(upbeat music) - From NJ PBS studios, this is NJ Spotlight News with Brianna Vannozzi.

- Good evening and thanks for joining us on this Tuesday.

I'm Brianna Vannozzi.

Tonight, a few stories we'll get into later in the broadcast.

We talk with Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, who says after a decade in office, this term will be her last.

She tells us why.

Then we look at the fierce runoff for mayor happening in Jersey City.

And later, a new report paints the clearest picture yet of New Jersey's climate future.

But first, a few of today's top headlines.

There's a fresh set of towns pushing back against affordable housing legislation.

This time, it's over a proposed bill that would make it easier for religious and non-profit groups to build affordable homes.

All by requiring local planning boards to approve qualifying projects and significantly limiting the reasons that can be used to reject them.

As first reported by NJ Advance Media, communities including Chatham, Morris Plains and Monroe recently passed resolutions opposing the bill, calling it an overreach that strips away local control.

Mayors of the towns argue the measure would let developers sidestep traditional review processes and override other building limits.

The bill mandates that 20 percent of units be affordable, but local officials say the remaining market-rate housing could actually make it harder to meet the state's next round of affordable housing requirements.

Critics also point to the timing, saying the measure could advance quickly during the legislature's lame-duck session.

Objections from those towns have been sent to state lawmakers.

Also tonight, Seton Hall University is facing new pressure after a state judge ordered the school to hand over long-kept documents from a 2019 clergy abuse investigation.

The ruling is considered a major win for survivors who've spent years demanding transparency.

The order from Superior Court Judge Avion Benjamin follows revelations that Seton Hall President Monsignor Joseph Riley failed to properly report misconduct allegations when he led the school's seminary.

The judge said she was stunned to learn plaintiffs only discovered the 2019 probe through news reporting this year, despite a previous court order requiring disclosure.

Seton Hall now has to turn over files that name roughly a dozen priests and detail findings that Riley knew of abuse claims but didn't follow reporting rules.

Survivors' attorneys argue those documents could reveal broader failures in the system to protect children.

Seton Hall and the Archdiocese aren't commenting.

The university has 30 days to comply with the order.

And coming up, we'll hear from Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman on her decades of service and decision to retire from Congress in 2026.

That's next.

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Democratic Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, a progressive voice in the party and the first black woman elected to Congress from New Jersey, says her current term will be her last.

After more than a decade representing the 12th Congressional District in Central Jersey and nearly three decades in public service before that, she's decided not to seek re-election in 2026.

Her announcement surprised many, given her continued activism and outspoken presence on some of the nation's most contentious issues.

Well I spoke with her earlier today as the House prepared for another highly watched vote about her decision her legacy and the work still ahead.

Congresswoman thank you so much for joining us.

Another busy day on your plate as they I'm sure all have been in the last decade.

Why was now the right time to step away.

Thanks for having me.

I'm always glad to be with you all.

It's just something that I've been thinking about for about six months.

I think that I've worked hard.

I've worked in a space that I found very difficult to work in with a scandalous administration and a capitulating Congress and a capitulating Supreme Court.

And I think it's time for someone else to take this on.

So my family and I have been talking about it.

I held the information while we went through a gubernatorial, a very successful gubernatorial, and some other important areas.

And as soon as I thought it was a free time to announce, I wanted to announce.

I wanted to announce it to my staff and I wanted to announce it to any potential candidate so both staff and candidates could do what they needed to do over a longer enough period of time to be successfully transitioning into their next thing.

I mean, your colleague, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has also said that she will not seek re-election.

Six terms, nothing to sneeze at by any means, but also by congressional standards, not an eon of time.

I mean, a decade by congressional standards is somewhat short.

Was there a specific point of frustration, as you say, with this political climate that pushed you here in these last six months?

So, Congress is hard, period.

We have got more rules than we have opportunities to pass legislation.

So that -- there were frustrations with that.

But I am going to tell you, I have never experienced such meanness, such intentional evilness in an administration as I experienced in the Trump second administration.

When you couple that with the fact that Congress has abrogated its constitutional responsibility to be a check on that and to be the purse strings of the United States taxpayers' money, and when you put on top of that a Supreme Court that has become politicized and lost its way, it is hard.

It is hard to face it every day, knowing that the system is stacked against you.

