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♪ >>> WELCOME TO "REPORTERS ROUNDTABLE," I'M DAVID CRUZ.

HAPPY TO BE BACK WITH YOU, JOINED BY OUR PANEL OF STATE JOURNALISTS, KAREN YEE OF WNYC RADIO, MATT ARCO, THE POLITICS REPORTER FOR NJ ADVANCED MEDIA AND OUR OWN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, MICHAEL AARON.

GOOD TO SEE YOU ALL.

WE'LL BE HEARING FROM THEM IN JUST A FEW MINUTES BUT WE BEGIN THIS WEEK MARKING A ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE ATTACK ON THE U.S. CAPITOL, FINDING OURSELVES ONLY SLIGHTLY LESS DIVIDED THAN WE WERE THEN, AND THAT'S AN OPTIMIST'S VIEW, I KNOW.

NEW JERSEY SURVIVED THE GOVERNOR'S ELECTION JUST A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO WITH LITTLE ILL EFFECT, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT OUR POLITICS ISN'T SHOWING SOME SIGNS OF FRAYING.

LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT AND MORE WITH OUR "ROUNDTABLE" GUESTS.

REPUBLICAN SENATOR DE DECLAN OSCANLON.

>> HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU AND THE REST OF THE PANEL.

>> HAVE YOU BEEN REFLECTING MUCH ON JANUARY 6, 2021, WHAT IT MEANT THEN AND HOW MUCH THE SENTIMENT THAT INSPIRED THOSE ATTACKS ARE STILL AROUND?

>> LOOK, IT'S PART OF OUR HISTORY NOW, RIGHT?

IT'S NEVER GOING AWAY.

THERE ARE VERY FEW THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN OUR LIVES, SOCIETALLY, THAT WE KNOW ARE GOING TO BE IN THE HISTORY BOOKS GOING FORWARD FOR THE NEXT 50 YEARS.

JANUARY 6th IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS.

WE HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT.

WE HAVE TO LEARN FROM IT.

AND AS THIS COUNTRY ALWAYS HAS, FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE OURSELVES BETTER BY VIRTUE OF UNDERSTANDING THE MISTAKES WE'VE MADE AND THE ISSUES WE FACE.

AND I THINK WE'RE DOING THAT.

SOME THOUGHTS, I MEAN, WHAT DO YOU SAY TO PEOPLE WHO BRING THIS UP WITH YOU, YOU KNOW, WHILE YOU'RE OUT THERE IN THE DISTRICT?

>> THERE SEEMS TO BE, WHEN I'M CHATTING WITH PEOPLE NOW, AN INCLINATION TO BEGIN TO BE MORE REFLECTIVE AND DELIBERATIVE, RATHER THAN REACTIONARY, AND I'M HOPING THAT'S THE SEED OF A NEW PERIOD OF CIVIL DEBATE, IF NOT COMPLETE COOPERATION.

I SEE IT IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE.

I THINK WE SAW THE ELECTIONS THIS YEAR IN NEW JERSEY HAVE GIVEN SOME PERSPECTIVE TO MY FRIENDS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE.

MAYBE EMBOLDENED FOLKS ON MY SIDE OF THE AISLE A LITTLE BIT BUT NOT TO THE POINT WHERE I THINK IT OFFSETS THE INCLINATION OF MY FRIENDS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE TO BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY NEED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT SOME OF THE THINGS WE SAY AND SOME OF THE THINGS THEY'RE HEARING FROM THEIR CONSTITUENTS.

THEY CAN'T JUST ACT IN A BUBBLE AND IMAGINE THAT THERE WON'T BE ANY REPERCUSSIONS.

THAT'S GOOD.

>> I FEEL LIKE YOU'RE ALMOST -- I FEEL LIKE YOU'RE ALMOST EQUATING OPPOSITION AND WHAT HAPPENED AT THE U.S. CAPITOL.

I MEAN, IT'S ONE THING TO SAY, HEY, I VOTED FOR TRUMP.

IT'S QUITE ANOTHER TO, YOU KNOW, TEAR GAS A COP.

RIGHT?

>> LOOK, I DON'T FORGIVE THEM.

I WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE TO SPEAK OUT WHILE IT WAS HAPPENING, BY THE WAY.

IT WAS DISGUSTING.

AND IT JUST CAN'T HAPPEN.

