Briana: Tonight on "NJ Spotlight News."

Making the cut.

Last minute jockeying in Trenton as lawmakers find life the 2024 budget.

What is in and what is out.

>> It sounds like the governor and lawmakers remain on the same page which at this point in the game is important because there is not much time left.

Briana: Newly leaked audio recordings of Donald Trump talking classified documents were taped right here in Bedminster.

Could further charges be filed?

>> If for some reason the judge in Florida decides to exclude that evidence one possibility is Jack Smith could bring a case in New Jersey.

Briana: As prison populations plummet, New Jersey Reentry Corporation celebrates the opening of a new center offering to help those looking for a second chance.

>> I do not believe in mandatory minimums what I do believe in mandatory services.

Getting people the services they need to rebuild their lives.

Briana: And weathering the storm.

Thunderstorms and reports of tornadoes caused massive delays as thousands prepare to travel for the Fourth of July.

"NJ Spotlight News" begins right now.

>> Funding for NJ Spotlight News is provided by members of the New Jersey Education Association, making public schools great for every child.

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♪ ♪ From NJPBS, this is "NJ Spotlight News" with Briana Vannozzi.

Briana: Good evening and thank you for joining us on this Wednesday night.

I am Briana Vannozzi.

It is getting down to the wire at the Statehouse.

Just two days remain for lawmakers to approve the spending plan.

A 53 million dollars budget for fiscal year 2024, the largest in state history.

Legislators were at it until late last night and back again today.

There has been little dispute over the items in the blood that calls for increased state aid to K-12 schools and fully funding the federal worker pension fund and newly added money for property tax relief.

The plan still needs to be approved and signed by Governor Murphy by midnight Friday.

To meet the state's constitutionally mandated deadline or risk shutting down the government.

It is a process.

I am joined by budget and finance writer John Reitmeyer from Trenton with the latest.

We said there would be no drama this year.

This budget was largely decided well ahead of time yet here we are.

We have really just been watching this process churn out slowly.

What gives?

John: That is right.

You know how these long late June days can go in Trenton when the budget is coming together.

It is a big task for staffers to take what has been agreed upon and turn that into legislation with many moving parts.

This year there is a lot of legislation related to the budget.

Things that are happening with tax credits and tax rates that are part of this.

There are broad strokes and we are winning to see the final numbers and some final pieces of legislation before they go through committee.

Briana: There were a couple of last-minute votes last night with some significant add-ons.

What are those include?

John: That is right.

For families in New Jersey -- and this is something the governor sought in his additional budget proposal -- there is a doubling of the child tax credit.

That will max out at $1000 for people who need income eligibility for children under the age of 6.

That is a fairly new tax credit in New Jersey and you see an effort to increase it and it becoming much more generous for those who meet income qualifications.

On the others of the generational scale, we have an increase in anchor property tax relief benefits for seniors.

That was part of an agreement the governor Richwood lawmakers last week on senior property tax relief.

That is a $250 relief for senior homeowners and renters.

Those are some of the key elements being folded into this budget.

Some key changes to state tax policy, both for families and seniors.

Briana: It is important to note because that was one item the governor said he was willing to stand his ground on.

We could have possibly seen a state government shutdown if they had not come to the agreement.

Will lawmakers meet the Friday deadline to fully approve the spending bill?

John: Every indication we are getting is they will but there has been no hiccup in the process.

We are literally waiting for the drafting of the actual legislation to be completed.

It sounds like the governor of the lawmakers remain on the same page which is very important because there is not much time left.

Even when things go smoothly in terms of the legislative clock.

We do not hear any indications of any last-minute disagreements.

They remain on the same page including on the issue of senior property tax relief and trying to start up a new program that would expand what is offered to seniors but not until 2026.

A breakthrough came through last week on that.

It is being incorporated into this budget.

We just wait for the legislation at this point.

Briana: Very quickly, John, are Republicans behind this and Democrats, do they even need them to be?

They have the votes, yes?

John: Democrats have majorities in both houses.

When the senior property tax went through committee yesterday, most Republicans joined up.

Maybe they had some reservations about the proposal but at the same time it is an election year and that is a tax-cut being proposed.

Briana: John Reitmeyer at the Statehouse, thank you so much.

