"NJ Spotlight News" -- >> Funding for "NJ Spotlight News" is provided by -- Let's be healthy together.

>> Tonight on "NJ Spotlight News," one-on-one with New Jersey's first lady N.L.

U.S. Senate candidate Tammy Murphy.

>> I am generally entrenched in communities across the state and can understand what is needed and wanted of me.

>> Brace yourself for toll hikes as the port authority unveils its budget.

Also, closing time after 75 years, Nestlé's famous plant is closing its doors.

>> Today is a very sad day.

People have been filtering in and out getting their final packages and paperwork in order, saying goodbye to everybody.

>> And fighting for equity.

Leaders of the legislative caucuses of color gather in Atlantic City this week looking to put their priorities front and center.

>> We want to make sure our communities are seen and that the people in power that exist that are not part of our communities and see us and recognize there is strength and numbers.

>> "NJ Spotlight News" begins right now.

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

Briana: Thanks for joining us.

First lady Tammy Murphy is already showing she has sharp elbows as she looks to replace the indicted senator in the 2024 race for Senate, entering what will likely be a crowded field of contenders for the Democratic primary.

That includes formidable candidates like Huntsman Andy Kim and longtime political activist Larry Hamm.

Murphy is already fending off skeptics questioning her past voting record as a Republican and criticizing Hurley support from the Democratic Party as nepotism.

She has already locked in endorsements from the Democratic organizations in several counties.

How will she fare in the rough-and-tumble world of state elections?

She spoke one-on-one with David Cruz.

David: I was at the league this week talking about you and this run and got some eye rolling and heard a lot of resentment about you getting into the express lane and replacing a long serving Latino.

A lot of this came from women of color.

Do you acknowledge that sentiment is out there?

How have you or will you address it?

>> I would say I will do what I have done always.

I will be in the communities.

I will talk to people.

I will make sure that where there are concerns, particularly in the Latina community which feels unhappy right now with the situation, I want to make sure I am the best possible voice and the right choice moving forward to represent everyone across the state.

David: Anybody say that were express that resentment to you?

>> To be honest with you, can't really name anybody.

I have had questions people have asked and I have answered them honestly.

That is what I do.

I am a very open book.

I am very honest.

I have been encouraged.

David: In your announcement video, you talk about your privilege, a wealthy white woman, and how that gave you access in that case to top rate health care.

Is it fair to say that your race and bank account, and the fact that you're married to the governor of the state, have made this run possible?

>> I would not say so.

I am truly going to honor everyone's vote.

And I am going to make sure, as I said, this is a broad coalition and I am genuinely entrenched in the communities across the state and can understand what is needed and wanted of me.

No, I would not say that.

David: I'm going to share this quote.

You probably heard it.

When Phil Murphy rushed to judgment and called on me to resign, it was clear he had a personal, vested interest in doing so.

That is part of a statement from incumbent Senator Bob Menendez.

Does he have a right to all that indignation he has been showing?

>> Listen, you know, David, the senator has done some really good things for the state.

There is no question about that.

My view is that these allegations are so serious involving the judiciary, involving international relations and policy, I just think at this point in time, the senator does not have the moral standing to reflect those comments.

David: In a fundraising text message announcing your candidacy, you say that you are running against Bob Menendez.

You don't mention Congressman Andy Kim.

Is it your plan to ignore him?

>> No, there are several other people running.

I think that is more for expediency's sake.

Congressman Kim, who I helped elect in 2018, and for him I have a lot of respect, we do agree Senator Menendez should step down and we New Jerseyans deserve better representation in Washington.

Our children deserve a leader who has the ability to communicate honesty and has the backing of the public.

I just do not think that is where we are right now.

Briana: You can see the entire interview with Tammy Murphy this weekend on "Chat Box with David Cruz" Saturday at 6:00 and Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. on NJPBS.

There is an eye-popping new budget out from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

The bistate transportation agency is proposing to hike the annual budget by $1 billion with plans to go full schema had on new projects putting spending at pre-pandemic levels.

As Brenda Flanagan reports, drivers will be opening their wallets to help cover the costs.

