>> Tonight on NJ Spotlight News, the state of the shore as Memorial day weekend kicks off.

>> I am happy to share that our beaches are ready to go.

>> The U.S. Navy is saying a near perfect storm of neglect is what killed New Jersey's own Navy SEAL last year.

A last-minute budget proposal is unveiled calling for a property tax cut for seniors.

>> Pete is a big deal.

-- it is a big deal.

>> But the governor because it financially responsible.

And a fight over taco Tuesday.

A battle ensues over the famous phrase.

Lebron James and Taco Bell waging war with the local restaurant owner.

>> It is David and Goliath on steroids.

>> NJ Spotlight News gens right now.

New Jersey Realtors, the voice for real estate in New Jersey.

More information is online at NJRealtor.com.

And By the PSNJ foundation.

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

Joanna: Hello, I am Joanna Gagis in for Briana Vannozzi.

AAA travel is expected in over one million New Jersey residents will travel 50 miles or more this weekend.

That is 7% more than last year.

Gas prices are a full dollar less on last summer, easing the pain at the pump and the pocketbook.

That is good news here in New Jersey where many traveling will be hitting the shore.

Rhonda Flanagan took a trip to Asbury Park to see how towns are making sure beaches are safe.

>> The state of the shore is fantastic.

Reporter: People walking the boards on Asbury Park gave high marks to this beach town and the whole Jersey shore.

What grade would they give it?

>> I would say 100.

I was born and raised here.

The work they have done is beautiful.

Reporter: Officials reported the 21st annual State of the Shore survey agreed New Jersey is looking at a good summer.

>> Our beaches are ready to go.

Reporter: The Jersey shore staged a big comeback since 1987 when the medical best alarmed tourists.

-- when a medical waste alarmed tourists.

New Jersey's DEP commissioner says the Shores water quality has improved.

>> We have sampling completed, everything that we have sample for is within parameters.

We continue to experience exceptional water quality.

Reporter: Runoff from heavy rain can cause beaches with storm drains to fail water quality test.

Two beaches close temporarily last year.

This season testing started May 15 and so far one sample exceeded health allowances, but it has tested clean since then.

Shore towns test water samples every Monday.

>> We want to catch the influx of people bear on the weekend so we sample first thing Monday morning.

As long as the test comes back OK we do not sample again until the next Monday.

>> That EPA gave the state of New Jersey $300,000 to do the monitoring.

Reporter: It was also announced today that they are cosponsoring legislation to help towns upgrade water infrastructure and to strengthen monitoring standards like requiring same-day turnaround for tests.

>> Sometimes it is almost 48 hours before they get the tests back.

The EPA should look at more rapid tips didn't -- rapid testing methods.

Reporter: Besides water quality, the sure looks better this summer with doing systems running along the entire coast.

Hurricane Sandy proved those talents suffer less damage.

New Jersey had one lingering vulnerable spot in an area called five mile beach.

>> Earlier this year we finally got the last remaining holdout on five mile Island of North Wildwood, lower Township to sign on to the last remaining dune project.

>> He says that will create a continuous line of protection.

This coastal expert says New Jersey must focus on defending its Bayshore's which also took a hard hit during hurricane Sandy.

>> We have four active projects along the Bay shore.

Reporter: He warned 11 coastline needs -- a living coastline needs constant care as the sea levels continue to rise.

Joanna: It is the northern part of the five mile beach, North Wildwood, that is struggling to maintain safe chores for beachgoers.

The town is locked in a legal battle about how best to replenish the beachfront after storms.

North Wildwood already struggled with narrow beaches, making them more prone to erosion.

Typical replenishment strategy simply will not work for them.

Our reporter brings us a closer look to the challenges.

Reporter: Just north of Wildwood , the beach gets perilously thin.

When the ocean is at high tide, water comes up to the walkway and that erosion forced North Wildwood to do last-minute maintenance before Memorial day weekend.

>> You would have been taking your life in your hand standing here.

Reporter: The mayor says the city hired a private contractor to build up the sand dunes, smooth them over and create entrances to the beach.

Intense erosion is nothing new for North Wildwood.

>> We are struggling for protection.

We do not have any storms this past winter and spring fortunately.

Reporter: North Wildwood has spent more than $20 million on projects to protect its shores.

The EPA has alleged the fixes were done without a permit and they are actually hurting the environment, finding the city $12 million in February.

North Wildwood sued the state in January, asking them to pick up the bill for the unpermitted work.

The app approved emergency repairs for the sand dunes and beach entrances.

