Now comes the real challenge when more than 80,000 hyped up soccer fans to send.

NJ transit will have to bring its a-game.

>> It is critical to the success of the games and the experience we delivered to visitors.

Brenda: He heads the Chamber of Commerce and says the venue and event have unusual problems including the lack of walkways to the stadium.

>> You can't say at hotel and walk into the complex.

You still need to be transported in.

There are security measures and sometimes security entities place restrictions on how quickly and how we can move people in and out of the secure zone.

Brenda: NJ transit tweeted it cannot wait to take customers to the FIFA World Cup final.

They can shuttle people in and out of the venue to the rail junction in Secaucus, but has made spectacular fumbles like the Super Bowl and wrestlemania 2019, stranding angry crowds for hours.

Back then Governor Murphy vowed -- >> We are fixing it.

We will learn from it and I will be damned if it happens again.

Brenda: They have redeemed themselves, handling the tailors and K-pop crowds with agility.

They are building another transit way which will move 12,000 people an hour first 7000 miles.

Planning advocates a performance will be crucial.

>> While NJ transit did a good job for Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, huge events, they still pale in comparison to a worldwide event like World Cup.

>> It is a dramatically different NJ transit than it was and will be yet again even stronger in 2.5 years.

Consistent performance in whatever energies NJ transit put in it will be that on steroids.

Brenda: two time clocks are ticking.

The transit way slated for completion will be in time for the World Cup.

Meanwhile, there is a looming fiscal cliff.

>> New Jerseyans deserve reliable and expanded transportation options not just for the World Cup but all year long, to get to work, school.

Brenda: Public transit advocates have called on lawmakers to adjust -- address budget woes by having a dedicated funding source.

They point out on any even day the system can encounter problems that would be embarrassing during a World Cup event attended by folks with superb mass transit.

>> There will be a lot of people flooding northern New Jersey that have seen what good bus and transit systems look like and they will compare it to home.

Brenda: A spokesperson said it is premature to share details regarding the operational plan, but be assured planning is well underway and NJ transit is confident the travel experience to and from MetLife Stadium will meet and exceed expectations of those using public transit.

The performance can make or break this opportunity.

>> If we are going to continue to utilize and leverage the fact we are hosting eight games and World Cup final to continue to bring visitors back to our region to stay, play, eat, shop and visit, their experience being able to move around and on game days, the experience of mobility is good.

Brenda: Brenda Flanagan "NJ Spotlight News."

Briana: Lawmakers taking another stab at expanding New Jersey's paid family leave law.

Advocates wanted to see job protections for workers who take family leave expanded to all businesses statewide regardless of size but lawmakers amended the bill to exclude businesses with less than five employees.

That is a compromise some legislators thought would help it cross the finish line but as Raven Santana reports, activists say this leaves behind more than a million workers in need.

>> Paid leave is a critical component so caregivers can effectively participate in the labor workforce.

Raven: Today a bill that would require companies with five or more employees have paid family leave advance out of committee, a revision that allows companies with at least 30 employees to provide them 12 weeks of paid leave during a two-week period to care for a baby, ill relative or newly adopted child.

>> Smaller employers may not be able to afford parental leave, family leave.

In New Jersey we have a state program that is funded only through employee payroll taxes.

It costs the employer nothing.

Raven: She is a workplace justice program director and joined other advocates who shared testimony and explained how challenging life can be for workers without paid family leave.

>> For me with my previous airline I suffered a miscarriage and had to take a lot of time off for surgery and self-care.

I did not have access to paid leave through the state.

I also did not have access to any disability or leave through my job.

It was a lot of things I did not understand and going through grief and all that I did not have the mental capacity to fight the red lines and figure this out.

I did not have anyone advocating for me.

I was just told I did not qualify.

Raven: Advocates today say they do not support the bill as it is written.

>> It only addresses the size of the employer in terms of job protection.

There are about a million workers left out because of the two other components of eligibility which require your at your job a year and work 1000 hours.

These are not addressed and means we are leaving out mostly women workers, low income workers, part-time workers, more precarious workers that need paid leave and protection because without it they cannot risk losing their job and cannot afford to go without pay.

They need both the protection and paid leave benefit.

Raven: Under current law employees can go back to the same job and employers are required to maintain their benefits including insurance.

But businesses with under 30 employees are not required to do so.

>> The State chamber opposes this legislation because of disproportionate impact on small businesses.