John: You're welcome.

Briana: New Jersey has reached a historic settlement to clean up pollution and South Jersey.

The Belgian chemical company has agreed to pay nearly $400 million to remediate contamination of so-called forever chemicals and paid the state for natural resource damages in a 37 square mile area around its plant.

The chemicals have long been used in consumer products, including Teflon, Scotchgard and stand resistant fabrics.

They are toxic to human health and have been linked to certain cancers.

The type used left the area with the most severe concentration of the substance in the world.

The state Attorney General and Department of Environmental Protection today said this is the largest proposed settlement to clean up a single polluted site in the state's history.

In a statement, the company called the agreement the latest step in our journey to responsibly manage chemical use at the site.

It is not the only company responsible for forever chemicals in New Jersey.

The state is pursuing cases against multiple other chemical companies.

>> We owe it to these communities in particular to help leave them better than the company left them.

We will continue to pursue other manufacturers for their obligations.

Briana: A newly released audio recording in the investigation of Former President Donald Trump's handling of classified documents could be critical evidence for prosecutors and give them the opportunity to try the case in New Jersey.

In it, Mr. Trump seems to acknowledge he held onto sensitive military documents after leaving office.

The recording comes from a July 2021 meeting at Trump's Bedminster golf club.

The recording was included in the 37 count indictment of the Former President where he references information about a plan of attack on Iran.

Trump denies possession of the documents and he was referring to a pile of newspaper clips and other papers.

His defense team said the recording proves Trump did nothing wrong but it does show Bedminster was the scene of a key episode in his indictment.

For more on what this means in the case, I am joined by former U.S. Department of Justice prosecutor Mary McCord.

It is a pleasure to get to talk to you.

I want to bring it home to New Jersey because what I find interesting is so much of this investigation has focused on Mar-a-Lago but two very vivid scenes in this investigation play out here in New Jersey and I am wondering your take on whether or not this could become sort of the grounds for the next move with the Special Counsel.

Mary: I think the two episodes of dissemination actually showing classified information to people not authorized to receive it, those two examples were included in the indictment.

Those happened in New Jersey at Bedminster.

They were included in the indictment because Jack Smith and his team expect them to be admissible in evidence under a rule that allows evidence of other crimes to be admitted to prove things like knowledge, intent and absence of mistake.

If for some reason the judge in Florida decides to exclude that evidence, one possibility is Jack Smith could bring a case in New Jersey.

He certainly seems to have the evidence to support such a case.

To do so now might be perceived as piling on but he could certainly do so if that kind of evidence would not be admitted in the case in Florida.

Briana: That is interesting, piling on.

You make a good point that it is not new evidence, it is listed in the indictment.

Let's take a listen to a snippet of the recording.

>> Is in that amazing?

Except it is highly confidential.

[LAUGHTER] A secret informant.

Look at this.

As President, I could declassify it, now I can't.

Is and that interesting.

Briana: We heard the Former President say this wins his case, he is referring to a military document that outlines an attack on Iran.

He said it is secret information but he did not declassify it as president and of course he can no longer do so because he is not president of the time.

Does it this undercut ,Mary, the claims he has made up to this point about not having the intent or knowledge?

Mary: Absolutely.

It really decimates his defenses.

One he has said repeatedly is he declassified everything when he left the White House.

Here, he was clearly admitting this was not declassified.

I could have before I left the White House but I do not have that power anymore.

It almost undercuts that he believed these were personal records.

He said recently under the presidential records act that I alone can designate what our personal records and everything in these boxes -- remember some of the boxes from Mar-a-Lago made their way to Bedminster -- I alone can designate what is personal in these boxes but here he admits they are secret documents, I am not supposed to be showing them to you.

His callous disregard for national security for a petty political dispute is shocking and should be an affront to every American who cares about our national security, particularly when he ends it with can you bring us some Cokes ?

Briana: That was some interesting detail.

Given your position, having high-ranking seats in the Department of Justice, what does this say potentially about the amount of evidence that this case really has and perhaps we have not even gotten a glimpse into just yet?

Mary: Just even reading the indictment when I first read it, there was more than I expected.

