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>> tonight, day three of the heatwave.

Record-breaking temperatures continue plaguing most of the state.

Power outages, transit delays, roads buckling putting residents at risk.

Under the dome.

Five days until the 2026 fiscal state budget is due.

?

Where do lawmakers stand?

>> we are at this point where we are waiting for lawmakers to drop the spending bill.

To approve it in committee and vote on it in full houses.

>> arrange for assault charges against ice agents, Monica McIver enters her plea following the confrontation at Delaney Hall in May.

>> we will not stand for it.

I will not stand for it.

They will not intimidate me, they will not stop me from doing my job.

I will continue to do with the people from the 10th congressional district elected me to do.

>> one-on-one with Bonnie Watson Coleman from the strengths and around to her pushback on the big you do for Bill.

She takes us inside the capital chaos.

>> he should not get a peace prize, he should get impeached.

>> NJ Spotlight News begins now.

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

>> thank you for joining us.

We begin with a few of the headlines we are following.

New Jersey is dealing with the third day of intense, dangerous heat.

Temperatures reaching into the mid to high 90's.

That is a couple of degrees cooler than yesterday.

The oppressive humidity is pushing the index to feel more like between 100 and 110 degrees depending on your location.

Extreme heat warning remains in effect until 8:00 p.m. tonight for most of the state.

Tuesday, temperatures hit as high as 102 degrees in Atlantic City and 103 in Newark, breaking previous daily records.

According to the National Weather Service, yesterday was the hottest day ever recorded for June in Newark.

Thousands are facing the heat without power.

All four main electric utilities in a New Jersey are reporting sporadic outages.

Route 280 seven causing the concrete highway to buckle, forcing the closure of several South on lanes.

Those have all been reopened but not in time to save yesterday's rush hour commute.

Relief is coming.

Overnight rain expected to cool things down, bringing temperatures into the 70's and 80's.

So hang in there.

Also, an update on U.S. involvement with war in the Middle East.

A cease-fire between Israel and Iran appears to be holding for a second day, despite both sides accusing the other of violating the truce just after it was announced.

And it remains fragile.

Iran and Israel say they will respect the truce as long as the other side does not violate it.

A NATO summit in the Netherlands, the president touted his decision to get involved with the conflict as a victory for everybody.

Saying that U.S. airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear sites and the war and brushed off her early U.S. assessments on the effectiveness of the bombing.

The government found the strikes did not completely destroy the core components of Iran's nuclear sites and may have only set it back I months -- by months.

The White House is disputing that, they maintain the nuclear program has been set back by decades, calling the sites inoperable and obliterated.

Diplomacy experts say President Trump deserves credit for bringing both sides to the table so quickly.

But also worry about using diplomacy as a false premise to get them there.

Princeton University politics Professor J Shapiro says Iran is playing the long game.

>> this is a pragmatic move.

We should also take from this that Iranian leaders are playing potentially quite a long game.

They understand this is not the end of their interactions with Israel and the U.S.

They understand the pressure cannot be kept on this level forever.

They understand if they make a deal now, establish a cease-fire, returned to normal relations, they will be able to begin rebuilding military capacity.

The key is being able to maintain regime integrity as they do so.

>> as part of our ongoing series under the dome, a state budget deal is taking shape.

With days left for lawmakers to negotiate an annual spending plan.

The exact figures are still being worked out.

Governor Murphy proposed a $58 billion plan to start.

Lawmakers tell NJ Spotlight News core pieces of that budget will make it into the final bill.

Like full payments into the public worker pension system.

The state's school funding formula, and the ankle property tax relief program.

So will some of the new taxes Murphy pitched to pay for the increased spending, and an agreement to find health care savings for state worker benefits that reportedly caused an impasse over the last several days.

Our budget and finance writer joins us with the latest details and how likely federal budget cuts could throw a wrench into the whole plan.

Good to talk to you.

You wrote about the budget today.

