NJN News; Monday April 27, 1998

The gears keep changing on auto insurance reform. We'll have the latest on the road to lower rates. More questions are raised about a state police shootout on the turnpike last week. The teenager charged with raping and killing Eddie Werner is back in court. Tackling juvenile crime is the focus of a New Jersey summit. And the outgoing Secretary of State talks about her accomplishments. Major funding for NJN News is made possible by Grants Truff. The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, which believes that an informed citizen released to a healthy

democracy. The SENG committed to serving customers strengthening the business community and investing in New Jersey's future. First union serves the financial needs of individuals and businesses from Connecticut to Florida. HIP Health Plan of New Jersey dedicated to providing quality health care to employees of large and small businesses as well as individuals for two decades. NJN, the New Jersey Channel, the Emmy Award winning NJN News with Kent Manahan, Dick Forney with Business and Jerry Henry with Sports. This evening, revving up the auto insurance reform debate at the State House.

In a virtual demolition derby of legislative activity, it's been a day of false starts, pit stops and tight curves for lawmakers trying to reconcile two perspectives, rural versus urban drivers. State House correspondent Jim Hooker has been trying to keep a scorecard today. He joins us now from the Capitol. Jim? Kent, my pencil is about out of lead. It's a very busy scorecard. We'll go back and forth all day long, the governor's office, the Senate president's office, the speaker's office. And as you say, they are trying to deal with those territorial rate caps. As it is right now, when we just left there a few minutes ago, the speaker is trying to eliminate them. The Senate president we're told and the Senate minority leader Dick Cody, who you'll hear from in a minute here, are trying to keep them in case insurance rates rise over that capped level of 35% above the state average with an introduction of reform. As you know, the major players are trying to get a 15% reform through. And we spoke to some of those major players earlier today.

They lived and we are now continuing to work to make sure that that language is satisfactory to everybody. And I'm very hopeful. The people of this state have waited long enough. They know we're very, very close. I think they want to see compromise here. They want to see people reaching a chord and move forward. The new territories haven't been drawn yet. I'm saying draw new territories, updated, not the 50-year-old ones we have, and let's not put a cap in there. It's very simple. I am surprised at the opposition I faced from some quarters, though some have a direct interest in trying to save their constituents' money. And I understand that. We would agree that the caps being lifted, however, if any proposed rates go beyond what the caps are now, we would want to see caps re-imposed, as opposed to the speaker who wants to do a way with caps today and forever. Now interestingly enough, the Senate Minority Leader there says he's speaking for himself and the Republican Senate President. So right now, he did use the word stalemate.

He said this is a last-ditch attempt. They're trying to get this agreed to tonight for the Senate so that it can go back to the assembly with some kind of agreement on Thursday. As of right now, we're not sure whether that's going to happen. As a side note, the governor's people are talking about these territorial rate caps. Don't just apply to the city's Hopewell Barrow, Pennington Barrow, the richest district in the state. Alpine Barrow also have rate caps, so there's a lot of work yet to be had. I'm Jim Hooker, reporting live from the State House, Kent back to you in the studio. Jim, thanks for keeping us posted. Those fancy computers in most police cars are now at the heart of a privacy controversy being heard by the State Supreme Court. The American Civil Liberties Union wants to limit the times when police can run checks on license plates. The ACLU told Justices today it was too easy for police to just punch up a license number with little or no suspicion, which is an unwarranted invasion of privacy, they say. The state argues the computer checks are a valuable law enforcement tool. More questions tonight about last week's state police shootings on the turnpike.

Yesterday, the Reverend Al Sharpton joined family members of one of the victims and called for an independent investigation. Today, the NAACP and other black leaders were in Trenton speaking up about the incident. Rich Young has our story. The NAACP had planned to be in Trenton today to talk about minority hiring in the state police. But after state troopers shot three men last week on the turnpike, the group seized the issue, saying it has more questions than answers. Why do you have to star, what was it, 11, 13, 11 rounds in order to get the attention of an individual who are on our, that simply seems to be unnecessary. The shooting happened near exit 7a, late last Thursday. A van with four occupants was pulled over for speeding. What happened next depends on who you ask. People say the van flew into reverse and cops opened fire to save themselves and other motorists.