AND LOOK, I THINK WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE AFTERMATH, WHATEVER CRESCENDO OF EM BOLDEDNESS CERTAIN ELEMENTS IN OUR SOCIETY HAD LED TO JANUARY 6th, THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN ANY TIME SOON.

WE'VE SEEN THE PROSECUTIONS.

WE'VE SEEN SOME LEVEL OF SIGNIFICANT, SOBER ASSESSMENT ABOUT IT.

SO I'M NOT FEARFUL THAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE ANYTHING LIKE THAT HAPPEN AGAIN, HOPEFULLY IN OUR LIFETIMES.

SO, I THINK THE LESSONS WERE LEARNED.

NOW WE HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD AND SEE HOW WE CAN TURN THOSE LESSONS INTO SOME PRODUCTIVE ADVANCEMENT IN OUR DEBATE AND OUR DELIBERATION.

WE CAN'T STAY THIS POLARIZED FOREVER.

YOU KNOW, UNLESS WE WANT TO ASSUME THAT FOREVER IS A FINITE EXISTENCE OF OUR COUNTRY, WHICH I'M NOT WILLING TO ACCEPT.

SO, I'M NOT WORRIED THAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE A SERIES OF JANUARY 6th.

NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

SO FOR ME, LET'S MOVE ON, FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN BE PRODUCTIVE AND WORK TOGETHER.

>> ALL RIGHT, LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS GOVERNOR'S RACE, CLOSER THAN ANYONE EXPECTED.

DID THE DEMOCRATS JUST STAY HOME, OR ARE REPUBLICANS, AS YOU SUGGESTED, RESURGENT IN NEW JERSEY?

>> I THINK IT'S A COMBINATION OF THE TWO, BUT YOU CAN'T DENY THAT THERE'S A SEGMENT OF THE REPUBLICAN OR THE EVEN SLIGHTLY REPUBLICAN-LEANING MODERATES OUT THERE WHO ORDINARILY WOULDN'T COME OUT FOR A GOVERNOR'S RACE.

A LOT OF THESE FOLKS, I BET YOU, ONCE WE DO THE POSTMORTEM AND SEE HOW MANY FORMALLY ONE OF FOUR VOTERS, PEOPLE THAT WOULD ONLY VOTE IN A PRESIDENTIAL RACE, FOR INSTANCE, CAME OUT.

HOW LARGE WAS THE INCREASE IN THE TURNOUT OF THOSE PEOPLE?

I BET IT'S SIGNIFICANT.

SO I THINK IT IS A RESURGENCE, NOT JUST OF REPUBLICANS BUT OF PEOPLE BECOMING MORE AWARE OF HOW THEIR GOVERNMENT IMPACTS THEIR LIVES, AND CERTAINLY THE PANDEMIC HAS FOCUSED A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THAT.

>> THINKING ABOUT THE ASSEMBLY MEMBERS WHO MADE A SCENE AT THE CHAMBER DOORS A COUPLE MONTHS AGO OR A FEW WEEKS AGO, I'M WONDERING IF THEY REALLY REPRESENT THE PARTY IN NEW JERSEY AND WHETHER THAT CONFIRMS THAT THE REPUBLICANS IN NEW JERSEY ARE THE PARTY OF TRUMP?

>> NO.

I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE CASE.

WE CERTAINLY HAVE A SIZABLE PORTION OF NEW JERSEY, NOT JUST REPUBLICANS.

THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT I TALK TO WHO ARE DEMOCRATS WHO SAY THAT TRUMP IS SPEAKING TO THEM IS SIGNIFICANT.

BUT WE HAVE A -- NEW JERSEY HAS ALWAYS HAD A WIDE SWATH, AND CERTAINLY THE REPUBLICAN PARTY WITHIN NEW JERSEY HAS HAD A WIDE SWATH OF BROAD DEPTH OF DIFFERING PHILOSOPHIES.

OR, YOU KNOW, WE RUN FROM ARCH CONSERVATIVES TO EXTREME MODERATES, IF I CAN -- I CAN BE CONTRADICTORY, BUT THE FOLKS THAT ARE DECIDEDLY IN THE MIDDLE.

AND THE PARTY STILL APPEALS TO THOSE FOLKS, BOTH, TO THE WHOLE SPECTRUM, ACTUALLY, AND YOU HAVE TO WITH NEW JERSEY BECAUSE REPUBLICANS CAN'T WIN WITHOUT ALL THOSE COMPONENTS.

THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT SAY, WE NEED TO REJECT THE TRUMP WING.

THERE ARE FOLKS IN THE TRUMP WING THAT SAY, WE NEED TO REJECT THE MODERATES.

WELL, THEY'RE BOTH WRONG, BECAUSE REPUBLICANS DON'T WIN IN NEW JERSEY BY ANY MORE THAN A FEW POINTS, SO YOU NEED EVERYBODY.

AND WE NEED TO ACCEPT THAT.

>> SO, YOU GOT THE STATE OF THE STATE SPEECH COMING UP NEXT WEEK.

I GUESS YOU CAN PROBABLY GUESS WHAT THE GOVERNOR'S LIKELY TO TALK ABOUT.

YOU WANT TO TAKE 15, 20 SECONDS THAT I HAVE TO GIVE A PREEMPTORY RESPONSE?

>> LOOK, I APPRECIATE RIGHT NOW SOME OF THE GOVERNOR'S DIFFERENT TRACK, REALIZING THAT, YOU KNOW, HE IS NOT COME BACK, AS MANY PEOPLE PREDICTED, AND TRIED TO INFLICT MASSIVE LOCKDOWNS, ET CETERA.

I THINK IT'S OVERREACH, HIS REQUEST FOR A 90-DAY EXTENSION OF ALL OF HIS -- OR MANY OF HIS EOs, WHICH I DON'T THINK THE LEGISLATURE IS INCLINED TO GIVE ON EITHER SIDE OF THE AISLE.

LOOK, THE GOVERNOR NEEDS TO PERMIT THE LEGISLATURE TO BE THE CO-EQUAL BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT THAT IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE, AND WE'LL HAVE BETTER GOVERNMENT IN NEW JERSEY FOR IT.

RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, THE GOVERNOR SPEAKING FROM ON HIGH FROM HIS SILO.

SO, WHATEVER HIS SPEECH IS, AND NOW, I GUESS, IT'S GOING TO BE ZOOMED AND RECORDED, SO I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GOING TO LISTEN TO IT.

WE ALL WILL, BUT I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY FOLKS OUTSIDE THAT REALM.

BUT THE LEGISLATURE IS RESURGENT NOW, AND THE SMARTER, MORE MODERATE VOICES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE ARE RESURGENT, AND I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE A GOOD THING FOR NEW JERSEY GOING FORWARD.

>> ALL RIGHT, FOLKS WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THAT SPEECH, BY THE WAY, AS THE FILE GETS UNFURLED TUESDAY AT 5:00 ON NJ PBS.

THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLUG THAT.

SENATOR DECLAN O'SCAN ALRLON, G TO SEE YOU.

PANEL, GOOD TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN.

LET'S START WITH THE STATE OF THE STATE.

MICHAEL AARON, THIS IS A GOVERNOR WHO SURVIVED A TOUGH ELECTION IN AN OFF YEAR.

WHAT IS GOVERNOR MURPHY'S STATUS AS HE HEADS INTO A SECOND TERM?

HOW'S HE DOING?

>> HE'S DOING ALL RIGHT.

HE'S UPRIGHT.

HE'S REBOUNDING FROM A CHASTENING ELECTION.

I THINK WE CAN SEE HIM ABSORBS SOME OF THE LESSONS OF THE ELECTION WHEN HE DOES HANDS-OFF ON THE COVID POLICY IN TERMS OF WHETHER KIDS SHOULD GO BACK TO SCHOOL OR NOT.

PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT DONALD TRUMP WAS KICKING THE BALL DOWN THE ROAD WHEN HE SAID THIS -- THE STATE SHOULD MAKE ALL THESE DECISIONS, THIS IS NOT FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND NOW MURPHY IS SAYING, THIS IS -- THE LOCAL DISTRICTS SHOULD MAKE THE MAIN DECISION HERE, NOT TRENTON.

THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A CHANGE FOR MURPHY, AND I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT COMES RIGHT OUT OF THE ELECTION.

I ALSO THINK WE'RE HEARING HIM TALK MORE ABOUT AFFORDABILITY THESE DAYS.

THAT'S BEEN A REPUBLICAN TALKING POINT FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS.

