Good Tuesday morning!

When people talk about the gender imbalance in New Jersey elected offices, they often frame it from a party recruitment perspective — that the male overrepresentation is the failure of the parties to field candidates more representative of their constituents. But do voters bear responsibility for it, too?

FDU on Monday released new details of its recent potential 2025 gubernatorial candidate poll and explained how they sorted respondents based on an “ambivalent sexism scale” and then measured how their place on that scale figured into how they rated male and female candidates.

According to the pollster, Republican respondents had higher average sexism scores than Democrats but the Democratic respondents’ bias had a bigger effect on the polling results. For instance, among Democratic voters who scored in the top half of the sexism scale, they viewed Rep. Mikie Sherrill 10 points less favorably than those who scored in the lower half. Not including the fake candidate FDU tested, the survey included three Democratic women — Sherrill, Tammy Murphy, Sheila Oliver — while just one Republican, Holly Schepisi, was listed.

FDU also tried an interesting method to bring out sexism in respondents by frontloading the list of potential gubernatorial candidates with the women in order to present “a threat to men who perceive female candidates as a threat to their status.”

“On average, asking about the female candidates first led to a six-point decline in favorability among female candidates, with respondents being nine points less likely to say that they hold favorable views of Sherrill and Oliver, the lieutenant governor. As before, this effect was only seen among Democratic candidates,” the poll summary read.

You really can’t draw major conclusions from a single poll. But it’s certainly worth thinking about.

Read the poll here.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY: “My biggest concern is the fact that basically they’re paving paradise for a parking lot.” — Joni MItch… err, I mean Kingwood Township Resident Robin Zeh,on a DEP plan to build a parking lot on a site where indigenous artifacts have been found

WHERE’S MURPHY? Nothing public

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Phyllis Salowe-Kaye, S.P. Sullivan

RABNER: IF DRE IS INSUFFICIENT, COPS NEED TO CALL IN A SNOOP K9 UNIT  — New Jersey Supreme Court goes back to special master on DREs, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: The state Supreme Court is going back to its “special master” to determine the reliability of drug recognition experts. In a Friday opinion, the court declined to rule directly on whether evidence from DREs — law enforcement officers who are tasked with determining whether someone is under the influence of drugs — should be admissible in court. However, the high court unanimously decided that the legal standard for deciding whether scientific evidence should be admissible in criminal cases should change … New Jersey previously relied on what is known as the Frye standard for scientific evidence in criminal cases, which required that scientific evidence be accepted by its respective scientific community … The court in its Friday opinion decided to adopt what is known as the Daubert standard for scientific evidence in criminal cases, which allows judges to examine wide-ranging criteria — like if evidence has been subject to peer review, tested and its error rate — in determining its reliability, as opposed to solely whether it is generally accepted by the its respective scientific community.”

IT’S A SCHNALL WORLD — “Lakewood’s Orthodox community wants a seat in the Democratic caucus. Could it happen?” by New Jersey Globe’s Joey Fox: “The reddest State Senate district in New York isn’t in some rural Upstate county no one’s ever heard of … Despite his district backing Donald Trump by 41 points in 2020, State Sen. Simcha Felder, an Orthodox Jew and the son of a rabbi, is a full-fledged member of the Senate Democratic caucus … Now the Orthodox community in Lakewood, a massive majority-Orthodox township in New Jersey’s Ocean County, is aiming for the same thing. The 30th legislative district, home to Lakewood, is solidly Republican in statewide elections, but Orthodox leaders think they can get it to elect a Democrat to the State Assembly this year. In other words, they want their very own Simcha Felder. They’ve already settled on their candidate: Avi Schnall, the director of the New Jersey office of Agudath Israel of America. Schnall, until recently a registered Republican, is still in the exploratory phase for now, but most insiders are treating his campaign as a sure thing.”

