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If you’re anything like me, and you have scant idea what the public questions legal jargon nonsense is asking of you
… then here is an interpretive interpretive statement courtesy of LWV.
Public Question #1
VOTERS TO APPROVE STATE AUTHORITY BONDS PAYABLE FROM
STATE APPROPRIATIONS
Reasons to Vote Yes:
- Supporters believe the framers of the Constitution envisioned public approval for borrowing since the debt limitation clause was in the 1844 and 1947 Constitution.
- State authorities have been used increasingly for the purpose of bonding for projects.
- Citizens need to constrain the Legislature from borrowing without voter approval. The November 2007 State of New Jersey Debt Report places general obligation debt (approved by voters) at 2.8 billion dollars. By contrast, the same report puts debt subject to appropriation (State authority bonds) at 25.2 billion dollars.
Reasons to Vote No:
- We have a representative form of government. It is the job of the Legislature, elected by the people, to make funding decisions. Voters should not constrain the Legislature which must weigh the need for public capital projects against available resources.
- Passage is likely to make it more difficult to address regional capital or infrastructure needs that will not have support of the entire state.
- Ballot questions cannot accurately present complicated appropriation issues to
voters for an effective government process.
Public Question # 2
PROVIDES THAT METHOD OF SELECTION AND APPOINTMENT OF
CERTAIN MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGES BE SET BY STATUTE RATHER
THAN BY THE CONSTITUTION
Reasons to vote YES:
- Appointment of municipal court judges should be a local issue. Removing the Governor’s appointment power for some municipal judges from the Constitution is the first step toward this goal.
- Proponents believe that removing the Governor and Senate from the appointment process will make it more likely that towns will explore consolidating municipal courts.
Reasons to vote NO:
- The courts in question operate as regional courts and appointment by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate ensures that the interest of the entire region is considered.
- The current process makes local politics less likely to play a part in the appointment process. The Senate Judiciary Committee and full Senate are required to vote on the appointment.