And so there are people like me that will speak out all the time, that will try to use legislation, use other forms of acknowledgments on the floor in resolutions, hook up with folks protesting.

But when you have all three branches of government not functioning, not authentic, and in violation of their constitutional obligations, you got to say at some point, well, what more can I do?

And so I go home at night feeling burdened, sometimes crying, because I can't help make it better.

I can't fix somebody's problem.

I said, well, you know, maybe it's time for some other people, hopefully sharing some of my same values to come in.

And you put their medal to the pedal, so to speak, on behalf of what the government should work for.

I wonder then what you think the constituents in the 12th District should look for then in a candidate.

I'm thinking about my time interviewing you back in the Assembly, but then also throughout your time in Congress.

I wrote down just a couple of things.

You were arrested after protesting SCOTUS and abortion rights.

You led one of four females that New Jersey had in Congress back in 2016, the most amount ever.

You were the first to speak up on a ceasefire in Gaza.

We've spoken quite a bit after the Delaney Hall incident with Newark Mayor Raz Baraka, which you were present.

Is someone going to have the kind of chutzpah that you have to do these things, as you say, need to be done as a member of Congress in this day?

I'm sure that there is someone out here in the 12th Congressional District that shares some of the same values and concerns and recognizes that public service is not a job, it's not a position, it's not flash dance, it's a commitment to people.

I think that we have 13 months, or we have at least until June of next year, to identify that person in the 12th Congressional District.

I think the 12th Congressional District is the best district in the whole country.

It is rich, it's poor, it's minority, it's non-minority, it's generous, it's authentic.

It wants people to represent them who want to make government work for the people that need government to work for, right?

So I think that the next seven or eight months, we need to be peppering.

The district needs to be peppering people with questions.

Anyone who says that he or she is interested in succeeding me.

I ask the God, I hope, that it is someone that shares some of my values.

I'd like somebody to share all of them.

But you know what?

I'm not perfect.

There are people better out here, better than me.

And I just pray to God that he sends the candidate who ultimately wins that cares about those who are most vulnerable and needy, whether they're in the United States of America, whether or not they're coming from other countries because they're fleeing danger, or whether or not they live side by side in other countries across the world and need to know how to live safely and securely.

And so, you know, there's a hint for everybody in there from Gaza to the United States.

I want people to think about dignity and humanity for all people.

- Very quickly, because I want to move on.

Do you see yourself making an endorsement at some point?

- I don't have any intention of doing that.

I rarely do an endorsement in a primary because a primary is a family debate.

And I think family members have the right to hear and to consider.

And I don't want to put my thumb on it.

I want it to emerge the best way it can for the district.

But let me just say, should I see us going in a really bad direction?

I am going to speak up, even though I'm being advised not to.

And I'm sure that you will.

Two more quick questions for you, Congressman, because I know that you have to go.

You and the rest of the members of the House are about to vote on the release of the Epstein files.

This is something that the president has recently reversed course on.

He's encouraged the GOP to vote for it.

He has said he will sign the bill if it comes to his desk.

I want to ask you why you think he's had this change of heart.

No change of heart because he doesn't have a heart.

He's a liar.

And what he's going to do is open it up till it gets to a certain point.

Then he's going to create another distraction.

And then he's going to use another element of the government that he's weaponized to delay this information getting out.

Donald Trump is incapable of opening his mouth and telling the truth.

And so I don't have any hopes of his taking his finger off of this.

And you know why?

Because he's in it.

And so then I think it should go without saying how you plan to vote.

But will you share with us?

I will vote to release the Epstein files.

Without any compunction on my part.

This is about pedophilia.

This is about the safety and security of young women.

This is about recognizing that victims should be treated with dignity and respect.

And this is about a a warning to anybody else in this country who's doing anything like that that your time is going to be up as well.

I want to get your take very quickly on the judge's decision not to dismiss charges against your colleague Lamonica McIver.

What's your take on that and what's your concern.

So I was with Monica Monica and Monica did not assault anybody.

I'm going to tell you that right now.

That's the deal.

Rob Rob and I were there together.

She was protecting me.

She was protecting the mayor.

If she pushed someone off of her was to get off of her because these folks were big.

They were fatigued.

They even were armed.

So that's that's the issue on the merits of the case.

Right.

Their arguments were about whether or not she had certain rights under Congress and debate clauses and all that kind of stuff.

