Common Cause New Jersey Director Lauren Skowronski was working from the Washington, DC, office earlier this week and we worked together on reforming "pay to play" practices in Jersey, which for all intents and purposes is a form of "legalized bribery.  Lauren has done a lot of great work on this and other issues, but pay to play reform provisions are currently in danger.  If Acting Governor Codey (D) does not bring Enabling Legislation (S1987) before the senate and urge his collegues to pass it, weak state laws will reempt stronger local reforms.

Currently, over 50 municipalities in N.J. have passed "pay to play" reform laws, which will be preempted when the state law goes into effect in January.  Most of these were passed through citizen actions of petition drives or presentations to town/city councils.

The N.J. Assembly took corrective action the following November, by passing Enabling Legislation (S1987), which specifically allows local and county government to pass their own stronger "pay to play" reform laws.  The N.J. Senate has continuously put this legislation on the back burner. As Senate President, the decision to post a bill for a vote is in Acting Governor Codey's hands.

Lauren is urging residents of the Garden State to call Acting Gov. Codey at (609) 292-6000 and ask him to bring pay to play reform legislation before the state senate.  Lawmakers have only a few short months left to pass this important legislation, so, if you live in New Jersey, please call today.  And if you don't live in New Jersey, you can tell friends and family there to make this call.  We can fortify pay to play reforms for the good of all in the Garden State.