>> Major funding for "NJ Spotlight News" provided by -- NJM Insurance Group.

BRIANA: Splitting with the governor.

Supporting extending the corporate tax charge after the governor permits to let it expire.

>> you look at the budget, if the state isn't willing to make some tough decisions, New Jersey will have a tough road ahead.

BRIANA: Also, Senate run.

Mendham Mayor Christine Serrano Glassner who has ties to President Trump the GOP nomination to unseat Bob Menendez.

>> will continue to talk to the people and show them, this is what I want to do for New Jersey, bring the power back to the people.

BRIANA: Plus, fighting addiction -- >> The need is there.

Our communities suffering.

Young people.

Older people.

BRIANA: A new treatment center opens in Paramus helping patients on their journey to recovery.

And contamination cleanup, Camden's board of commissioners and resident celebrate the final stage of removing a decades-long illegal dumping site.

>> we made a promise to our Camden residence to clear this debris and we kept that promise together.

BRIANA: "NJ Spotlight News" begins right now.

♪ >> From NJPBS Studios, this is NJ Spotlight News with Breana Vannozzi.

BRIANA: Good evening and thanks for joining us this Tuesday night.

I am Breana Vannozzi.

The state may finally have a dedicated source of funding to help New Jersey transit Dug-out of its shortfalls if Democrats and business groups get on board.

In a recent interview with David Cruz for Reporters Roundtable, the Senate President Field he is open to extending New Jersey's corporate business tax surcharge in order to fund New Jersey transit, which has been a policy goal of transportation advocates for years but the governor has said ideal is ideal when it comes to letting it sunset at the end of the year.

The tax is once again becoming a political flashpoint and getting major pushback from business groups.

Senior political correspondent David Cruz reports.

>>.

>> I tell you one thing I have talked about in terms of a funding source would be there is addition of the corporate business tax that was suspended.

That is a funding source that would provide $1 billion a year.

REPORTER: .

Came in the middle of a hastily arranged sidewalk interview.

Senate President next Qatari suggesting that he could support reinstating the corporate business tax surcharge as a way to fund NJ transit operations.

It was something he had said before, but with the surcharge set to sunset by the end of the year, his comments sent a buzz through social media accounts, with transportation advocates who saw an opening to revive the issue.

>> the businesses subject to this tax are not mom-and-pop shops, they are giant corporations such as Amazon and next on.

REPORTER: Who will all benefit from NJ's transit's transportation network.

Meanwhile, the agency which has no dedicated funding source, is about to drown in red ink, with service cuts and fare hikes likely.

>> The beauty of using the tax to fund transit is that these corporations benefit from being injured Jersey and from our massive transportation system.

REPORTER: But critics in business and in the legislature are pouring cold water on the 8-year for most of the same reasons that caused the governor to spot the temporary surcharge would sunset.

>>.

>> The companies being targeted are what they called for-profit institutions.

Your job is to generate quality products that are purchased in the consumer marketplace or the corporate marketplace, and return a profit to their bottom line that meets the expectation of their shareholders.

That is what those companies are supposed to be doing.

To penalize the company who is executing on what their mandate is, is very inappropriate.

>> All the money that New Jersey takes in Texas comes out of every single one of your viewers' pockets.

REPORTER: But are they taking money out of my pocket if they are taking it out of Amazon's pocket?

>> Yeah.

You know how much you pay for Amazons products?

You don't think that is a direct function of the taxes Amazon pays?

>> When we say a deal is a deal, is not just promises made, promises kept.

It has ramifications because businesses are looking forward to recapturing that 2.5% which they tell us, they will put back into their people, their workforce, innovation, make reinvestments.

That is what we want.

REPORTER: The governor's office says he is standing by his promise to allow the surcharge to sunset, so even if Scutari champions avail, which he didn't say he would, it would most certainly face a veto from the governor, likely leaving the question up to the next governor.

If that is Jersey Mayor Steve Philip who has already suggested the idea himself, he says he is in.

>> The idea is when we look at the budget, whether the broader budget or New Jersey's transit budget, if the state is not willing to make some tough decisions, New Jersey is going to have a very, very tough road ahead.

This is the first have an important step in them open to it.

REPORTER: But it's Qatari for such a trial balloon notwithstanding, don't expect this administration or this Legislature, for that matter, to much of anything beyond letting the sunset on this surcharge.

For now.

I am David Cruz, NJ Spotlight News.

BRIANA: I'm growing this of those vying for embattled U.S.

Senator Bob Menendez's seat is Republican Christine Serrano Glassner who tossed her hat in the floor he was indicted.

Serrano-Glassner is the two-term mayor of Mendham in Morris County.

