It's Britnee, (expletive deleted)

Good morning!

Sen. Britnee Timberlake had a mic drop moment in the Statehouse the other day.

The Essex County Democrat (and mom of four) appeared before the Senate’s commerce committee, which was considering a bill to update New Jersey’s ancient statutes on midwifery. Timberlake noted that Sen. Robert Singer, one of the members of the all-male panel, very aggressively questioned one of the midwives who had testified earlier about why the legislation is necessary.

“This here is about choice and access to care. I ask the committee members, how many of you have dilated 10 centimeters?” Timberlake said to laughs from the crowd. “How many of you can?”

Democrats on the committee advanced the bill (Singer abstained). Read more from Lilo Stainton.

Trenton: More from the Statehouse, First Amendment advocates are raising the alarm about the reproductive and transgender healthcare protections bill marching toward passage. They worry that a provision in the bill would make it too easy to sue or charge journalists and others alleged to have caused emotional or reputational harm or mental anguish to someone who provides or assists in either type of care. An attorney who helped draft the legislation defended it. “We want to make sure that if someone enters a space to receive healthcare that they do not experience harassment and threats that are of a heightened nature that would stop them from pursuing that healthcare,” said the attorney, Khadijah Silver, who added that First Amendment concerns are “paramount” for the bill’s supporters.

World Cup: As we near the first New Jersey match of this year’s World Cup, Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced the state would give away 700+ tickets, mostly to sick children, National Guard members’ families, youth soccer players, and healthcare workers. Sherrill and FIFA were sharply criticized a few weeks ago when New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced he made a deal for 1,000 heavily discounted tickets for New Yorkers, even though the matches are getting played here and New Jersey taxpayers have forked over an ungodly sum already for the tournament.

In related news, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul still needs some lessons on basic geography:

Roselle: The Union County town of Roselle has a new police chief, Stacey Williams, who was fired as top cop two years ago for using a common homophobic slur, via Riley Yates at NJ Advance Media. An investigation by the Union County Prosecutor’s Office found Williams had used the word while telling a story to a group of offices at police headquarters, and had also directed it at other officers. A state administrative law judge last year ordered the town to reinstate Williams because the chief “used the offending word while referring to a personal friend who is gay. It was not used as a pejorative term and was not directed at any individual.”

D.C.: After the Trump administration in a new court document said it was plowing ahead with a plan to sweep up data on Americans who vote by mail, it is now backing off that promise, for now. DOJ lawyers now cast the idea as in the early stages and dependent on approval of a new U.S. Postal Service rule for mail ballots, citing a memo that Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin signed earlier Monday.

Maine: From Emma Davis at sister publication Maine Morning Star, Graham Platner scored a big win in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary up there, setting up what is bound to be one of the ugliest campaigns this year, potentially ever. Buckle up.