We ask this legislative body to vote no and let business owners decide what is best for their organization.

Raven: It is not all win-win for everyone.

A number of representatives argue the bill will hurt, not help, small businesses.

>> If you have a business that employs 15 employees, captured under this bill, say an employee goes on leave.

Maybe they are handling HR, accounting, compliance, a lot of tasks.

If they go out on leave and somebody handling clerical work wants to cover for them, and does a fantastic job and the employer sees that, appreciates it, and wants to elevate somebody internally, they would not be able to do so under this bill because they have to provide job reinstatements to the person who went out on leave.

>> We think that may increase if you are seeking to fill skilled or knowledged roles with temporary labor that may not have permanency or a defined end date because there is a guaranteed job going back to someone else when they come back.

Raven: Both sides say they are disappointed their amendments were not included and the bill will move as is to be voted on Monday.

Briana: New Jersey in the midst of a hectic primary election season.

From the race to unseat Bob Menendez to the ripple effect it caused on congressional elections in opposite corners of the state.

Candidates are pulling in big fundraising dollars and endorsements, showing how much is at stake.

For a deeper look at races to watch, our guest.

Always great to talk with you.

I have to start with the Senate.

Then now NJ PAC endorsed Andy Kim over Tammy Murphy, over Patricia Campos-Medina, two women.

Is it backlash against the Tammy Murphy campaign?

Micah: in this case maybe not.

Andy Kim has been in Congress, has worked on cases important to women like abortion rights, equal pay for women and they think he has a record to stand up on.

It does not think they mean Tammy Murphy would not be great, but they need to be with the person who has been with them and that is Andy Kim.

Briana: They said they sat down with candidates and went through a litany of questions with them.

That said, there was a letter sent today by the Andy Kim, Patricia Campos-Medina and Larry Hamm.

Tammy Murphy was not asked to sign on, asking 19 county organizations not to use this County line on the ballot which will note 49 other states do not use.

Sussex County and Salem County do not use.

Does it matter if he is getting endorsements like that when you have the power of the county line like Tammy does?

Micah: I think everything will matter.

There are people for whom County endorsements matter, and some for whom women's groups endorsements will matter.

It all matters at this point.

This is a primary election in which not everybody will come out.

It is not like the kind of turnout we will see in November.

People have to be motivated and have a reason to come out.

They will be motivated for different reasons.

All campaigns are scrambling to figure out how to motivate voters to turn out.

As you said, we are seeing campaigns and candidates come out more than we have seen in recent primaries.

That will read them force turnout.

-- that will reinforce turnout.

House races will also increase turnout.

Briana: Let me move on, though I am curious whether county organizations will be swayed by this letter.

In District three the race for Andy Kim's seat we have two former assembly running mates.

They are not pulling in a lot of money like you might normally see, but what is the path forward for them?

Is this going to be as contentious as the others?

Micah: Carol Murphy and her husband -- we do not usually talk about husbands, but premier strategists of campaign politics in New Jersey.

I think you will see a first rate campaign.

She has been getting out in Monmouth County and 20% of the district, and the portion that is Mercer and Hamilton.

She is looking to reach beyond Burlington County.

You will see Herb Conaway do the same.

Briana: Murphy said she is against using the county line, though Herb Conaway does.

Micah: She is another like Andy Kim, they have not found opposition until now.

They will be looking -- it is a rope a dope in the amount of money.

Typically you hide how much you have to raise until after the first report comes in, try to lull the other side to sleep.

I think they will come out guns a blazing to the primary.

Briana: And Robin and does's -- Rob Menendez's seat is targeted.

I do not know how much uglier it could get.

But Bob has endorsements from Hudson County.

Micah: He does.

That was probably a tall order for him.

We could even say it was improbable as his father's indictments first came out that he with the same name as his dad could survive with the organizational support he has.

Now that he has that lined up, he is getting out there, he is not backing down and Bhalla is not either.

This will be a challenge, but Rob has organizational support and that matters.

Briana: He is also asking Rob Menendez to debate him six times before the election.

In the seventh it appears we have the two nominees, Tom Kean Junior, and Sue Altman, because the other Democratic challenger backed out.

That is the lineup.

Can she have a path forward?

She is known as a very progressive left-wing activist and this is a moderate district.

Micah: You will see moderate positions of Sue Altman are the ones she will feature.

She will feature the ability for middle-class families to get ahead.