Three of the van's passengers were wounded and hospitalized. But this weekend, Reverend Al Sharpton joined the family of one of the victims, saying the car started backing up accidentally. That there was no intent to assault police and that there is absolutely the feeling of excessive force was used unnecessarily. And that's opposition at this point. Sharpton criticized what he called an excessive number of shots fired. Both troopers were involved in previous shooting incidents. Governor Whitman said today she's always concerned when police used deadly force, but she wants everyone to step back to find out exactly what happened. We take all of these incidents very, very seriously. We never dismiss the use of deadly force at any time and we always want to make sure that the appropriate steps were taken, precautions taken, at the actions were appropriate. The state police stand behind their version of what happened that night. Sharpton, among others, is calling for an independent investigation. In the meantime, the cases in the hands of the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office and it's likely headed to a grand jury. Rich Young, NJN News, Trenton.

The NAACP was talking about more than just the turnpike shootings. The group protested minority hiring practices in the state police as well. Numbers out last week show an overall decline in the number of minorities on the force over the past few years. The black civil rights organization blames the decline on new education standards. They think the requirement for a four-year college degree is too stringent. They're strongly urging the state police to change that. Until there is evidence of greater minority inclusion on the state police, there will be no peace in New Jersey. State police did not comment today about the minority issue. The Ocean County teenager charged with killing 11-year-old Eddie Werner, pleaded innocent today. Sam Mansy was arraigned this morning on charges he raped and strangled Werner last fall. Mansy's attorneys are expected to pursue an insanity defense. Authorities say he lured Werner into his home as the young boy sold items door to door for a school fundraiser.

Mansy remains held on half a million dollars bail. His trial is expected to begin sometime this fall. Cases like Mansy's shocking stories of kids charged or convicted of crimes like murder continue to capture the national headlines. Here in New Jersey, another kind of youth violent story is unfolding. It's far less dramatic, but no less disturbing. It's about fear. Marie DeNoia has the story. What do you think these students worry about? Their history lesson next week's exam? Well, a new survey focusing on North Jersey middle and high school students found that on any given day, one of every four students is worried about violence in their school. An eye-opening statistic. Today, Congressman Steve Rothman led a gathering entitled The First North Jersey Juvenile Crime Summit. If anyone in Bergen or Hudson counties thought that we were immune from the problems that beset the rest of the nation, you're wrong. About 9,000 students from throughout Hudson and Bergen counties aged 13 through 18 responded

to the survey, which asked a variety of questions about attitudes and concerns about crime, violence, and drugs. To the question, have your friends been assaulted in school? 44 percent said yes. There was a fight here recently. Yeah. Anybody get hurt? Yeah, they saw. And when asked, have you seen weapons in school? 45 percent said yes. This student is convinced his school is an exception. And yet? I still think it can happen like anywhere. We don't have canine doors. We don't have metal detectors, and we don't have security guards. I just thank God that we don't have those situations, but we're not exempt. Fear seems appropriate, given last week's shooting in Pennsylvania, last month's killings in Arkansas, and in New Jersey, the killing of Eddie Werner, the so-called pizza killings, the murder of Milsa Mason at Cumberland High last year, all allegedly committed by kids. Today's summit was to begin a search for answers to some very real problems.

Marie DeNoia and JNU's Munaki. State officials took disciplinary action against a record number of lawyers in New Jersey during the year of 1997. Officials publicly sanctioned 207 attorneys, the number of lawyers practicing in the state is nearly tripled in the past 20 years. Bianca Jagger was in Trenton today looking for some satisfaction on her stand on the death penalty. Jagger, a member of Amnesty International's Leadership Council, says New Jersey should not consider speeding up the appeals process when it comes to death row inmates. She claims capital punishment is futile and unjust. The unfairness, the arbitrariness in which the death penalty is being given to people, to those who are poor, who those who cannot afford a dream team of lawyers, to those who are black, to those who are minorities. The national coalition to abolish the death penalty presented, Jagger, with the abolitionist of the year award in 1996 for helping a prison inmate get off death row. There's more news ahead tonight on NJN News.

You'll hear from outgoing Secretary of State Lana Hooks as she prepares for a new job and serves up in Atlantic City, Monterly Baseball steps up to the plate. Stay tuned. As we reported last week, New Jersey Secretary of State Lana Hooks is resigning the last day on the job for the highest-ranking African-American and Governor Whitman's Cabinet is June 30th.