>> The port authority proposed spending plan includes developing a brand-new Midtown bus terminal.

To help pay for it all, the bistate agencies are raising tolls another $.25 to take the air train and $.63 at bridge and tunnel crossings where peak tolls already cost how much?

>> $15.75 peak.

Yeah.

That is a lot.

You are going over $16.

>> The advocate warns that does not include congestion pricing.

Bistate agency tied its tolls to the consumer Price index which rows 3.7% over the past year or so, nudging tolls higher.

She advises?

>> Get on New Jersey transit.

It is cheaper.

Let's invest in mass transit so we do not have to pay those tolls.

>> NJ transit's bus ridership is back to 92% of pre-COVID levels.

>> The bus is the majority of New Jersey transit's traffic into Manhattan for daily commuter ridership.

We are excited to see the bus terminal at the top of the port authority's priority lists because it is a needed improvement.

>> Bald one says a new bus terminal should enhance -- Baldwin says a new bus terminal should enhance it.

The current facility only frustrates riders.

They vent on X.

Why is the ramp into port authority taking longer than the drive into the city?

>> The design of the terminal itself was not meant to handle the amount of traffic we have going through either pedestrian traffic, people going to the buses or the buses themselves.

>> The 2024 budget is $1 billion more than last year and about $3.9 billion to operating expenses, one point a fully dollars to debt service, and $3.6 billion to capital projects.

Those include developing an optimal design for a new Midtown bus terminal, replacing the payment process with a faster tap and go system, updating all three regional airports, and revamping the air train.

Port Authority is also spending $220 million on climate resiliency and flood mitigation.

>> It is in everybody's interest in this time of extreme climate change and extreme congestion to reduce car usage.

Electric vehicles are not enough.

>> The agency is also mindful of growing security threats.

It will spend almost $1 billion on ramping safety and Cybersecurity.

Folks can comment on the port authority's website before the board votes the super 14.

I am Brenda Flanagan.

Briana: The annual league of municipalities conference in Atlantic City is officially in the books.

After 108 years of holding the event, the convention is still having firsts.

Hosting the panel with caucuses of color to talk about how they can work to put their priorities front and center in Trenton, Raven Santana reports.

>> If you want to go far, go together.

Raven: they hosted the first panel with caucuses of color.

>> This is the first time leaders from New Jersey's caucuses of color got together to talk about our collective agenda can be going forward.

New Jersey is one of the most diverse states in the country.

By the end of this decade, it will be majority minority.

Raven: The event that drew more than 100 leaders from a variety of municipality's and leadership was held in the hard rock Atlantic City as part of the end will conference.

He says the purpose of his panel was to explore helped communities of color and partner to build a collective agenda to reflect New Jersey's diverse population.

>> We want to make sure our communities are seen and that the people in power that exist that are not part of our community see us, hear us, and recognize there is strength in numbers.

Raven: For many, the Pfeiffer equity was not for political reasons but more personal ones.

>> It is personal.

There is a fear.

There is reports of over enforcement.

We done great work trying to create an destigmatizes how enforcement engages, especially with young black men.

There is data on it.

We have a number of young black and Latinas in office.

We are not the speaker.

We are not the Senate president, we are not the governor.

Those executive positions hold the power of setting the agenda.

We need to ensure we look at issues such as juvenile justice reform.

It hits every one of our communities.

The disparity that exists among that population is something I feel very passionate about, something I have focused as a legislator for a long time.

Raven: In addition to the panel, the audience also had an opportunity to ask questions.

Advocates I spoke with say it is crucial representatives of communities of color come together to prioritize issues of justice in the interests across the state.

>> I think the existing power structures in New Jersey sort of place the needs and priorities of different communities almost on a checklist.

We have done something for women's groups.

We have done something for kids.

We have done something for seniors.

We have done something for immigrants.

What that tends to miss is some people live at intersections of all of those communities.

We have one of the worst racial wealth gaps in the country.

Black and brown people in New Jersey are facing kitchen table issues much worse than we often think about.

Those are really fundamental here.

We need to be talking about them.

We need to be united in them.

We need to be here and we need to be really clear about the needs of the communities in New Jersey and what we need to see from our elected officials at every level of government.