We are down to the last few days for Democrats to introduce a final plan.

Bring us up to speed on where things stand and whether it looks like we will get this done by the deadline.

>> nice to be with you also.

We are waiting for a spending bill to be formally introduced.

There is a hearing scheduled tomorrow in the Senate budget and appropriations committee to go over what looks to be a spending bill.

It is still pending introduction.

As well as several pieces of tax legislation that would need to be passed along with a budget to do some of the things Governor Murphy proposed back in February when the process started.

We are at the point where we are waiting for lawmakers to what we call drop the spending bill, to approve it in committee, and to vote on it in full houses.

That has to be done basically before Monday turns into Tuesday next week because that is the start of the next fiscal year and the state constitution requires a new annual spending plan to be in place every year on the first day of the fiscal year.

>> you mentioned taxes, about $1 billion more Governor Murphy proposed.

What do we know today about what taxes lawmakers are willing to put through?

Reminder, all of the members on assembly are on the ballot this November, and which taxes it looks like will be on the cutting room floor?

>> really good question.

We have not had anyone say anything definitively.

If we look at the agenda for the hearing that will be held, there are some tax hike bills on the agenda.

Not a guarantee, at this point in the process they are on the agenda.

It is likely that they will.

Included among the bills is a proposal to hike the per pack cigarette tax in New Jersey.

There's also a bill that would hike the state tax on liquid nicotine used for vaping devices .

There is also a bill that calls for increasing the state levies on high dollar real estate sales .

Right now that fee kicks in at $1 million or more in terms of the price of the property.

A new tax would be established what looks like to be a higher rate on sales over $2 million.

There's also a bill that would change the rate, the state levies in terms of taxes of online gambling and sports betting.

That is also on the agenda.

We will see what gets through to the meeting and we would expect an assembly budget committee meeting to be held as well.

Those are some of the tax hikes.

Based on the governor's proposal from February, the biggest amount of money, the billion dollars you referred to, it does not look like the governor will get all $1 billion.

It is an election year for the assembly, so it should not come as a surprise, there is a reluctance to hike taxes to that degree during an election year.

But the state spends more than it does in revenue annually and the governor wants to narrow that gap.

The big-money tax increases would be high dollar real estate sales and the tax levied on online gambling and sports betting.

If they make it to the finish line, that would give a lot more money to cover what has been proposed as a record level of spending.

>> let me jump in, I have one minute left.

There is still going to be a deficit based on your reporting.

Are there any concessions you know of that lawmakers are having to negotiate with the front office in terms of other savings they will have to find to make this all work?

>> it is a structural gap.

That has been filled in recent years by draining down surplus.

The surplus is a big issue this year because there are a lot of changes happening at the federal level that could shift a big cost on to the state.

The key thing to watch as we come to the finish line will be how big is that surplus and do lawmakers take money from it to sustain their own spending, or do they leave a lot on the sidelines in case things like Medicaid and food stamps, costs are going to be shifted onto the state?

>> That is a big question that they've don't have the answers to.

Follow John's reporting on the budget and updates leading up and through that deadline on our website, NJ Spotlight News.

Thank you so much.

>> Under the dome made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

A private corporation funded by the American people.

>> Democratic Congresswoman LaMonica McIver appeared in court for the first time today, facing charges of assault filed against her engine by interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Aleia Hobbs.

That was stemming from an ice detention facility confrontation that escalated when law enforcement moved to arrest the Newark Mayor.

The charges have since been dropped against the mayor, but mciver wasn't served with a three count indictment, accused of slamming a federal agent with her form, forcibly grabbing him, and using her forearms to strike another agent.

She has maintained her innocence and turned it down a plea deal.

Senior correspondent Joanna Gagis was at the hearing and has the latest.

>> today, Congresswoman LaMonica McIver Pled not guilty two charges brought against her by the U.S. government.

The charges come from an altercation that can be seen in ice video showing a physical confrontation between McIver and federal agents.

The hearing today was short.