Prosecutors do not put everything in indictment so we will learn more, certainly at trial, but possibly in the coming months as we approach trial.

Briana: Mary McCord is a former DOJ official and Executive Director for the Institute of constitutional advocacy and protection at Georgetown University.

Thank you.

Mary: You're welcome.

Briana: State leaders opened a new center aimed at reaching more people when they are released from prison as New Jersey positioned itself to be a national leader in reducing its prison population.

Newly released data finds it is succeeding in part because of those strong reentry programs that keep the formerly incarcerated from reoffending while giving them a second chance at life.

Senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan reports.

>> We must understand that we must change this system of incarceration.

I know what it is to be an incarcerated citizen.

Brenda: She served time in New Jersey's notorious prison for women were a federal profound staff abused inmates.

New Jersey's prison system still leads the nation in racial disparity but a new study by the ACLU reports some good news -- New Jersey has reduced its overall prison population by more than 50% since 2011 and now leads the nation in decarceration.

The ACLU credits bail reforms.

>> With reforms came immediate and dramatic reduction in the number of people incarcerated before trial.

Thousands of fewer people lost jobs, health care and family connections.

Brenda: Research shows Jersey prisons held 19,600 inmates in 2016 but as bail reforms kicked in that trended downward and then plummeted dramatically from 2020 to 2022, leaving 12,500 behind bars.

>> This was done by passing a one-of-a-kind lot to release nearly 9000 people early during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We also decriminalize cannabis reducing arrests in our state.

Bail reform has been a resounding success.

Brenda: Defying popular expectations the violent crime recidivism rate remained below 1%.

>> What New Jersey has proven is you can have both safety and justice.

You can reduce the number of people behind bars and be safer and have more healthy, thriving communities.

>> There is a lot to be proud of in New Jersey but we have not yet reached our potential.

Brenda: Statistics show 60% of Jersey's prison population remains overwhelmingly Black and Brown but people of color comprise only 15% of the population.

>> It highlights the racial disparities and we need to work on issues feeding the system creating the structurally racist environment.

Brenda: Advocates fear new tough on crime bills, especially those with mandatory minimums, could threaten the progress New Jersey has made by incarcerating more people for longer prison terms.

>> I do not believe in mandatory minimums but I do believe in mandatory services.

Getting people the services they need to rebuild their lives.

Brenda: The former governor chairs the board at New Jersey Reentry Corporation and today helped cut the ribbon on his tan facility in Carteret.

[APPLAUSE] It is a place where people coming out of prison can get back on their feet with career training, job placement, addiction treatment, legal counsel in health care.

They help veterans, too.

>> I would not be alive today if it was not for the New Jersey reentry program because I did not have medical insurance when I found out I had cancer.

>> If you need help finding a new career, drivers license, anything you need, please go to reentry because they can help.

Brenda: She now has a job.

This.

.

Program gives people a second chance in Carteret, Brenda Flanagan, "NJ Spotlight News."

Briana: In our spotlight on business report, a controversial bill that will reward bigs tax credits for offshore wind is moving forward despite public outcry.

-- legislation would steer billions of dollars in federal tax credits to Orsted, one of two developers awarded contracts to build offshore wind turbines and an underwriter of "NJ Spotlight News."

Critics packed the statehouse criticizing the bill saying it would boost Orsted's profits at the expense of great payers.

Proponents pointed up New Jersey is the only state building and offshore wind industry that has not approve the credits for developers, adding that without it the state would lose a competitive edge.

Governor Murphy has made offshore wind a key part of his plan to transition to stay to clean energy alternatives but the projects have been delayed, hitting challenges due to supply chain issues and rising costs.

The legislation needs to be approved by the full legislature.

A vote will likely be held by the end of the week.

To read more about the tax credits and why the issue has become so divisive, check out Tom Johnson's story.

And then there was one.

New Jersey is now the last state in the nation that bans people from pumping their own gas after Oregon lawmakers passed a new law this week overturning its ban.

It looks like the Garden State will stick with the policy for the foreseeable future.

There was a push in recent years by the state's gas station and convenience store lobby to allow cell service in New Jersey.

They pointed to difficulty in hiring gas station attendants, especially since the pandemic began, and the possibility of slightly lower gas prices.