THE THIN BLUE LINE ON THE URINE TEST — “NJ cops won't be drug tested for marijuana in most cases, AG says,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Mike Davis: “New Jersey police officers will no longer be drug tested for cannabis unless they're suspected of using or under the influence of marijuana on duty or if their position requires federal drug testing. Under the newest revision to the New Jersey Attorney General's Law Enforcement Drug Testing Policy, officers can be screened for cannabis if they are believed to be using or under the influence of drugs while on-duty, similar to other drug-free workplace protections included in the New Jersey marijuana legalization laws. Officers can also be screened for cannabis if they do work or hold licenses regulated by the federal government”

—“They offer to help nursing home residents get Medicaid. Too often, say legislators, they cheat them” 

—“Shooting deaths of two NJ politicians reignite debate over whether new gun law works” 

—“Towns brace for rate hikes downstream of anti-lead legislation” 

—“Some N.J. landlords can ignore local rent control rules. Here’s why” 

—“Why the NJGOP isn’t celebrating” 

—“Another whale death leads to new offshore wind legislation by N.J. House Republicans” 

—Mulshine: “Don’t Californicate New Jersey, Governor Murphy” 

PROTECT YA TEANECK — “It can happen in N.J. Advocates sound alarm as toxic Ohio train derailment reignites issue,” by NJ Advance Media’s Steven Rodas: “There’s nothing hypothetical about a train derailing in New Jersey for Paula Rogovin. She pauses Tuesday mid-conversation, as news alerts poured in about the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment from early this month, to grab a pamphlet provided by her town. Inside: instructions on what to do in the event of a railway accident. ‘In Teaneck, they put up a loudspeaker system, a siren system,’ says Rogovin, co-founder of the Coalition to Ban Unsafe Oil Trains … For Rogovin and other climate activists, photos from the Ohio scene bring to mind the Paulsboro train derailment here in November 2012 when a bridge collapsed over Mantua Creek leading to a spill of the same chemical. It also reinvigorates calls to action against a plan to build a new Gibbstown terminal that would ship out liquified natural gas from northeast Pennsylvania to companies overseas. Since 2014, Rogovin’s non-profit has fought against the rail transport of dangerous chemicals like vinyl chloride, which was seen in Ohio.”

PROJECT HILARITAS — “James O’Keefe Is Removed as Leader of Project Veritas,” by The New York Times’ Michael S. Schmidt, David A. Fahrenthold and Adam Goldman: “James O’Keefe, the embattled leader of the conservative group Project Veritas, has been removed from his position amid a series of questions about his oversight of the organization, according to a speech he gave to the group … Earlier this month, Project Veritas’s board placed Mr. O’Keefe on paid leave after employees complained about his management style and his use of the group’s funds … In September, a jury in a federal civil case found that the group had violated wiretapping laws in a sting operation against a consulting group affiliated with Democrats … In addition, federal authorities have been investigating Project Veritas since 2020 as part of a broader case involving the theft of a diary kept by President Biden’s daughter Ashley. In August, two men pleaded guilty to stealing the diary and selling it to Project Veritas before the 2020 election. In federal court filings, prosecutors said a Project Veritas employee had directed the men to steal additional items to authenticate the diary”

—“N.J. has lost lots of power in Congress. Here’s how bad it’s gotten” 

THROWING THE FACEBOOK AT THEM — “N.J. school district sues social media giants over student mental health,” by NJ Advance Media’s Tina Kelley: “The School District of the Chathams sued Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Google, and Youtube in federal district court on Thursday, claiming that the social media companies have preyed on young people, causing ‘severe mental harm.’ The suit seeks financial compensation for the costly mental health services the Morris County district has had to provide to students due to company policies that ‘promote addiction, compulsive use, and other severe mental harm.’ Chatham is believed to be the first district in the state to take the companies to court. The school districts of Seattle and Kent, WA and Mesa, AZ, filed similar cases in the past month, seeking compensation for mental health services they have had to provide due to students’ use of social media”

THE DAILY FAIL — “Central Regional superintendent quit after student death. Why is he still being paid?” by The Asbury Park Press’ Jenna Calderón Joe Strupp Erik Larsen: “Despite announcing that Triantafillos Parlapanides had resigned as superintendent a week ago, the Central Regional School District has not accepted his resignation and will not comment on his employment status, except to confirm he is still receiving his $195,343 salary. ‘Dr. Parlapanides is still being paid,’ said Kevin O'Shea, the district's business administrator, in an email to the Asbury Park Press on Friday. ‘At the advice of our attorney, that is all that we can disclose at this time.’ Parlapanides' resignation was announced after he made comments to Daily Mail, a British tabloid, where he revealed intimate details about a 14-year-old student who died by suicide in her home on Feb. 4 …Under the terms of that contract, the superintendent cannot be dismissed or be subjected to a reduction in salary for the term of his contract — which expires on July 1, 2025 — unless he is indicted for a criminal offense, is found to have misrepresented his qualifications or educational credentials, or the superintendent and board mutually agree to his departure.”