She will not be talking about the ones with the ability to chafe with district voters.

The Kean campaign will pull her back to those as often as they can.

They think they have the candidate they wanted and know what their playbook will look like running a GRAT -- running against a progressive.

She will be looking to uncover every bite and voter, every anti-Trump voter.

-- every biden voter, every anti-Trump voter.

Briana: in Jersey City, a fight for better labor standards.

>> One union.

>> One fight.

Briana: Workers rallied Wednesday demanding higher wages, better benefits and respect on the job.

The workers are from building services in Jersey City organizing with a labor union along with a Jersey City councilman.

They allege that Brookfield asset management violated a public commitment to hiring a Responsible outside contractor when they on boarded NFC amenities.

The union is accusing NFC of failing to provide health care, security, safety training and opportunity for job growth.

Workers delivered a petition signed by more than 260 residents of the luxury apartment building.

Brookfield asked management and the subsidiary in charge of the location Brookfield properties did not return our request for comments.

Expect to pay more for electric bills starting this summer.

Our price increase was approved for residential customers ranging from 3% to 8%.

That translates anywhere from $4.70 extra per month to more than $8.

The BPU says the average bill is based in part on the results of three annual energy auctions.

The increase is based on higher energy costs.

Prices were 26% cheaper just three years ago and that gets blended into the amount customers pay.

The rate increase comes after a similar pump last year when they raised prices between 3.3% to just under 7% for some customers.

On Wall Street stocks held steady.

Here is how the markets closed.

Tune in this weekend to NJ business beat with Raven Santana.

She breaks down big business including how New Jersey bars and restaurants will cash in the record number of gamblers expected to make bets and of the real value of investing millions in a big game.

Watch Saturday at 10:00 a.m. ♪ ♪ Briana: New Jersey is facing a critical shortage of volunteer emergency responders.

In Monmouth County the problem has gotten so bad the area ranks as having one of the worst response times in the state.

The sheriffs office and County Board of commissioners are launching a program to address the problem, putting millions of dollars behind new equipment and paid responders to help towns that need it most.

Ted Goldberg reports.

>> That is exciting to me and something I wanted to be part of and I'm fortunate to be part of.

Ted: He is part of a new EMS operation in Monmouth County.

Hiring about 40 EMT's to cut down on 911 response calls.

Monmouth County has some of the longest wait times in the state.

>> Resources are limited.

COVID was stressful for paid and volunteer professionals.

It was hard for people to volunteer to do something that could put them in danger.

We suffered a lot for it.

>> We know unfortunately the hours it takes for training and with family matters and dual income jobs, volunteerism has become more difficult in our communities.

Ted: Lawmakers have proposed laws to entice people to volunteer, but leaders say it is hard to give volunteer squads the numbers they need.

>> This is exciting, something we were -- we knew it would take time to do.

With the Sheriff's aggressive style it came quicker than we thought.

Ted: The Department responded to its first 911 call Monday in Oakhurst.

The response time, 21 seconds.

A high bar to set.

But reducing waiting times is the idea a hind this new department.

>> It will grow over the months to come, with the goal to assist our volunteers, work side-by-side with partners, and be sure to deploy and cut response times down so we are not the lower third in the state of New Jersey, so that we are in the upper tier.

>> We will only get better, keep improving, and provide the best service for taxpayers of Monmouth County.

Ted: While 21 seconds is ambitious, leaders are encouraged.

A councilman says 911 calls are not always answered with immediate service.

>> It was sporadic.

Sometimes it was good and sometimes it was not.

You have a reliability issue.

It is much more efficient now.

Ted: He said there was one small pitch to the sheriff-led department.

Leaders thought a countywide EMS initiative could conflict with other EMS squads.

>> This is not taking over programs, it is to supplement, assure that Monmouth County residents are getting an ambulance in a timely manner.

>> We are here to supplement, not taking anything away from anyone.

Getting resources are taking pressure off of areas that are overworked.

Ted: It could grow in the future, giving more help to volunteer squads across 53 municipalities.

Briana: That is going to do it for us tonight.

Make sure you catch Reporters Roundtable tomorrow.

David talks with Bonnie Watson Coleman about breakdowns in Washington from a failed impeachment to a failed border bill.

Is there any hope for bipartisanship?

And reporters break down this week's political headlines.

Watch Roundtable on the YouTube channel.

I am Briana Vannozzi.

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

See you tomorrow.

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