But a Rutgers poll found nearly 75% of New Jerseyans do not want the law changed.

State Senate President came out in opposition to the bill.

Meanwhile, drivers are in high demand here, particularly ones with commercial drivers license, or CDLs, as New Jersey's reputation as a warehouse state expands and the need to fill those jobs increases.

The Department of Transportation recently cut the ribbon on his new transportation training facility in Bordentown.

It is a state-of-the-art site that will include specialized labs and equipment helping trainees get hands-on experience they need before hitting the road.

Melissa Rose Cooper reports.

>> Skills taught here will directly impact motorists throughout New Jersey because excellence and training translates to expertise and efficiency on the job.

Melissa: The New Jersey Department of Transportation is taking steps to make sure employees out the necessary tools to get their jobs done.

This complex, once owned by the State Department of military and Veterans Affairs, is now home to the agency's new state-of-the-art training facility.

Officials cutting the ribbon.

>> It is a personal accomplishment I have been working on for seven years.

Melissa: The assistant Commissioner is excited to finally see the facility become a reality.

He said it will be a useful resource for workers throughout their career with the DOT.

>> New employees come here before their assigned to a crew.

The get the basics in safety, how to operate some equipment safely and effectively before they go to a crew.

At different points in their career they come back for more advanced training, whether it be more advanced equipment training all the way up to supervisors to learn how to be an effective supervisor, to a lot of the administrative work they are not used to.

Melissa: Officials say the facility will also be a big help for drivers looking to get commercial driver's licenses.

The site has truck simulators and.

>> The mock highway we are standing on is unique.

There are only a few in the country.

It features a signalized intersection, crosswalks, overhead signs and around water crossing to present trainees with the structures they will encounter in the field.

Instead of having to do all their learning on active roadways with cars and trucks speeding past, trainees can master their skills in a controlled environment while also being taught work zone safety.

Melissa: The facility comes as CDL drivers are in high demand.

According to statistics, 1-15 jobs in the Garden State are in the trucking industry.

The MBC issue 21,000 CDL's, more than 12% before the pandemic.

>> We have had a shortage in the industry nationwide for drivers.

New Jersey is not alone in that.

We have had a lot of senior drivers retiring and we are not getting as many new faces in the industry.

Melissa: The Executive Director of the New Jersey motor truck Association said the trucking industry is down by roughly 80,000 drivers which can lead to supply chain issues, especially since New Jersey is a big warehouse state.

>> Many of the warehouses are regional warehouses so they are servicing the region.

Of course, because of our port, that increases the need where the freight is coming in overseas.

It gets redistributed elsewhere.

And also in New Jersey, too, but also within the region.

Melissa: Officials help the facility can put more CDL drivers on the road.

>> If we do what we are doing today consistently, we will elevate New Jersey.

Artman of transportation to a leading department in the country.

We want to lead the way.

We want to make sure we serve the people of New Jersey at all levels.

This facility will also be an opportunity for counties and you get the policies to train with us.

Melissa: An initiative the DOT said will elevate two generations in the transportation industry for years to come.

For "NJ Spotlight News," I am Alyssa Jones Cooper -- Melissa Rose Cooper.

Briana: Here is how markets closed today.

♪ Finally tonight, the National Weather Service is confirming two tornadoes touched down in our area during Monday's severe storms.

A tornado with top winds of 105 rip through Martins Creek, Pennsylvania, just across the river from Martin County.

Rounding airline passengers.

Newark Airport took the brunt of it, 30% of flights were canceled and another 30% delayed.

All three of the Port Authority's major airports were affected.

The Port Authority expects more than 5 million people to fly, ride or drive during the holiday weekend.

Give yourself extra time.

Especially as state officials are warning we could see the return of hazy, smoky skies starting tomorrow, the result of incoming winds from Canadian wildfires that are still burning.

Experts say it will not be as bad as early June but air quality has already diminished and is forecasted to be at 125 tomorrow, that is unhealthy for sensitive groups.

That does it for us tonight.

A reminder to download the "NJ Spotlight News" podcast so you can listen anytime.

I am Briana Vannozzi, for the entire "NJ Spotlight News" team, thank you for being with us.

Have a great evening and we will see you back here tomorrow.

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