>> They have proven to not be good stewards of the Jersey shore in this regard.

As mayor, I cannot allow the DEP to wash our town away.

Reporter: North Wildwood had to make agreements with surrounding municipalities to finish their applications.

The commissioner says it took years for the lower Township to come to the table.

>> They have refused to engage with one another and the DEP in order to get the program moving.

Reporter: The Wildwood's had to come to an agreement because of the proximity.

It involves moving sand from Wildwood.

>> The best rate of success for an engineer beaching June system is for continuous barrier wide adoption of the strategy.

Otherwise all you are doing is refracting water to your neighbor.

Reporter: No other town in New Jersey is dependent on the agreement of another town to get shore protection.

>> They do not want to see additional damage either.

We just have to come to agreement in the best way to provide coastal protection.

Reporter: Michelle owns a variety store, few thousand feet of Wildwood's northern border.

She depends on beachgoers to keep her business going.

>> Our community relies on this tourism.

We have been doing it for years.

We are going to provide an amazing experience to any visitors.

Reporter: North Wildwood had a hearing last Monday for its lawsuit.

The next step is a conference with the DEP.

In North Wildwood, I am Ted Goldberg.

Joanna: The Navy has taken responsibility for failures that led to the death of a New Jersey native last year.

Details of those failures were released in a report this week that showed instructors were often not trained for their roles and left candidates at high risk of serious injury.

Navy medical staff were unprepared and under response in critical situations like his case, who was suffering with pneumonia and denied medical treatment.

There was a pervasive use of performance enhancing drugs by candidness wanting to graduate.

The Navy is now making changes to its course and its leadership.

The victim's mother is calling for a court-martial of the course commander.

The week is ending with no debt ceiling deal although lawmakers said they are closer to a compromise.

Republicans have pushed hard for spending cuts and additional work requirements for those receiving federal aid.

Democrats say it puts undue burden on the nation's most vulnerable citizens and spending cuts could trigger a recession.

If a deal is not struck by next week, financial turmoil could ensue.

That on these is trickling down to New Jersey where state lawmakers are hammering out the final details of the state budget that is coming due.

As David Cruise reports, new proposal called Stay NJ was introduced and it is provoking infighting among Democrats.

Reporter: There is no data that shows the mass exodus of seniors leaving New Jersey.

From 2010-2020 the number of seniors actually grew 4%.

So seniors are already staying, but he says there is anecdotal evidence from seniors who suggest they might have to think about leaving the state.

>> Their property taxes are putting a real drain on their ability to stay here in New Jersey.

Hence the name, Stay NJ.

Reporter: Stay NJ/is property taxes for seniors.

-- Stay NJ cuts property taxes for seniors.

>> Every senior would be eligible to receive a 50% reduction in their property taxes.

So if your property taxes $20,000, you get $10,000.

Reporter: A state is flush with cash.

And Democrats controlled both houses of the legislature.

So why not?

>> A couple of things are concerning.

It would add another annual $1.7 billion to our budget.

It would be for everybody so I would get a $10,000 break.

Reporter: The speaker says it is more like $1.2 billion, and it is an investment in seniors that the state needs to make.

The governor remained steadfast enough that sources say they are working contingencies for a shutdown.

That escalated quickly.

But do not cancel your Independence Day plans yet.

Does this sound to you like this is such a serious, direct proposal that they would go to the mat on this?

>> Not at all.

This is the time of the gear public hearings have been dead and there are negotiations that take place.

We see people negotiating sometimes in public, putting out big proposals and then we see negotiations that play out behind closed doors were the details are not ready.

Reporter: No need for concern just yet.

In the event of a shutdown, beaches in the state will be open, just not at a beach state park.

>> I do not think we should be in the business of given the likes of me tax breaks.

>> Nobody takes a shutdown lately -- lightly.

It is a big deal and we are more than a month away from the deadline.

So we have time.

Reporter: So this budget season may have just gotten its first plot twist.

I am David Cruz.

Joanna: Nearly one in four students in the United States has struggled to afford period products.

A bill signed into law this week by Governor Murphy establishes the last week of May as period poverty awareness week.

The Girl Scouts are taken on the issue, donating period products in their community.

They are advocating for more support.

Reporter: This 18-year-old has been busy handing out these pamphlets advocated for those who have inadequate access to hygiene products and education, a struggle known as period poverty.

Her efforts started when she was a sophomore in high school.

All the work paid off.

The Girl Scout alumnus became a 2021 Gold award recipient, the highest award a Girl Scout can achieve.