She served in the Small Business Administration and the president George W. Bush and cast herself as a conservative in the party and a staunch supporter of Donald Trump.

She has taken aim at Menendez and also of late Democratic front runner hammy Murphy -- Tammy Murphy.

Christine Serrano Glassner Joining me now.

Thank you so much for joining me.

I want to start with the needs of the leaks.

You called on the state comptroller to do an ethics probe into the Murphy administration's potential use of funds in the way that would benefit Tammy Murphy's lyrical career, specifically this radio ad.

What are you looking to have the comptroller investigate?

Mayor Serrano Glassner: It plays into New Jersey's long history of corruption.

Look at Bob Menendez, right, he had corruption following him.

He created this corruption for years and now this continues.

This is not right.

The excuse was, we did these b uys, we planned this in the summertime.

They knew the ads they did and they should have shown better integrity.

They should have shown better leadership and said, we are not even going to have them and I think since then, she is already appearing at an event and that was after they said we were going to take the ads down in the governor said that she is going to stand on her own thing that we are not going to use that office to improve her public opinion or to better position her for the race.

They have continued to do that.

BRIANA: So how are you going about your campaign?

I don't have to tell you, I am sure everyone has tossed the number at you that it has been 50 years since Republicans have been able to in a senate seat in New Jersey.

Our are you looking to make that different this time?

Mayor Serrano Glassner: I will do what I have always done, what I did in becoming mayor, and really reach out to everyone.

Make myself available to anyone at any time so they can get to know me and understand what my passion is Bernie Jersey and for the people of New Jersey and what my leadership skills are and get to know people.

Really listen and understand what are the issues going on.

How is this economy some this Murphy-Biden economy impacting people, and what changes need to be made for when that job is in my sights, when I'm doing that job.

It is the same thing I did as mayor and the sink and I will do as I am running for U.S. and it -- U.S. Senate.

BRIANA: There is talk about whether or not your ties, your families ties to a Former President Donald Trump could be a political vulnerability in a blue state like New Jersey.

Mayor Serrano Glassner: Compare what the country was then what is going on now with the economy, with the increase in crime, with the Fentanyl pipeline that has been opened up in the southern border.

Things aren't very different and not the same as when he was president.

I will continue to talk to people and show them this is what I need to do for New Jersey.

I want to bring the power back to the people.

BRIANA: If you get to D.C., what is your first order of business?

Is there a list of priorities?

Mayor Serrano Glassner: Absolutely.

Number one is we need to start really investigating this overspending.

The economy is key.

Another very important piece obviously, the crime going on in this country.

Extremely important.

And parents writes.

Voters right.

That we are transparent and people know what is going on.

These ominous bills are not fair to the vote because people do not know what is in there that our coalitional members are voting for.

Those are the priorities we need to focus on and that is what I will focus on.

BRIANA: Christine Serrano Glassner, thank you so much for your time.

Mayor Serrano Glassner: Thank it's a pleasure.

BRIANA: News of first lady Tammy Murphy's run for Senate brought with it cries of nepotism from medical rebels and some aggressive grassroots organizations who argue that her status as first lady gives her an unfair political advantage.

But New Jersey has a long history of politics being a family affair.

In your matter Colleen O'Dea looking to just how common the practice is in the state, and joins me now.

Thanks for joining me.

So this is not a new issue in politics, especially in New Jersey, but I am wondering how often it happens, and what other situations have arisen her to this.

-- arisen similar to this.

COLLEEN: It's still rare.

We have two cases where women filled out their husband's seats, assemblywoman Munoz who is still in the assembly from Union County.

BettyLou DeCroce who filled out her husband's turn.

We have a number of cases where we have got a father-son.

You had the Connors in South Jersey.

The bucco's in my next county.

We had a father daughter in Sussex County with Bob Nutella and his daughter Alice under Toma so it happens.

You have at the Congressional level, Congressman Payne succeeded his father after he passed.

And we have, of course, Congressman Menendez who is a freshman who is the son of embattled Senator Menendez, whose seed is at the center of this.

BRIANA: Sounds like a lot.

[LAUGHTER] COLLEEN: It just sound like a lot and it happens nationally too.

BRIANA: I am thinking about Sandra Cunningham as well, state senator.

COLLEEN: Yes, you're right.

BRIANA: So let me ask you, how do you differentiate between nepotism and someone wanting to follow in the family member's footsteps and what is the argument to be made there?

COLLEEN: That is a really hard thing to do, because I think it does make sense that a son might want to follow in his father's footsteps, or daughter in her fathers or mothers footsteps .