She's taking a job at Bloomfield College in the school's new Global Leadership Institute. Many New Jerseyans don't know what the Office of Secretary of State is all about. Today I asked her to tell us. The department is really the quality of life department. We really work with all of the cultural community. We have the Historical Commission, the State Museum, the Council on the Arts. We have the Martin Luther King Commission, one of only two that are still in existence after the birthday was achieved, archives and records management. We have one of the only 10 copies of the Bill of Rights here in this wonderful state of ours. We served as the chief elections office, computerizing all 21 counties and getting election out results out in record time for the very first time, we're so proud of that. What do you consider to be the hallmarks of your tenure in office? I think synergies in bringing our cultural community to where we are now, where the governor has proposed, bringing all of the cultural divisions together. The arts, history, the museum, the historic landmark and trust, the Wormamoyle, the

O'Barex and bringing in travel and tourism to leverage all of that. Is that the arts? Is that our culture? All being used as a fabulous resource for our phenomenal tourism industry. So I think it was bringing together that community and galvanizing it with our incredible arts plan so that we can move forward and really showcase everything that we have to offer and make sure everybody has access to it. As the highest ranking African-American and the Whitman administration, what message does that send to the minority community? I think it sends an incredible message that, you know, we all have a contribution to make in the governance of this state. And that's something that I think is very important in today's day and age where we're starting to experience too many unfortunate divisions and too many schisms that I had hoped were long since past, since a signal that there are several voices and contributions that need to be brought into policy making and deciding how the resources of a state should be dispensed.

Have you made a recommendation to the governor on your replacement? Well, I think there are a lot of wonderful people and we've talked about all of those and I think that the governor has shown that she picks fantastic cabinet people and will do the very same thing with my successor. No further comment than that. Well, no, because I really think that that is up to the governor. I really do. I really think that, you know, when you look at synergies and teams, that she will look at the cabinet as it is changing and make a decision based upon that. So, and I think that's very important to allow a leader to do that unfettered. Two names that have been talked about as possible replacements for hooks are her assistance secretary of state Lauren Robinson Brown and New Jersey network executive director Elizabeth Christopherson. Beginning next month, new parents in New Jersey will be getting a special congratulations from governor Whitman and her husband John. The Whitmans are teaming up with hallmark to send congratulatory cards, reminding parents to have their children immunized.

The cards included detachable pocket size immunization chart. State health officials say the immunization rate for two-year-olds in New Jersey last year was about 78 percent. State environmental officials say it will be at least six months before new rules regulating development along the New Jersey shore are adopted. The DEP proposal would abolish development areas in shore towns and limit any construction outside of those areas. Existing regulations restricting housing developments of 25 units or more will stay in place under the new plan. Dick's business report is coming up shortly. He's here now with a preview for us. Well, Canada was some day on Wall Street and sovereign bank corpse steps up to the plate with a purchase of nearly 100 branches cast off by first union in core states. And we'll show you what's cooking on the net. Well, North Jersey supermarket chain delivers, stay with us. Dick, there are some folks who consider consumer banking still a good thing to be in.

Yep, and some people still want the business of the little person. Pennsylvania based sovereign bank is one of those. It says it's there to accommodate consumers who are frustrated and angry about the rush toward economy of scale and business in the banking business. Today, sovereign announced it is buying 95 branches cast off by first union in core states as the two megabanks merged 12 core states branches in New Jersey, like this one in Trenton are included in the $318 million deal. What this has done is it's given us an opportunity we can see from the map to really spread ourselves out on the entire eastern half of Pennsylvania with a heavy concentration in Philadelphia.

And a very heavy concentration in the rest of New Jersey, especially we have a regional New Jersey headquarters, our in Princeton, New Jersey, in Thompson River, New Jersey, in Fairfield, New Jersey, and then Salem County, New Jersey. Sovereign says it's not only acquiring the branches and their deposits, but will take on the core states employees as well. About 80 core states employees in New Jersey will be offered jobs by Sovereign. The purchase brings to 100 the number of offices Sovereign has in New Jersey with about 1200 employees total. Following through on plans it first announced about a month ago, the financially strapped grand union supermarket chain says it'll undergo another bankruptcy filing as part of its latest corporate restructuring. The union says it expects to make the bankruptcy filing within the next 30 to 45 days. Today, the Wayne based company announced that there was a hit has arranged for a $300 million in credit, and that five of its 11 person board of directors has resigned. The 222 store supermarket chain says it expects to emerge from chapter 11 sometime this summer.

Meantime APA and P Supermarkets thinks it has a tasty idea for internet savvy consumers. A cyber meal. Cyber meal is actually the name of a Seattle based company that Mondvale Headquartered AMP is teaming up with to offer fully cooked meals delivered from 700 of its supermarkets nationwide. At the Cyber Meals site, a customer can pick the locations, see a menu with prices and build an entire meal from appetizer to dessert and have it delivered to home or other locations. Store cooking foods and complete meals are meals to go are one of the fastest growing segments of the supermarket business these days. This raised shot up amid intensifying expectation that the Federal Reserve will raise rates in the face of a booming U.S. economy in danger of overheating. What, then worry? At the closing bell, the cheers were ones of relief that the Dow bounced back somewhat before the close.