I CAN'T IMAGINE DOING AN INTERVIEW WITH TOM KEAN JR. WHERE HE DIDN'T BRING UP MAKING NEW JERSEY MORE AFFORDABLE.

NOW, ALL OF A SUDDEN, MURPHY'S TALKING ABOUT MAKING NEW JERSEY MORE AFFORDABLE.

I THINK THAT'S A RESULT OF THE ELECTION, AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THAT ON TUESDAY.

>> ALL RIGHT, MATT, I'M SURE WE'RE GOING TO START SEEING MORE MURPHY FOR PRESIDENT COLUMNS.

HAS HE MADE A CASE YET, AND/OR WILL HE ATTEMPT TO MAKE A CASE IN THE SECOND TERM?

>> I THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT THOSE RUMORS HAVE BEEN OUT THERE FOR A WHILE.

THEY'RE GOING TO CONTINUE.

SPOILER ALERT.

I CAN SAY THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS RECENTLY TOLD ME AND MY COLLEAGUE DURING AN INTERVIEW THAT HE IS ABSOLUTELY NOT RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT.

I PRESSED HIM ON THIS MULTIPLE TIMES, AND HE INSISTS THAT HE'S NOT AND HE'LL BE HERE FOR FOUR YEARS, BUT WHAT WILL BE MORE TELLING IS, IN A YEAR FROM NOW, TWO YEARS FROM NOW, DO THESE, YOU KNOW, PRE-PRE-PRESIDENTIAL RUN GROUPS START TO FORM?

AND THAT WILL BE MOST TELLING.

BUT AS OF RIGHT NOW, HE SAYS HE'S NOT, AND LOOK, AS YOU KNOW, HE HAS A RELATIONSHIP WITH PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN THAT GOES BACK MANY YEARS, SO THERE'S NO WAY, I THINK, THAT HE WOULD EVEN SUGGEST THAT HE IS GOING TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT AGAINST JOE BIDEN UNLESS JOE BIDEN, YOU KNOW, AT SOME POINT, SAYS THAT HE'S NOT GOING TO RUN FOR RE-ELECTION, AND THEN THAT WOULD, I THINK, CHANGE THE GAME.

BUT AGAIN, HE'S SAYING HE'S NOT.

>> ALL RIGHT.

IN TRENTON, THE FINAL VOTING SESSION IS MONDAY.

LOTS OF STUFF IS NOT GOING TO SEW A VOTE, LIKE CIVILIAN COMPLAINT REVIEW BOARDS AND OTHER POLICE-FOCUSED REFORMS.

BUT THERE WILL BE SOME VERSION OF THE REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM ACT PARED DOWN, I GUESS, UP FOR A VOTE.

KAREN, IS THAT RIGHT?

WHAT'S IN THE NEW BILL, AND WHAT'S OUT, IF WE KNOW?

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

THIS IS SORT OF COBBLED TOGETHER IN A LAST-MINUTE, AND MY UNDERSTANDING OF THIS BILL IS IT'S NOT THE REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM ACT THAT MURPHY HAD CHAMPIONED FOR MONTHS.

AND THIS WOULD -- THIS NEW BILL WOULD STILL CODIFY THE RIGHT TO AN ABORTION IN NEW JERSEY, BUT IT WOULD REMOVE THIS PROTECTION OUT OF ABORTION RIGHTS ACTIVISTS HAVE BEEN PUSHING FOR, WHICH IS WHETHER INSURANCE CARRIERS SHOULD COVER THE COST OF ABORTION.

AND THAT'S REALLY OPENED THE DOOR FOR THE STATE TO MANDATE IT IF THERE IS A STUDY DONE THAT FINDS IT NECESSARY, BUT THAT SORT OF LEAVES IT UP TO BUREAUCRACY, AND THERE'S NO TIMELINE.

AND SO I THINK THE WORRY IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CODIFYING THIS RIGHT AND ALSO MAKING IT ACCESSIBLE, GIVEN WHAT COULD HAPPEN AT THE U.S. SUPREME COURT IF THEY OVERTURN ROE V. WADE, AND SO IF THIS BILL DOESN'T GO FAR ENOUGH TO ACTUALLY EXPAND ACCESS AND PROTECT WOMEN WHO NEED PROTECTION, I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU COULD CALL IT A WIN OR MAKING A MARK IN THIS AREA AS THE GOVERNOR HAS CHAMPIONED FOR A WHILE LAST YEAR.

