By Ruth Luse, Managing Editor
There will be two state public questions on Nov. 6 ballot for voters in the City of Lambertville, Stockton Borough and West Amwell Township.
To help voters have a better understanding of these questions, an area League of Women Voters, in cooperation with the League’s NJ Education Fund, has provided the following information:
— The first question seeks voter approval of the “Building Our Future Bond Act,” which would authorize the state to issue bonds in the aggregate principal amount of $750 million to provide matching grants to New Jersey’s colleges and universities. Money from the grants would be used to build, equip and expand higher education facilities for the purpose of increasing academic capacity.
If approved, public and private colleges and universities, which receive grants would be required to provide funds to support 25 percent of their projects. Bond proceeds would be allocated as follows: $300 million for public research universities; $247.5 million for state colleges and state universities; $150 million for county colleges; and $52.5 million for private institutions with an endowment of $1 billion or less.
— The second question asks voters to approve an amendment to the New Jersey Constitution to allow contributions set by law to be taken from the salaries of Supreme Court Justices and Superior Court Judges for their employee benefits, including pension and health care.
The amendment responds to a question raised in a 2011 lawsuit filed by a judge after the Legislature passed and the governor signed a law that increased the contributions taken from current and future justices’ and judges’ salaries for their benefits. The lawsuit, appealed to the New Jersey Supreme Court, argued against taking the higher contributions from currently appointed justices and judges, citing language in the Constitution that their salaries cannot be reduced during their appointed terms.
This amendment would clarify that such contributions, set by law, may be taken from justices’ and judges’ salaries during their terms. It also would allow for the higher contributions to be deducted from current and future justices’ and judges’ salaries.

