Jersey City

A Jersey City councilman and other local government advocates had spent the past year seeking to qualify a municipal ballot initiative to end "pay to play" -- the practice of government contractors donating to local political campaigns -- in the city. They got enough signatures to put the measure on the November ballot. Last week, the political establishment caved, and the council adopted the initiative directly as a new law. So there's no need for an election. The new law prevents anyone who has donated more than $300 to a candidate or $500 to a local political party from receiving a city contract.

Possibly yes. A Jersey City councilman and potential mayoral candidate has submitted signatures on a pair of local ballot measures that would give Jersey City some of the strict ethical standards in the Garden State, Politicker reports. One initiative would ban city council members from accepting more than one public salary or pension. The other would ban no-bid contracts to campaign donors.