>> YEAH, YOU KNOW, THIS BILL IS KIND OF THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF HOW THE DEMOCRATS PARTICULARLY ARE STILL AT ODDS WITH ONE ANOTHER, THE LEFT FLANK OF THE PARTY VERSUS THE MODERATE FLANK OF THE PARTY.

DOES THE GOVERNOR NEED TO REASSURE THE LEFT OF HIS PARTY THAT HE'S NOT ABANDONING THEIR ISSUES, KAREN?

>> I THINK SO.

I MEAN, I THINK IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS, YOU KNOW, NOW THAT HE WON AND HE WON BY A VERY NARROW MARGIN, A LOT OF PROGRESSIVE GROUPS ARE SORT OF SAYING, OKAY, LIKE, WHAT ABOUT ALL THESE OTHER ISSUES THAT YOU DIDN'T TACKLE IN YOUR FIRST TERM?

CLIMATE CHANGE IS A HUGE ONE.

THERE'S A CURRENT FIGHT OVER BUILDING A THIRD POWER PLANT IN NEWARK.

NEWARK IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S BUILT ON THIS AVENUE THAT'S KNOWN AS CHEMICAL CORRIDOR.

THEY HAVE SO MUCH CONTAMINATION THERE, AND THE GOVERNOR SORT OF PASSED THIS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE BILL AND PROMISED TO COMBAT, YOU KNOW, RACISM IN THE ENVIRONMENT, AND YET YOU HAVE THIS POWER PLANT MOVING FORWARD, AND SO I THINK THERE ARE PROGRESSIVE GROUPS IN CLIMATE CHANGE AND ISSUES LIKE IMMIGRATION AND AFFORDABILITY IN HOUSING TRYING TO PUSH HIM TO GET SOME OF THEIR PRIORITIES DONE THAT WEREN'T DONE DURING HIS FIRST TERM, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, AS MICHAEL SAID, WE'RE SEEING THIS RED SURGE OF OUTRAGE AND THE GOVERNOR PROMISING TO LISTEN TO ALL NEW JERSEYANS, RIGHT, IN HIS RE-ELECTION SPEECH, AND SO HOW IS HE GOING TO BALANCE THOSE TWO SIDES, TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABILITY BUT ALSO TRYING TO PUT HIS MARK ON SOME OTHER PROGRESSIVE POLICIES?

>> MATTHEW, YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING TO THAT?

AS IT PERTAINS TO THE INTERNAL KIND OF PHILOSOPHICAL STRUGGLE AMONG DEMOCRATS AND WHERE DO YOU THINK ANYTHING'S GOING TO COME UP ON MONDAY THAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT AS FAR AS BILLS?

>> THE ONE THING I'M REALLY FOCUSED ON RIGHT NOW, AND THE SENATOR ALLUDED TO THIS, IS THE GOVERNOR'S REQUEST THAT THE LEGISLATURE EXTEND SOME OF HIS EMERGENCY POWERS, AND WHAT HAPPENED LATE YESTERDAY WAS THE LEGISLATURE BARELY EXTENDED SOME OF THEM AND, YOU KNOW, THE BIG QUESTION RIGHT NOW IS SOMETHING LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE -- AMONG THE THINGS THAT THE GOVERNOR ASKED FOR WAS EXTENDING THE MASK MANDATE IN SCHOOLS, AND THE LEGISLATURE DIDN'T EXTEND THAT.

SO, YOU KNOW, I KNOW IT'S JUST BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE TALKED ABOUT, SORT OF THE GOVERNOR AND SENATE PRESIDENT STEVE SWEENEY LOCKING HORNS, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE -- THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

AND NOW THE GOVERNOR NEEDS TO ACT.

THE LEGISLATURE DIDN'T DO WHAT THE GOVERNOR ASKED, AND IT SET THE STAGE FOR THE GOVERNOR, THEN, AS SOON AS MONDAY, BECAUSE THESE RULES SUNSET ON TUESDAY, HAVING TO DECLARE ANOTHER STATE OF EMERGENCY AND PUTTING THESE RULES IN EFFECT BECAUSE THE LEGISLATURE ESSENTIALLY REFUSED TO DO IT.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT COME UP.

THERE'S A BILL THAT WOULD EXTEND PENSION BENEFITS TO LAWMAKERS.