The judge read through the maximum charges for each of the three counts brought against her.

The first two for forcibly impeding and interfering with federal officers, the third charge is a misdemeanor.

In total she faces a maximum of 17 years in prison if convicted.

Interestingly, the interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey who has been leading the charge against McIver and formerly against Mayor Ras Baraka, who was arrested outside of Delaney Hall on May 9, was not in the courtroom today.

It could be that she was not there because her interim term expires in July.

She will not get a chance to argue this case.

Another interesting fact, the defense attorney for McIver is Paul Fishman, the former U.S. attorney for New Jersey.

Today he maintained McIver's innocence, as did the Congresswoman herself.

Here's a little bit of what we heard from both of them and from the large group of supporters who showed up to show the Congresswoman that they were behind her.

>> justice for LaMonica.

>> who'd do we stand with?

>> LaMonica.

>> I just left the court and pleaded not guilty because I'm not guilty.

We went to Delina Hall for an oversight visit.

Members of Congress have the right to hold these agencies accountable.

That is why we went to Delaney Hall.

We did not go there to protest.

We did not go there for any of that.

We went there to make sure that this facility was up to par and the detainees were getting to process.

>> sheep Pled not guilty because she is not guilty.

On May 9, the Congresswoman went to Delaney Hall, as is her right and responsibility as a member of the United States Congress, to inspect that facility.

She was there to see for herself and on behalf of the people who were there and her constituents in New Jersey whether the Trump Administration was obeying the laws of the United eights and the Constitution in that space.

When the mayor showed up, HSI and ice created a risky and dangerous situation.

And now the administration is doubling down by charging our client with three counts of federal criminal law.

We are eager to challenge these charges in federal court on legal and factual grounds.

And we are confident that when we are done, the legal system will vindicate the Congresswoman.

>> they had no grounds to arrest me.

The charge was heinous.

It was an overreach.

That is why they dropped it.

Because it was absolutely wrong.

They know that.

So everything that came as a result of that was also wrong.

They have no business on the property in the first place.

We were dealing with geo, a private prison, and the first place.

>> we will not stand for it.

I will not stand for it.

They will not intimidate me.

They will not stop me from doing my job.

I will continue to do with the people of the 10th Congressional District elected me to do.

>> all that was really discussed in the courtroom today were the penalties and the dates and deadlines for the court.

I'm going to go through a few of the key ones.

McIver's status conference will be held on August 8.

All motions must be filed before the court on August 15.

There will be a pretrial conference on September 23.

But the date that really matters, Monday, November 10, will begin the trial in U.S. versus McIver.

We will be following every step of the way.

>> Congresswoman McIver was not alone during the incident.

Her colleagues in the house, representatives Rob Menendez and Bonnie Watson Coleman, were also caught in the fray but did not face charges.

They have been outspoken in their defense of McIver and what transpired that day.

Bonnie Watson Coleman joins us for more on the arraignment, the escalating situation in the Middle East, and where things stand in the house with the president's so-called big beautiful bill.

Thank you for being with me.

Your colleague was appearing very confident as she called this political intimidation.

I know there was a lot of support for her.

Are you planning to be by her side during any of these hearings?

I know your schedule is tough.

You have been outspoken about this.

>> I will be with LaMonica whenever she needs me.

She should feel confident because she has done nothing wrong.

>> there is obviously three federal charges about the interaction that happened back in May.

You were there, there has been plenty of video dispersed publicly about what the federal government says were her attempts to intervene.

Where do you see this heading?

This is going before a trial before a jury would decide, showing there is an altercation.

She's facing up to 17 years.

This is pretty serious.

>> First, let me speak to the physical altercation.

We were recipients, not in any way the individuals responsible for it.

If you look at what is happening across the country in Los Angeles and other places with the weaponization and the intimidating people who have been out of control with enforcing laws, which are not really enforcing laws and locking up innocent people, citizens, etc.

