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- The state Division of Pensions and Benefits will reportedly conduct an investigation into the two high-paid city employees who retired, cashed in huge one-time pension payouts, and came back on the city payroll. Meanwhile, the trio of state bills designed to reform the pension system were unanimously approved by the state Senate yesterday; they now head to the Assembly, where similar strong support is expected. Politicker and the Record‘s Charles Stile take a look at what this vote might say about labor’s place in the Trenton pecking order. Meanwhile, Douglas Carlucci rightly points out that the state legislators, who have underfunded the pension system for years, “are a little too eager to credit themselves for partially repairing what they broke.” (In the same post, Carlucci takes a look at the city’s budget problems, saying he doesn’t blame Mayor Healy for the crisis, but only “failing to deal honestly and openly” with it.)

- Animal advocate and attorney Diana Jeffrey has filed two lawsuits against the state Department of Health and Senior Services to revoke the certification of several animal control officers in Jersey City.

- Former Assemblyman and Bayonne mayor Joe Doria, who was being investigated by the feds as part of the massive federal corruption sting, may never be charged, because a witness told the FBI a day before the sting arrests that Doria never received two bribes allegedly given by government informant Solomon Dwek to Jack Shaw.

- Gourmet market for 77 Hudson: Developer K. Hovnanian says Hudson Greene Market, a 6,000-square-foot grocery store, will open at the corner of Hudson and Grand this summer. The store will reportedly offer organic meats, a bakery with fresh bread and French pastries, a Nespresso coffee shop, and prepared take-out dinners.

- The executive director of the Manhattan-based New York Civil Rights Coalition is taking Jersey City NAACP leader Kabili Tayari to task for his public comments criticizing Gov. Christie’s pick of former Jersey City mayor Bret Schundler to head up the state Deparment of Education. Meanwhile, the Senate Judiciary Committee postponed yesterday’s vote on Schundler, but not until after he told the panel that he wouldn’t force his strong religious beliefs on the public schools.

- Lou Manzo has been subpoenaed to testify in civil court on Wednesday, in relation to the continued dispute between him and Dannielle Leigh, a fundraiser for his failed 2007 bid for state senate who claims that Manzo owes her $23,000 in wages.

- Jersey City’s Ruth Cousineau had a pretty cool job until Gourmet magazine closed — she was the director of the magazine’s test kitchen, which had a staff of 11 and would test about 80 recipes a month. She talks to New Jersey Monthly about the job, and what’s next for her now that Gourmet is no more.

- NY Waterway will begin weekday ferry service from the Belford terminal in Monmouth County to Paulus Hook on March 1. The ferry company hopes to accommodate workers who commute from Shore communities to Jersey City for work.

- Melissa Surach takes issue with the recent Midweek Reporter article that highlighted all the new comedy shows in Jersey City without making note of her long-running BabyHole show.

Today’s Best Bets:

- Dr. Rosalind Jeffries and Dr. Leonard Jeffries will present a free talk and lead a discussion on African and African-Americal culture at the Afro-American Historical Society Museum (6 pm). Later in the evening, you’ve got two options for live music: Fiesta Flamenca kicks off a new free live music series at the under-new-ownership Bar Majestic (8 pm), while Vic Ruggiero of the Slackers and Any Day Parade’s Tree are set to play at Lucky 7′s weekly showcase (9 pm).

In statewide news:

- The state treasurer told the Assembly Budget Committee that the Christie administration has settled on the cut and freezes it wants to take to close a $2.2 billion deficit in the 2009-10 budget and has moved on to confront a potential $11 billion deficit in the 2010-11 budget. MORE from the Record.

- The state Senate has confirmed Superior Court Judge Lee Solomon to head the state Board of Public Utilities; the NJ Sierra Club says he “sidestepped important questions regarding cuts to the Clean Energy Program” at yesterday’s hearing.

- Some New Jersey farmers are looking to the state’s new medical marijuana law as a good way to add an important new crop to their roster.