And the judge didn't follow or find the reason to go in the direction on her behalf.

That's not the merits of the case.

And so, at some point, this is going to be the end of this case, because she's been selectively prosecuted.

This is punishment.

This is disrespect for us as members of Congress and double disrespect for us as black members of Congress.

Let us not forget that we're in a very racist environment.

And LaMonica is strong.

I pray for her all the time.

I adore her.

I was in it with her, and she did nothing wrong.

Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, a lifelong public servant, thank you for your time with us and for your time in office.

Thank you.

Good to talk to you.

Voters in Jersey City have just two weeks left to decide who they'll elect as their next mayor in a runoff election that's turned increasingly bitter between former Governor Jim McGreevy and City Councilman James Solomon, who are now making their final push to convince residents they're the one who can make the city safer and more affordable.

Senior correspondent Joanna Gagis takes a look.

What started as a lengthy and hotly contested race for mayor in Jersey City between seven candidates has now turned into a runoff between the top two finishers on Election Day, Jersey City Councilman James Solomon and former Governor Jim McGreevey.

What's happened over the past eight years is that property taxes in Jersey City have just gone through the roof.

City spending has gone through the roof.

Rents are among the highest in the nation and so there's a qualitative difference between James who's from you know short hills in New York and I'm from Jersey City you know I was born here my my parents my grandparents and so this is also about the soul of Jersey City this is about working families whether or not we can afford to stay here.

We do think I'm certainly a progressive and I think what voters in Jersey City responded to the reason we came in first place is that voters believe that I could deliver real change and they certainly don't believe that the former governor can because he is supported by the same developers the same political bosses that got us into this affordability crisis and we need a new approach and a new direction to actually make Jersey City more affordable.

Solomon ended with 29% of the vote on election day.

McGreevy with 25%.

Neither broke the 50% threshold needed to declare a winner so they're battling out in the runoff.

Both have said they'll create more affordable housing and will increase the police force and they're each making the case that the other represents the status quo.

Right now the city is facing a $150 million shortfall.

And so Councilman James says, "Well, I voted no against the budget."

But that's not leadership.

You have to craft an alternative budget.

And so my argument is, is like, I'm not the insider.

You've been there while the property taxes went through the roof, while rents went through the roof.

This election is change versus status quo, future versus past.

I'm confident Jersey City voters are going to elect me on December 2nd because they're looking for a new approach, new fresh leadership to solve the challenge of a city that becomes increasingly unaffordable each and every day.

McGreevy would say that you are the status quo.

He would and it's false.

I have been fighting against the administration since I got into the city council.

Since election day, Solomons earned the endorsements of the third and fourth place finishers in the race, Hudson County Commissioner Bill O'Day and former Jersey City Board of Ed President Musab Ali.

Outgoing Mayor Stephen Fulop hasn't endorsed either candidate, neither has Hudson County Executive Craig Guy.

John Hynes is founder of Hudson County View and shares his take on Ali's endorsement.

Musab Ali came on my show a few weeks ago in October and he said, "I don't care who the second place finisher or the first place finisher is, whoever's not Jim McGreevy, that's who I'm endorsing."

And it's simple, we need to turn the page on this guy.

He's had a bunch of chances, he keeps saying it's a second chance, it's really been his fifth chance.

McGreevy resigned as governor in 2004 after he appointed a man he was having an affair with to be Homeland Security Advisor, a scandal that also ended his marriage.

Since then, he launched a non-profit to help those leaving prison get back on their feet called the New Jersey Reentry Corporation.

For voters who remember your transgression as governor, why do you deserve their vote?

Because I think Jersey City needs a manager.

Jersey City needs someone who's competent both in terms of fiscal analysis and fiscal management.

That $150 million shortfall right now would represent a 30% increase in the municipal portion of the property taxes.

I voted against every single budget for eight years because I said, "Look, this is going to create deep structural problems."

And now I'm running for mayor to solve it, to actually solve the problems that have been created.

And in contrast, the former governor is supported by the very same people who caused this crisis.

He's supported by the big developers who have gotten huge, I'm sorry, gotten huge sweetheart deals including Charles Kushner, a member of the Trump family.

McGreevy says he'll only serve one term if elected.

It's now up to voters to choose their candidate on Tuesday, December 2nd.