At one point today, the Dow had plunged nearly 225 points before some late day buying shave the loss to 147 at the close, that left the Dow at the 8917 level, the selloff extended to other markets to all other markets too. Excuse me. The MX composite off nearly 13 points, so that has that composite plummeted 48 and 2 thirds, and the S&P 500 skidded 21 and a third. If not stocks, then bonds with a place to be is the interest rate on the long bond, handily top the psychologically important 6 percent level as its price slipped more than one and a half points today, and I'm all choked about a wall streeting it. I'll let you take a little rest and thank you. When we come back, a check of our forecast is coming up for you, and you'll soon hear Play Bowl in Atlantic City as Minor League Baseball takes a swing at success. Stay tuned. Jerry's off tonight.

New Jersey teams are in the hole this playoff season. The Chicago Bulls can make it a sweep this Wednesday against the Nets. Yesterday, the two-time defending champion Chicago Bulls won Game 2 of their Series 96-91. And on the ice, the Devils find themselves down two games to one as they head to Ottawa for tomorrow's Game 4. The Devils lost two to one yesterday in overtime. Well it's back. The Yanks moving to New Jersey story. This time, the New York Post is reporting that owner George Steinbrett has gotten a quote, very attractive, secret offer to relocate to New Jersey. The story indicates the boss has had lengthy discussions with two people close to Governor Whitman over the weekend. Whitman denies knowing anything about it. She does say though, New Jersey would welcome the Bronx Bombers, but taxpayers will not finance a new stadium for them here in the Garden State. Down in Atlantic City, they are building it. And the bets are, they'll come to a new stadium called the New Sand Castle.

This can say John reports, it's not another casino. It's a new 5700 seat minor league baseball stadium. This is the new home of the Sirth Atlantic City's new minor league baseball team. The new stadium built with money from the CRDA and the city will be called the Sand Castle. The game is moving full steam ahead to meet a May 20 opening day, but there's still plenty to be done before the surf's up. The field will be done, the seats will be in, the concession stands and the public areas will all be finished and complete. Some of the clubhouse, some of the office space for the Sirth general manager and so on, and some of the sky boxes will not be done. The Sirth will play the Somerset Patriots on opening dead. Both clubs are part of the newly formed 16 Atlantic League. It's not affiliated with Major League Baseball. The team will play a 140 game schedule with 70 of them at home. I think the impact on this is we're part of the second wave.

This is a quality of life issue. I mean this is something that the people in South Jersey can put their arms around and say this is their own and I think that really is an impact, not only economically, but just on the well-being of people in the area. You live around the corner. I can't wait for the stadium though and I got season tickets and we're going from the bar here and we're going to have a good time. There's 70 some of us going for opening dead. Tickets for the 5,900 seats stadium for a family of four runs $18 and parking is free. This is really baseball team and I mean we're really more entertainment first and baseball second, but we're going to put a good quality play on the field. Home plate will be situated right here and you can almost hear the fan scream as the first home run is hit toward the skyline of Atlantic City and other fans have one wish in mind. I just want to be there with the gorgeous players and be a ball girl. Ken St. John and JN News at Atlantic City. On the cool side for baseball today, the sunny, cool and breezy day across New Jersey.

We saw temperatures around the mid fifties today. The sun was sparkling on the water at this babbling brook in South Mountain Reservation and West Orange this afternoon. As far as our pollution watch for tomorrow, expect moderate levels all across the state. And here's the New Jersey forecast. In the northern part of the state tonight, clear skies, lows in the lower forties overnight. Tomorrow, a bright sunny day with highs in the mid sixties. In South Jersey tonight, clear and cool with lows in the mid thirties and tomorrow, sunny and mild with highs in the sixties. And finally tonight, talk about hands-on learning. Second graders at the Timothy Christian School in Piscataway blasted off this morning in their own makeshift space shuttle. The project to convert an old school bus into a shuttle was the vision of teacher Jean Ramunda. It came complete with wings and crew. The fifth graders helped out by serving as the launch crew. Even former astronaut John Glenn wrote to wish the mission during this science week all

the best of luck. I'll tell you, that's ingenious. Pretty good. You can bet. There are some astronauts in the future right there and then fifth graders. They even had the, whatever, the fuel thing coming out the back, I'm very, very impressed. Very, very innovative youngsters. That's our news for tonight. I'm Ket Matahand for Dick and all of us here at NJN News. Thank you for being with us, everyone. We hope to see you back here again tomorrow night. .

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