Voters to decide two public questions on ballot

One question involves raising the minimum wage and tie it to the U.S. Consumer Price Index, and the another would allow veterans’ groups to use money from games of chance to support their groups.

by Lea Kahn, Packet Media Group
Voters across the state on Nov. 5 will be asked to approve or disapprove two public questions that would amend the New Jersey Constitution — one to raise the minimum wage and tie it to the U.S. Consumer Price Index, and another that would allow veterans’ groups to use money from games of chance to support their groups.
   One public question asks voters whether they approve of changing the state Constitution to set a state minimum wage of at least $8.25 per hour. The minimum wage for hourly workers in New Jersey is $7.25, and has not changed since 2010.
   The amendment would require annual increases in the rate if there are annual increases in the cost of living. The amendment would not cover hourly workers who rely primarily on tips, and whose minimum wage is $2.13.
   The amendment sets the state minimum wage at the level in effect under current law or $8.25 per hour — whichever is more. If the federal minimum wage rate is raised above the state’s minimum wage, the state rate would be raised to match the federal rate. Future cost-of-living increases would be added to that raised rate.
   There are 129,000 New Jersey residents who earn the minimum wage or less. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said that 75 percent of minimum wage earners are at least 20 years old, according to the League of Women Voters of New Jersey.
   Analyzing the public question, the League of Women Voters of New Jersey said the reasons to vote “yes” are because the minimum wage has not kept up with inflation and it is not sufficient to support a family. Adjusted for inflation, the present minimum wage is lower than it was in 1967.
   Also, a hike in the minimum wage would increase the purchasing power of low wage workers, which could benefit the economy as well as the workers directly affected. Better paid workers may be more productive and less likely to leave, sparing companies the expense of training new workers when old ones leave.
   And tying the minimum wage to the Consumer Price Index and building it into the state Constitution ensures that workers will have a minimum wage level that keeps pace with inflation, thus avoiding having a battle over the minimum wage every few years.
   The reasons to vote “no” are that tying the minimum wage and annual increases to the state Constitution would make it less flexible and more difficult to change, should it be necessary, according to the League of Women Voters’ analysis.
   Increasing the minimum wage might reduce the number of jobs available and/or increase the cost of products and services. Small employers may have an especially difficult time paying a higher rate.
   If increasing the minimum wage benefits companies through reduced employee turnover and more productive workers — as some proponents argue — then wages should increase by way of market forces without a government mandate, the League of Women Voters of New Jersey said in its analysis.
   The second public question asks voters whether they approve changing the state Constitution “to allow veterans’ organizations to use money collected from existing games of chance to support their organizations.”
   The amendment would allow veterans’ organizations to use the money collected from existing games of chance, such as bingo, lotto or raffles, to support their organizations. The state Constitution allows this money to be used only for educational, charitable, patriotic, religious or public-spirited purposes. Only senior citizen groups may use the money to support their groups.
   According to the League of Women Voters of New Jersey, voters must authorize specific kinds of gambling and the restrictions on each kind. Veterans’ groups; charitable, educational, religious or fraternal organizations; civic and service clubs; senior citizen associations or clubs; and volunteer fire companies and first-aid or rescue squads are presently authorized to conduct games of chance.
   However, only senior citizen associations or clubs are allowed to apply the money raised from gambling activities directly to support their organizations. The other groups may only use any money raised from games of chance for a socially beneficial purpose, such as to support educational, patriotic or charitable activities.
   A veterans’ group can hold a bingo event to help fund a clinic for disabled veterans, or a 50-50 raffle to raise money to upgrade the lighting at a local park — but it could not use the money to pay the cost of utilities or rent in the building where it meets, or for other purely organizational expenses.
   The amendment to the Constitution, however, would allow the groups to use the money raised from games of chance to support their organizational expenses, in addition to the educational, charitable, patriotic, religious or public-spirited purposes already allowed.
   Analyzing the public question, the League of Women Voters of New Jersey said the reason to vote “yes” is because veterans’ groups perform a valuable service, and the amendment would provide them with another source of revenue to support themselves. Some veterans groups might not be able to continue serving members without the additional revenue to cover increasing expenses, such as rent or utilities.
   The reasons to vote “no” are because there are many worthwhile organizations other than veterans’ groups and senior citizen groups. The amendment provides veterans’ groups with an option not available to some other groups.
   Also, there are serious downsides to gambling, including addiction. Veterans’ organizations could find less socially-risky sources to generate more revenue, the League of Women Voters of New Jersey wrote in its analysis.