I MEAN, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT SNUCK IN THERE, BUT I THINK THE THING THAT'S GOING TO -- THAT READERS AND VIEWERS ARE REALLY GOING TO BE INTERESTED IN IS, DO MY KIDS HAVE TO WEAR MASKS IN SCHOOL COME WEDNESDAY?

SO, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN NOW AND MONDAY, THERE'S ANOTHER SHOWDOWN BETWEEN PHIL MURPHY AND STEVE SWEENEY.

>> CODIFYING ABORTION RIGHTS WAS ONE OF THE TOP AGENDA ITEMS OF MAJORITY LEADER LORETTA WEINBERG.

SHE IS ONE OF SEVERAL LAWMAKERS LEAVING VOLUNTARILY AND OTHERWISE.

THIS IS GOING TO BE A DIFFERENT LEGISLATURE, ISN'T IT, MATT?

NEW BLOOD VERSUS OLD GUARD?

WHAT'S GOING TO BE DIFFERENT?

>> I CAN'T PREDICT THAT, BUT IT'S ABSOLUTELY GOING TO BE A NEW LEGISLATURE.

WE HAVE A FEW MORE REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS COMING IN, LONG-TERM SENATOR LAWMAKER LORETTA WEINBERG IS LEAVING BUT THE MORE INTERESTING THING IS, YOU KNOW, IN THE UPSET ELECTION, STEVE SWEENEY LOST HIS RE-ELECTION BID.

HE'S BEEN SENATE PRESIDENT FOR OVER A DECADE, AND NOW WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT I'VE BEEN COVERING NEW JERSEY POLITICS, A BRAND-NEW SENATE PRESIDENT, AND YOU KNOW, I HAVE A TON OF QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW WILL NICK BE ABLE TO RALLY HIS CAUCUS WHEN THE GOVERNOR, WHO I DON'T PREDICT IS GOING TO BE UNVEILING ANY GRAND PROPOSALS OR INITIATIVES IN HIS SECOND TERM, IS GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, WORKING FOR THE SAME THINGS THAT HE HAD IN HIS FIRST TERM, YOU KNOW, GUN CONTROL, ABORTION, BUT THAT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S GOING TO GET WORKED OUT BY MONDAY.

BUT YEAH, THE QUESTION IS, NOW IS NICK SCUTARI GOING -- WHAT IS THE NEW SENATE PRESIDENT GOING TO BE LIKE?

HOW IS HE GOING TO WORK WITH HIS CAUCUS TO GET ANYTHING DONE AND TO GET ANYTHING DONE AFTER AN ELECTION WHERE DEMOCRATS IN THE STATE, DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS PROBABLY ARE QUITE SCARED TO DO ANYTHING EXTREMELY BOLD BECAUSE OF THE RESULTS OF THE LAST ELECTION.

>> MICHAEL AARON, YOU HAVE SEEN MOST OF THESE PLAYERS ASCEND AND NOW DESCEND.

THOUGHTS ON LORETTA WEINBERG, STEVE SWEENEY, AND WHAT MAYBE WE CAN EXPECT FROM NICK AS SENATE PRESIDENT.

>> LET ME START WITH STEVE SWEENEY.

I THINK HE'S BEEN THE DOMINANT PERSON IN THE LEGISLATURE FOR THE LAST DECADE.

HE'S SUCH A CHARACTER.

IF YOU WENT UP TO HIM OR IF YOU PASSED HIM IN THE HALLS AT THE STATE HOUSE AND SAID, HOW ARE YOU, HE WOULD INVARIABLY SAY, EVERY DAY'S A HOLIDAY, EVERY MEAL A TREAT.

THAT WAS HIS LINE.

HE'S BEEN A STRONG, INTERESTING CHARACTER.

LORETTA WEINBERG HAS BEEN A STRONG AND INTERESTING CHARACTER.

IT'S INTERESTING THAT SWEENEY HAS PUT HER ON THE HORIZON BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD BOARD AS A GOING AWAY PRESENT.

YOU GO TO A FEW BOARD MEETINGS, AND YOU MAKE $77,000 ANNUALLY.

AS MATT SAID, IT'S GOING TO BE A DIFFERENT LEGISLATURE WITH A DIFFERENT TONE.

SCUTARI IS GOING TO SET HIS OWN TONE.

IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO PREDICT WHAT THAT'S GOING TO BE.

BUT HE'S A CLEVER GUY.

HE'S A PRINCIPLED GUY.

AND HE CAN BE IMPRESSIVE WITH HIS RHETORIC, SO IT IS A NEW DAY.

>> YEAH.

I GUESS WE HAD THE SAME QUESTIONS ABOUT SENATOR SWEENEY WHEN HE ASCENDED TO SENATE PRESIDENT.

NOBODY KNEW WHAT TO EXPECT THEN.

I GUESS YOU KIND OF HAVE TO WORK THOSE RELATIONSHIPS AND SEE HOW THINGS EVOLVE.

>> YOU KNOW, IT USED TO BE IN THE OLD DAYS THAT SENATE PRESIDENTS SERVED FOR TWO YEARS, ONE TERM, AND THEN IT ROTATED, AND THAT WAS HOW IT WAS DONE FOR DECADES UNTIL DON DIFRANCESCO KEPT GETTING HIMSELF RE-ELECTED AND HE STAYED ABOUT TEN YEARS AND THEN DICK COTE SUCCEEDED HIM AND STAYED ANOTHER TEN YEARS AND NOW SWEENEY HAS PUT A DECADE IN.

SO, THAT'S A CHANGE FROM THE OLD WAY OF DOING THINGS.

>> IN YOUR MIND, SWEENEY IS NOT DONE, RIGHT?

I MEAN, IS HE A POTENTIAL GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE AS EVERYBODY SUGGESTS?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

I THINK HE'S GOT THE INSIDE TRACK ON IT IF HE WANTS IT AND I CAN'T IMAGINE HIM NOT WANTING IT.

>> BACK TO OMICRON.

KAREN, NEWARK, JERSEY CITY, OTHER LARGE DISTRICTS ARE BACK TO VIRTUAL LEARNING.

SEEMS LIKE NOBODY WANTS TO BE REMOTE BUT EVERYBODY'S GOING REMOTE.

PRESSURE MOUNTING ON THE GOVERNOR TO DO WHAT EXACTLY?

HE SEEMS TO BE HANDS-OFF.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

I MEAN, I THINK A LOT OF DISTRICTS, THAT'S SORT OF BEEN HIS M.O., RIGHT, THIS WHOLE PANDEMIC, LEAVING IT UP TO LOCAL CONTROL, WHICH IN SOME WAYS HAS WORKED, BUT IN OTHER WAYS, HASN'T.

I MEAN, DISTRICTS ARE DEALING WITH A LOT.

THEY'RE DEALING WITH NOT JUST THE AMOUNT OF LEARNING LOSS THAT HAS HAPPENED DURING REMOTE LEARNING BUT THEY HAVE A LOT OF FEDERAL FUNDING THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH.

THEY'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT TESTING.

THEY'RE FACING SHORTAGES FROM SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS TO TEACHERS TO BUS DRIVERS SO THERE'S A LOT OF ON THEIR PLATE AND NOT MUCH ANSWERS OR CLARITY FROM THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

I MEAN, YESTERDAY, DURING THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE HEARING, THE D.O.E.

WAS JUST M.I.A.

THEY DIDN'T SHOW UP TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.

MURPHY HAD A PRESS BRIEFING ON MONDAY AND DIDN'T REALLY TAKE MANY QUESTIONS FROM ANY OF US WHO WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS TEST TO STAY OPTION.

THERE IS NO UNIVERSAL TESTING BEING MANDATED FOR KIDS TO GO BACK.

THIS TEST-TO-STAY OPTION SEEMS TO BE MORE LIKE A POLICY THAN A PROGRAM THAT IS COMING WITH RESOURCES AND FUNDING TO HELP SCHOOLS PROVIDE TESTING.

AND YOU KNOW, AT THIS POINT, WE'RE SEEING 800 SCHOOLS THAT ARE CLOSED DUE TO COVID, THAT'S 30% OF THE SCHOOLS, AND WE'LL SEE HOW LONG THIS WAVE LASTS AND WHETHER THAT REMAINS THE CASE.

BUT I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE WITH US FOR A WHILE IN FIGURING OUT HOW TO KEEP KIDS SAFE, BUT KEEPING THEM LEARNING IS SOMETHING THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME MORE LEADERSHIP ON AND SOME DISTRICTS ARE DEFINITELY CLAMORING FOR THAT AND PARENTS AS WELL.