All of them are basically here right now in Atlantic City.

Raven: Advocates and officials both hope the conversation, support, and partnership will help get vital legislation passed for Communities of Color.

Briana: Representation is not just lacking in the legislature.

There is also big disparities on state and local boards where members get appointed.

A new report finds New Jersey falls painfully short in terms of diversity among appointed public officials.

The report calls at an alarming finding given the power and authority of those boards and shows no other demographic comes even close to the number of white men who make up most of the representation of appointed positions.

For more on the report, I am joined by the associate director of the Rutgers Center for American women in politics.

Welcome.

Let's get into this.

Your report largely finds these boards do not look like the people they are representing.

What do they look like?

Who is sitting in these seats?

>> We found white men are dramatically overrepresented on these boards and commissions.

They make up about 45% of the seats while being 27% of the state's population.

Women are underrepresented, about 33% of seats.

One in three seats are held by women.

We broke it down by different racial and -- race and ethnicity.

We found our dramatic disparities among the groups.

No group comes even close to the level of representation of the population on important -- appointed boards and commissioners.

Asian Americans are 11% of the state population but only 3% of the seats on these boards, which basically means We have many groups in the state that are not represented when it comes to important policymaking decisions at these tables.

We need to do more to encourage more groups to join the table and to bring transparency to the process.

Briana: What types of boards and commissions are we talking?

What kind of decision-making power do they have?

>> They are regulatory boards.

They regulate everything from environmental issues to transportation.

New Jersey transit, the Turnpike Authority, the arts commission, various commissions working on water quality issues and safety, consumer boards.

All of these are really important.

They play a role in government and affect the lives of New Jerseyans.

Raven: This was Thank you -- Briana: This was the first study of its kind.

Why is that?

>> It is hard to study demographics.

We largely rely on self identification and surveys.

It is hard to get people to answer surveys.

One of the recommendations in the report is the state collect this information upon appointment.

I know the Murphy administration has started doing that.

That is a step in the right direction.

It is hard to get this information.

It just does not exist.

To build a data set from scratch is a hard endeavor, but it needs to be something state government is committed to going forward.

Briana: I'm guessing without that oversight or data in front of you, it is hard to make any changes in terms of representation.

What else do you all recommend?

>> I think there are about 475 listed on the website and almost 100 are inactive.

It is hard if you are someone who wants to make a difference but you do not know the board is inactive.

It would not help you at all.

Right?

One of our recommendations is cleaning up the list.

Another recommendation is posting vacancies.

Finding more ways to educate the public about these opportunities.

And then, it has to be intentional.

You have to collect data on the demographics of who is serving and do a study like this to cure the -- say here are the gaps and do some recruiting for the voices that are missing.

Briana: Thanks so much.

>> Appreciate it.

It is Briana: Is the last day of an historic chapter for workers handing in their badges and shutting down production at the landmark Nestlé plant.

The factor was the only remaining location producing coffee in the U.S.

The Swiss brand announced in June it is moving production facilities to Mexico and Brazil.

That is leaving 227 workers out of a job and the town without the iconic smell of coffee wafting through the air.

>> Today is a very sad day.

People have been filtering in and out getting their final packages and paperwork in order, saying goodbye to everybody, sharing stories about all of the experiences they had.

>> For most employees at the Nestlé plant in freehold, today was their final shift.

Nestlé announced the plant would close down so workers are retiring or looking for new jobs, something many have not done in a long time.

>> I started here in 1978.

That puts me at 45 years.

>> 12 hours a day, seven days a week sometimes.

It is a lot.

>> I raised my family.

45 years, it is my life.

>> The Nestlé plant was an institution in Freehold, a place where some families sent multiple generations to make instant coffee.

>> My father started here in 1972.

He retired after 25 years.

I came here in 1978 along with two uncles that came here who also put 25 years in.

We started making desk a fake -- Nescafe coffee after the war.

>> Employees were not shocked to hear that the plant was shutting down.

They suspected it for a while peak day say they are upset with Nestlé for not communicating with them clearly.

>> There was no representation from corporate who came down to give information.