What happens here is when you consider Tammy Murphy's running, the governor being the head of the Democratic party in the state really means whether he comes out and says, as he did on Friday, that he is not going to make any deals to help her, the people who can help her get elected know that he is the head of the party and thank, you know, what if I don't endorse her?

What if I don't help Erwin?

Maybe we will not get state aid.

BRIANA: And I am curious how voters should go about this when they see these candidate out there, and what candidates are doing to sort of differentiate where they stand compared to their counterparts or their family members.

COLLEEN: I think that voters certainly need to be informed.

In the case of New Jersey, of course, we have this problem with the county line so that when the primary does come up next June, you're going to see, again, as we know, I think it is five Counties, at least where we can expect Tammy Murphy will have preferential treatment on that line.

Folks who come out and maybe are not well informed might be more apt to just click this candidates that the party has endorsed.

BRIANA: Colleen O'Dea for us.

Thanks so much.

COLLEEN: Thank you very much.

BRIANA: Palestinian Americans in New Jersey are calling out the state's coalitional delegation for what they say are callous treatment about the Israel-Hamas war.

The Council on American Islamic relations or care, NJ held a press conference today with two other groups dedicated to Muslim and Palestinian-American, detailing their meetings with each of New Jersey Congress members and their responses to increasing pressure for a cease-fire in the Middle East.

Only one member, democratic representative Bonnie Watson Coleman has joined a small but growing group in Washington merging de-escalation and cease-fire in the conflict, which has now reached a death toll of more than 13,000 Palestinians in Gaza according to the health ministry there.

Palestinians in Jersey say they are experimenting unprecedented levels of bigotry and even retaliation in the work for speaking out on behalf of the Stein, and they blame the officials for the backlash.

>> All but one letter the official, representative Bonnie Watson Coleman, have echoed hateful and damaging rhetoric.

Senator Menendez for example, has said the United States and stands with Israel as a defensive.

Senator Booker has said that Israel has the right and the responsibility to defend itself as an occupying power.

That you have a tentative Josh Gottheimer has come after students and ordinary citizens online on Twitter.

>> I will reiterate our call for a cease-fire, to our local and state of our officials, to members of Congress into President Biden.

Our humanity is slipping awaym medical providers have shifted how they treat addiction and substance abuse over the years more of a focus on evidence-based treatment methods.

We are also seeing more medical facilities open specifically to address the disease.

That is the case in Bergen County where the New Bridge medical under recently opened this CAT from the Center for comprehensive addiction treatment.

Senior correspondent Joanna Gagis reports, advocates say centers like these are the future for caring for the person as a whole.

>> The need is there.

We are seeing our communities suffering.

Young people, older people.

REPORTER: Suffering from substance abuse disorder.

To meet the need, they recently launched the comprehensive center addiction treatment, or ccat.

>> We have inpatient programs, outpatient programs, we have an inpatient medical withdrawal management unit and have a rehabilitation unit as well as.

Plus, we partner with Integrity House as our residential treatment partner.

REPORTER: Integrity House has locations around New Jersey that provide therapy and mental health services for those struggling with addiction, but here at New Bridge, this repeated services are also provided as part of the new center.

>> Different strategies work for different people.

Having a large menu of options available for people with different types of addictions and different severities are important.

If somebody is chemically dependent on the substance, they come in for what we call withdrawal management, which we used to call detox.

For some, we are just average.

So we will take care of them for a week or two after they come of our hospital units, then they will find treatment closer to their home.

REPORTER: Because substance use disorder can be complicated to treat, the goal here is to put all the services under one roof, including acute care and primary care where the services come right to the patient.

>> So individuals that suffer from addictions many times have other comorbid conditions, either chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, asthma, and other chronic diseases they may not have taken care of.

.

For us here at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, we treat the disease, but care for the individual.

.

They can get primary care, diagnostic care, treatments here, specialist care, all under one roof.

REPORTER: It's a model that hasn't been tried yet in the state, but as a safety net hospital, they will be able to treat individuals with every form of insurance and use, charity care to treat those are uninsured or underinsured.

Another where they are breaking the mold, eliminating stigma in the care they provide.

>> Society still views addiction very much is kind of a moral failure.

Of series of that choices.

That we don't see that anymore -- a series of bad choices.

But we don't see that anymore.

The model is to view it as a chronic disease.

REPORTER: They work to make sure any patient who education to help with addiction can get it, though they don't use the phrase medication assisted treatment, which his how providers typically appear to.

Treatment.

She says just like any other disease, it is simply because medication.

>> It has been demonstrated that the way we frame the treatment influences people from that so some words are out.

Words like addict out.