>> MATT, THE LONGER THIS GOES ON, THE MORE POLITICALLY PERILOUS IT BECOMES FOR THE GOVERNOR, NO?

>> YES AND NO.

BECAUSE THE -- FIRST OF ALL, MY COLLEAGUE AND I HAD A STORY THAT RAN, ACTUALLY, THIS MORNING AS WE WERE SETTING UP FOR THIS WHERE THE GOVERNOR IS ON THE RECORD WITH US SAYING THAT THERE ARE GOING TO BE NO NEW RESTRICTIONS.

SO, BASICALLY, THE WAVE THAT WE'RE IN NOW, WHICH IS SERIOUS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF NEW CASES EACH DAY, HOSPITALIZATIONS ARE GOING UP, AND OH, BY THE WAY, YOU KNOW, THEY MIGHT ANNOUNCE 30,000 CASES ON A DAY, BUT THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE ALL THE PEOPLE THAT TESTED POSITIVE AT AN AT-HOME TEST AND PROBABLY DIDN'T REPORT IT TO THE STATE.

AND I KNOW PERSONALLY, AT LEAST A HALF DOZEN PEOPLE THAT DID IT THAT WAY.

SO, I SUSPECT WHAT THE GOVERNOR IS HOPING FOR IS THAT -- IS A MONTH OF A LOT OF CASES, A LOT OF WOES, BUT THEN A STEEP DECLINE AND THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WITHIN TWO MONTHS, WE'RE LIVING IN AN ENDEMIC AND NOT A PANDEMIC.

BUT THAT'S OBVIOUSLY HINGES ON WHATEVER NEW VARIANT IS GOING TO COME OUT OF ANYWHERE, BUT YEAH, I MEAN, LOOK, TO YOUR QUESTION, IF THE GOVERNOR NEEDS TO DECLARE ANOTHER STATE OF EMERGENCY, SAY, ON MONDAY, BECAUSE THE LEGISLATURE DIDN'T RE-UP THE THINGS THAT HE IS ASKING FOR AS WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF THIS CURRENT HUGE SPIKE, I THINK A LOT OF FOLKS ARE GOING TO BE ANGRY AT THE GOVERNOR AND HE'S STUCK HOLDING THAT HOT POTATO.

>> MATT ARCO, KAREN YEE, MICHAEL AARON, THNGZANKS FOR COMING ON S WEEK.

THANKS TO SENATOR DECLAN O'SCANLON.

JOIN US TUESDAY AT 5:00 P.M.

WHEN WE'LL BRING YOU LIVE COVERAGE OF GOVERNOR MURPHY'S STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS.

I'LL BE ANCHORING THE COVERAGE AND COLLEEN O'DAY AMONG OTHERS WILL BE WITH US.

THAT'S ON NJ PBS AND ALL OF OUR STREAMING PLATFORMS.

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER, @DAVIDCRUZNJ, AND BE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL FOR MORE STUFF LIKE NJ "BUSINESS BEAT," NJ SPOTLIGHT NEWS AND LIVE STREAMS OF IMPORTANT EVENTS.

I'M DAVID CRUZ.

THANKS FOR WATCHING, WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

>> Announcer: MAJOR FUNDING FOR "REPORTERS ROUNDTABLE" WITH DAVID CRUZ IS PROVIDED BY NEW JERSEY REALTORS, THE VOICE FOR REAL ESTATE IN NEW JERSEY.

MORE INFORMATION IS ONLINE AT NJREALTOR.COM.

RWJBARNABAS HEALTH.

LET'S BE HEALTHY TOGETHER.

AND BY NJM INSURANCE GROUP, SERVING THE INSURANCE NEEDS OF NEW JERSEY RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES FOR MORE THAN 100 YEARS.

PROMOTIONAL SUPPORT IS PROVIDED BY "NEW JERSEY BUSINESS MAGAZINE," THE MAGAZINE OF THE NEW JERSEY BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION, REPORTING TO EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE LEADERS IN ALL 21 COUNTIES OF THE GARDEN STATE SINCE 1954.

AND BY POLITICO'S "NEW JERSEY PLAYBOOK," A TOPICAL NEWSLETTER ON GARDEN STATE POLITICS, ONLINE AT POLITICO.COM.

--Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com