It was all filtered down with rumors and conjecture.

>> In response to the story, Nestlé sent a statement that says we are honored to have been part of the Freehold community for the past 75 years.

We work collaboratively with government.

That was not nearly enough for some local leaders.

The councilwoman says she was saddened and sickened by the closing.

I am angered by the way the company handled the closing.

I think it was profoundly unfair to the town but More importantly to the employees.

The impact on the town and to the employees is immeasurable and devastating.

>> You think they would have a representative of the company come down here and speak to people.

We have not seen anyone come down here.

Especially today, a day like this, the final day, we don't see anyone thanking people for their service or say they appreciate all the things they have done.

>> It is a shame they are going to Mexico.

Politicians have got to do more.

>> A bittersweet goodbye for many employees.

While some are sticking around until the plant officially closes for good in late March.

In Freeburg, Ted Goldberg.

Briana: On Wall Street, stocks slid but built on this month's solid gains.

Here is how markets closed for the week.

>> ♪ Browner: Finally, food pantries are ramping up efforts to feed people ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.

The 20 area soup kitchen is working to make sure every family will have a meal on their table despite the surge in food insecurity statewide.

They are hand delivering several hundred prepared dinners to residents most in need.

This report is part of our ongoing series on hunger in New Jersey.

>> I'm going to be able to cook.

That is the joyful thing, being able to cook it and have people enjoy it.

>> It makes me feel like I am a beautiful mother that I can provide for myself.

>> They just received their bags of free food from the Trenton area soup kitchen.

They are among the hundreds today receiving a Thanksgiving meal they could not afford on their own.

>> With the way the economy is now, it is hard to buy food and everything.

I think the Trenton area soup kitchen so much.

I am able to cook dinner and have family over.

Without them, it would not be possible.

>> The Baskets contain Turkiye, pie, stuffing, fruit, potato, vegetable, everything you need to make a Thanksgiving meal.

>> Some of the Baskets are picked up directly from the soup kitchen in downtown Trenton.

For many receive services, getting to the center is too difficult, especially for the elderly, disabled, and those without cars.

That is where Amazon has stepped in to help today.

>> Our partnership with Amazon enables us to deliver many more Baskets we would not be able to deliver without their help.

Where we are located is a very small street.

Navigating it with many cars is dangerous.

We like to try to get as many Baskets delivered as possible.

>> Jamie Parker says it takes a lot to pull off the food collection and delivery.

>> They put together the donations.

We have a variety of folks helping with the delivery.

We have students.

We have employees from Amazon helping.

We have some staff.

>> While the support they are receiving around the Thanksgiving holiday is tremendous, the COO says the need this year has been 70% higher than last year.

Staggering considering hunger and food insecurity have steadily risen since the pandemic.

>> The beginning of the month looks like the end of the month used to.

As our month builds, it ends on a happier note -- heavier note.

Now, the beginning is like 400 average.

>> They can serve up to 700 meals by the end of the month.

It is not just around the holidays when people tend to be the most generous.

>> From Thanksgiving through Christmas is when people want to give the most.

We appreciate that.

But we would like to have food coming in all year round.

Donations.

>> In the end, about 500 of these prepared bags will go out to the community today.

Another 500 hot meals will be served here on Thanksgiving day.

About 2000 hot meals will be sent out to community centers and locations around the Trenton area on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, demonstrating just how great the need is here.

>> Support for the medical report is provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.

Briana: That is when to do it for us tonight.

This weekend, be sure to tune in to the Reporters Roundtable about what is on cap for the Democrats agenda during the lame-duck session.

That is Saturday at 6:00 p.m. and Sunday morning at 10:00.

Thanks for being here.

Have a great weekend.

We will see you right back here on Monday.

>> ♪ >> NJM insurance group for more than 100 years, and by the foundation.

>> Our future relies on more than clean energy.

Our future relies on empowered communities.

The health and safety of our friends and neighbors, schools and streets.

The foundation is committed to sustainability, equity, and economic empowerment.

Investing in parks, helping towns go green, supporting civic centers, scholarships, and workforce development that strengthen our community.

>> ♪