And you can understand why the experience we have in Delaney Hall was quite scary.

So anything LaMonica was being a protector of us, and in no way was she committing any assault upon anyone.

She is bright, she is strong, she is brilliant, it would be a fool to think a woman her size would render an assault against one of those -- like they were all mast up.

>> let me switch gears only because of the time we have.

Obviously things have been escalating.

We are in two days of a cease-fire between Iran and Israel.

Does the President deserve some credit here?

>> the president wasted our money by sending bombers to Iran to do something that was unnecessary.

We were supposedly in negotiations with Iran about their nuclear future, their posture.

If anything, it is a further illustration of the president does not know what he's doing.

He likes to deflect from all of the failures he's having domestically.

And number three, it was a waste of our money and our physical resources to send people into this situation.

It has made us less safe, put our troops and families that are in the region in jeopardy.

He should not get a peace prize for it.

He ought to get impeached for it.

>> let me push back on that a bit.

The White House maintains no U.S. troops have been harmed, no one in the region at the basis that were struck in retaliation were harmed.

And this may possibly broker a longer deal with Iran that we have not seen since the Obama administration.

If that were to happen, would you then take that back?

>> I'm not taking anything back.

First of all, you are not going to intimidate a community or a nation of people who feel very strongly about their sovereignty.

You need to be approaching this diplomatically.

It needs to be both Israel, the United States, and Iran.

Number two is the president is fortunate that we lost no lives in this situation.

That doesn't mean we are not in jeopardy domestically, if there is a cell here that wants to retaliate, or even in the region , the Mideast region where we have families stationed where they could not be in peril by this foolish mistake he made.

>> where do things stand with the intelligence briefing Congress was scheduled, or supposed to have had, from the president's inner circle?

Have you had that?

What information has been shared with you all?

>> nothing has been shared with us are then the fact we are going to supposedly have this briefing on Friday.

Their worries are on Republicans getting briefings, getting their lives together and getting their talking points.

But we have not seen any information from the administration as to what went down.

It was interesting part of the determination -- administration responsible for determining if there was a need to do this questioned the decision on the part of the president.

So it will be interesting to see what we are told during the briefing.

>> Friday is when, at least reportedly, the Senate may try to convene to take up the reconciliation bill.

What can you tell us about progress and whether or not you will meet this self-imposed July 4 deadline?

>> I don't understand this deadline because it doesn't have any realistic basis for being.

I don't know how the Senate is making out.

I hear there are members who you would expect to be voting in support of this horrible bill.

This big, beautiful, billionaire Bill.

They said other things are not happening fast enough or things are not happening deeply enough, or maybe they are hearing from some of their constituents that are concerned about losing their health care because as much as the public in line, they are poised to reduce their health care through Medicaid cuts.

And reduce nutritional care first cuts.

-- snap cuts.

You can put lipstick on a pig, and you can put some wings on it, but it ain't going to fly and that is still a pig.

That is what the bill is.

A big give out to billionaires at the expense of everyday working families, the elderly, the disabled, our children, and working families.

>> it sounds like you are hearing that the votes are there and the proposed cuts, depending on how much they are, will be happening?

>> they only have a few votes majority in the Senate.

If they can't get their people on board, they will have a problem getting the bill out anytime this week.

We will have to wait and see.

We don't know what the speaker marching orders are going to be.

Whether or not we have to take up the bill if it comes here.

It will not have all of the Republican support because there are some folks over here who did not vote for it because they did not think it went far enough for the cuts did not happen early enough.

And some don't want the cuts to happen until after the midterm elections so they can lie to their constituents and told them there is no harm in the bill for them.

>> Bonnie Watson Coleman, thank you for your time.

>> thanks for having me.

>> that will do it for us tonight.

You can download our podcast and watch us by subscribing to the NJ Spotlight News YouTube channel.

Follow us on Instagram and blue sky to stay up-to-date on all of the state big headlines.

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

Have a great night.

We will see you back tomorrow.

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