In Jersey City, I'm Joanna Gagas, NJ Spotlight News.

Well, the state is getting a clearer and more urgent picture of its climate future.

A new report from the New Jersey Climate Change Resource Center at Rutgers lays out some of the most detailed projections yet on rising seas and shifting coastal storms.

It finds the Jersey shoreline could see up to a foot and a half of sea level rise by 2050 and as much as five feet by the end of the century.

And it warns that climate change is already reshaping life along the coast.

Joining us to explain what the findings mean for communities all across New Jersey is Bob Kopp, a climate scientist and distinguished professor at Rutgers University who worked on the report.

Bob, good to see you as always.

Wow.

These are some pretty intense findings.

I want to just start as I always like to do with the long view.

What would you say is the biggest takeaway for especially lay people people in the public who might read this as we look ahead to our climate future.

Yeah.

So we know humans are changing the climate.

We can see it here around New Jersey and around the world.

Sea level rise is accelerating both here in New Jersey and globally.

And this report provides the state with up-to-date projections of how much sea level is likely to rise over the next century and how much potential instabilities in the polar ice sheets could add on top of that.

And we also look at changes in coastal storms like hurricanes and nor'easters, which are bringing more intense rain, has many of us experienced, for instance, with the remnants of Hurricane Ida and higher coastal water levels, as we all remember from Hurricane Sandy.

Yeah.

And I do want to get to those storms.

But let me stay with you on the sea level rise for a minute because the report projects one point seven feet of sea level rise by 2050.

Now sometimes folks see those numbers.

They feel very far off.

2050 is not.

How quickly are we going to start to see this happening.

What's behind that number.

Yeah.

So first of all that is the upper end of the likely range.

So we are projecting for 2050 that relative to the year 2005 there will likely be between point nine feet and one point seven feet of sea level rise in coastal New Jersey.

About 10 percent of that is due to the land sinking because of groundwater withdrawal and the rest are due to the effect of the changing climate.

But the report also notes that it's human caused climate change accelerating some of this.

What are the factors driving that.

Because the report sort of goes through this low intermediate and high emissions scenarios.

Can you talk about that.

So we so we look at three different alternative futures.

If we look at what energy system experts think is most likely if we just keep to current policies we're probably headed for about three degrees centigrade of warming relative to pre-industrial by the end of the century about two point seven degrees C is this interest of it there and that's what we call our intermediate scenario.

So that gets us to around two point two to three point eight feet of sea level rise by the end of the century.

If we don't start seeing rapid ice loss in Antarctica and Greenland if we dial that our emissions back to a low emissions trajectory one that is consistent with our international goals that reduces the projected rise from two point two to three point eight feet to about one point five to two point five feet.

Wow.

I mean that's it.

That's a significant difference is the state on track with current policies that we have.

And I know that you're not in the business of of of predicting that.

But what are we on track with the current policies to be able to perhaps make that difference.

Right.

Well well of course there's two important sets of policies to be thinking about.

There's reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Right.

And we can only do that here in New Jersey as part of larger U.S.

and larger global policies.

And then there is adapting to the sea level rise that is in store.

So you know that we have policies in New Jersey that contribute to sort of broader scale global reductions.

There has been progress globally in the last decade, both through policy and also for the rapid reductions in the cost of renewable energy.

So the goal of stabilizing the climate by getting global greenhouse gas emissions to net zero is really important to slow the rate of sea level rise.

Or at least stabilizing.

Bob Cobb, thank you so much for your time.

Thank you for sharing the report.

Folks, of course, can read it in its entirety through Rutgers University.

Bob, thank you so much.

And a programming note before we leave you tonight.

This Thursday, we'll have a special edition of NJ Spotlight News featuring a conversation with Governor-elect Mikey Sherrill from the League of Municipalities Conference in Atlantic City.

We'll discuss a wide range of issues from how she'll tackle the budget deficit and deliver on her promises to make the state more affordable along with top priorities once she assumes office.

If you have a question for the Governor-elect, send us an email at info@njspotlight.org.

Or just message us on social media.

You can watch the conversation Thursday at 6.30 p.m.

right here on NJPBS or stream it on our NJ Spotlight News YouTube channel.

I'm Brianna Vannozzi.

For the entire team at NJ Spotlight News, thanks for being with us.

We'll see you right back here tomorrow.

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