>> I was able to reach out to all different companies, such as Tampax, and even sustainable ones, and I was able to ask them for donations.

They were able to donate enough product to me that I was able to create 81 bags of product for women in a local women's shelter.

Reporter: She successfully was able to implement free products in her school, which are still being provided two years after she graduated.

>> I talked to the administration at my high school and was able to implement free dispensers and all of the female bathrooms with free products.

Reporter: She discovered cost played a part when it came to trying to eliminate period poverty.

>> I know every family situation is different and every individual has a different story so they may not be able to afford these products, so I wanted to make sure that there were free products as well.

Reporter: According to a report, nearly one in four have struggled to afford period products.

About two and five cannot do their best schoolwork due to lack of access to period products.

A harsh reality for girls which is why the initiative was so important to the Girl Scouts of northern New Jersey's CEO.

>> We serve 18,000 girls who will have their period one day.

Reporter: The organizations collaborated to discuss ways to tackle the issue and outline advocacy issues to equip local food pantries with period products.

>> They donate products to us and we put together 90 day supplies of products that we can give out free of charge to anybody in need.

That is how the connection happen with the Girl Scouts.

Reporter: YWCA says the fundraising drives are especially critical to those who fall below the poverty line.

>> Period products are not able to be purchased by SNAP or WIC.

They have no choice but to have their period, but they do not have the ability to access these products through the support they are eligible for.

Reporter: She is connecting with legislators to discuss bills and to attain free period products in all schools.

I am Raven Santana.

Joanna: In our spotlight on business report, a fourth-generation Jersey shore restaurant owner has a message for Lebron James and Taco Bell.

>> Bring it.

1600 tackles we sold in one day.

-- 1600 tacos we sold in one day.

Reporter: In 2019, Lebron James tried to trademark taco Tuesday but failed.

Taco Bell is no pain him to help them quote liberate the phrase taco Tuesday and they filed a petition against him.

>> It is a David versus Goliath on steroids.

Lebron James wanted to trademark taco Tuesday.

Now that it is trademarked he does not want anybody else to have it.

Does that not seem a little?

Reporter: According to a statement from Taco Bell, taco Tuesday is a common phrase nobody should have exclusive rights to.

But if the phrase is liberated, will they try to cooperate -- copyright the term?

It is unclear.

He reached out to Lebron James, but did not immediately receive our response.

The markets responded positively to a possible debt ceiling deal.

Here are his out they closed for the week.

>> Support for The Business Report provided by the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey, working for economic prosperity by uniting business and community leaders for 150 years.

Membership and event information online at ChamberSNJ.com.

Joanna: The heroism of many black soldiers has long been overlooked in our country.

U.S. Army specialist Lester Williams Jr is one of those soldiers.

He served in the Vietnam War and gave his life to save his comrades.

So why was he overlooked for a medal of honor?

My next guest Bill Davenport set out to change that through his radio show.

Great to have you on the show.

Tommy how you came across -- tell me how you came across the story of Lester Williams Jr. >> I cohost a radio show out of Ocean City called the welcome home veterans show.

One of the segments I do weekly is amounts -- is amounts on the birthdays and casualties of the men and women on the Vietnam Memorial Wall.

I came across Lester Williams Jr and when I looked at him I realize he had the Distinguished Service Cross.

Joanna: The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest award.

Why not the medal of honor?

How have you drawn attention to this issue so that not only Lester Williams Jr but other people who were overlooked get there do?

>> Fortunately, Congress already did that.

They passed a resolution saying all the services shall look at all those second-level awards.

And they should review them based on may be they were denied because her -- of their religion or ethnic background.

When you read the Distinguished Service Cross of Lester Williams Jr you see it is boilerplate for the medal of honor.

There are dozens of cases like that in all wars.

It is a situation that Congress passed a resolution, the various military departments are reviewing.

They went through World War II and Korea.

There was an Vietnam right now for various reviews on ethnic and religious reasons.

Joanna: Do you believe that Lester Williams Jr will receive the medal of honor?

>> Yes.

The letters from Congressman are support letters that say we believe in this situation.

We read his Distinguished Service Cross and the standards for a medal of honor and this is the same.

This is a boilerplate medal of honor recipient that should be out there.

It is a young 24-year-old man who gave his life.

Joanna: You are doing great work.

Keep it up.

Thanks for being with us today.

>> Thank you.

Joanna: That is all we have for you tonight.

You can now listen to NJ Spotlight News anywhere you stream.

We wish you a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.

Inks for being with us.

We will see you back here on Monday.