Somebody with the disease of addiction, food say.

The word abuse is out.

It's not helpful for us to talk about abuse.

People use drugs.

So some people are using the drugs in the wrong way, we would say they have a substance abuse disorder.

Just like some people have diabetes, some people have blood pressure that is too high.

REPORTER: As they work to change views around addiction and help those in need, he says he remains committed because McLachlan addiction treatment is working well, it is incredibly stabilizing and awarding.

REPORTER: I am Joanna Gagis, NJ Spotlight News.

BRIANA: It's the beginning of the end for a dangerous large pile of dirt, debris and waste in Camden.

We have reported on the pilot near Bergen Square that group due to illegal dumping despite years of resident complaints.

Today leaders announced a final phase of the cleanup.

As Ted Goldberg report from the announcement came with more funding to prevent future toxic dumping in Camden County.

>> we made a promise to our residents to clear this debris and we kept that promise together.

[APPLAUSE] TED: the days are numbered for this towering eyesore in Camden.

Mayor Victor Carstarphen says the last stage of cleanup has started for the infamous Dirt Pile in Bergen Square the byproduct of decades of illegal dumping.

>> I asked myself how a property owner like Weyhill Realty Holdings -- let me say that again, Weyhill Realty Holdings, the former property owner and responsible party, could do this to our community in our city.

>> What are we saying when we tolerate illegal dumping of materials in our communities, upon our neighbors?

What are we saying?

That somehow there are communities less deserving of natural beauty and environmental protection?

>> All people deserve clean land, air and water, and they also have the right to be informed and make decisions about the policies and practices that directly impact their health and the safety and well-being of their children and their community.

REPORTER: The city of Camden seized control of this property in September of 2022 after residents complained for years.

Locals told us that Dirk garbage onto their property, and it made the neighborhood smelled terrible on hot days.

At a news conference today, leaders say they hope to clean up Camden's repetition of a dumping ground for South Jersey.

>> Illegal dumping costs the city of Camden $4 million a year.

Think about that.

That is $4 million that could be spent on a number of other initiatives.

You can look at every corner in this city.

For years it became the dumping ground for not only Camden County, but for the South Jersey region.

But slowly but surely, thanks to our friend here working with our community, we have seen a reversal of the trend.

REPORTER: The city of Camden spent millions of dollars to clean up this property alone, and they received state and federal dollars as well.

Some for this project, and some to prevent illegal dumping in the future.

>> We were able to deliver for the city of Camden almost half $1 million cameras single source is to look for illegal dumpers permit Mayor Gray to keep it from happening in the future, but, most importantly, prevent this pilot from creating any trouble for those called his home.

REPORTER: Mayor Carstarphen says he expects the pile to be completely gone by the end of February, but there could still be a lot of work to be done as dangerous chemicals may have leached into the ground.

Folks need to monitor the worksite to see if that is the case and to determine how much longer the cleanup will continue.

In Camden, Ted Goldberg, NJ Spotlight News.

BRIANA: Our Spotlight on Business Report -- if you need to buy a new car in a few years, you will have to go green.

The state is now requiring all new car sales to be electric by 2035.

Some requirements will start as early as 2026.

The Department today solidified the new regulations, known as advanced green cars ii, following California's lead by mandating automakers to produce more electric options over the next several years until reaching 100% Zero-Emission Vehicles in the next decade.

Environmental advocates have long pushed the goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution in congested New Jersey.

According to the dep, at 35%, the transportation sector is responsible for more emissions than any other sector.

But more than 100 business and labor groups opposed the timeline of the new rules and asked the legislature to step in.

In a statement, the NJBIA as the expedited nature of the dozen take costs, feasibility, infrastructure or grid capacity into account.

On Wall Street, the November rally appears to pause, with Stoxx opening lower today.

Here is how the market looked.

♪ >> Support for the business report provided by -- >> The New Jersey tourism industry Association.

Njtia will host the New Jersey conference on tourism from November 30 to December 1, in Atlantic City.

visitNjtia.org for event information.

♪ BRIANA: That does that for us tonight, but don't forget to download the NJ Spotlight News podcast so you can listen anytime.

I am Brianna Vannozzi.

For the entire team, thanks for being with us.

We will see you right back here tomorrow.

♪ >> New Jersey Education Association.

Making public schools great for every child.

And RWJ Barnabas Health.

Let's be healthy together.

>> Look at these kids.

♪ What do you see?

I see myself.

I became an ESL teacher to give my students what I wanted when I came to this country.

♪ The opportunity to learn, to dream, to achieve.

A chance to be known, and to be an American.

My name is Julia.

I am proud to be an njea member.

♪