— “NJ Republicans call for tougher laws on in-school assaults after teen's suicide”

—“14-year-old dies after reported stabbing outside [Paterson] high school, investigators say” 

DANEGELD — “Some communities calling for halt to wind work have accepted Ørsted-backed grants,” by The Press of Atlantic City’s Bill Barlow and Selena Vazquez: “Some of the same New Jersey shore towns calling for a moratorium on work for the first offshore wind farm in the state have accepted money from the wind energy firm. The money came from an independent entity created to oversee a $15 million commitment to New Jersey made by the Danish energy company Ørsted. Leaders in those towns say the fact they spoke out against the project in the wake of recent whale deaths demonstrates their independence. But some in the public still question whether the funds influenced the towns.”

—“The $100 billion offshore wind industry has a whale problem” 

FUTURE 911 CALLS WILL BE ANSWERED BY RED AT THE TUBE BAR — “Unanswered emergency call sparks demand for ‘reform’ at Jersey City 911 center, but who’s to blame?” by The Jersey Journal’s Ron Zeitlinger: “A video posted online of a call to the Jersey City 911 call center going unanswered after a hit-and-run crash last weekend has the city administration fuming and may speed up the city’s consideration of privatizing the call center. ‘We need to get to the bottom of this, you can see in the email the mayor is really upset with the 911 not being answered!! I want a full investigation and a detailed report ASAP!!!!!’ Robert Baker, the Jersey City Department of Public Safety’s director of the public safety communications center and information technology, said in an email Sunday morning, less than 12 hours after the incident … Baker’s directive was in response to an email sent by Mayor Steve Fulop earlier that morning to Public Safety Director James Shea, some city councilmembers and Business Administrator John Metro — ‘We really should move forward with this on the next agenda and start to take the steps we discussed to change the culture and improve performance here.’ … The ‘here’ Fulop referred to is the public safety department’s 911 call center, the subject of numerous complaints that calls go unanswered. In November, the city council rejected a resolution to hire a company for $213,000 to study and solve the city’s troubling 911 system.”

—“DeGise ‘wanted to throw up’ after seeing hit-and-run video” 

—“Hundreds attend rally to save whales in Point Pleasant Beach” 

—“Report says Seaside Heights school should be closed, kids sent to Toms River” 

—“Concerns over [Middlesex County’s] 7th power plant grow as environmental justice law lingers” 

—“In fast-growing Jersey City, charter schools seen as more friend than foe to traditional school district” 

—“Plainfield mayor alleges 'fraud and abuse' by shuttered rescue squad” 

—“NJ landlords under investigation for housing discrimination in five counties” 

THE AMERICAN DREAM ‘APOCALYPSE NOW’ EXPERIENCE — “Four injured when decorative helicopter falls into pool at American Dream mall,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Melanie Anzide: “Four people were injured Sunday afternoon when a decorative helicopter inside American Dream’s water park came crashing down. The decorative structure, which normally suspends from the ceiling inside DreamWorks Water Park, became detached just after 3 p.m. and landed in a pool below, officials said. Four people were treated by first responders for non-life-threatening injuries. Three of the injured left the water park, while the fourth person was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment … The helicopter that crashed down is a centerpiece at the indoor water park and is pictured in a photo on American Dream’s website.”

GEORGE WASHINGTON SPANKED HERE — “Think you know everything about NJ's role in the Revolutionary War? Check again,’ by The Record’s David M. Zimmer: “Westfield native Jim Stempel knows more about New Jersey now than when he lived there. However, with key locales named Spanktown, Samptown and Quibbletown, Stempel's New Jersey bears little resemblance to today's Garden State. ‘It was a totally different New Jersey back then,’ he said. ‘It was a completely different map.’ Now a resident of Maryland, Stempel recently returned to his home state in spirit to write his new book: ‘The Enemy Harassed: Washington's New Jersey Campaign of 1777.’ Set for release on March 21, it is a story of violence, fortitude and survival, he said. It is also one of an agrarian society, ideologically torn and living amid nearly constant strife.”

—“N.J. autism cases have jumped 300% in 16 years. Rutgers researchers aren’t sure why” 

—“William ‘Pat’ Schuber's presidential memorabilia collection at the Oradell Library”