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2023 New Jersey legislative session
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← 2022
2024 →
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| 2023 New Jersey legislative session |
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| General information |
| Session start: January 10, 2023 Session end: December 31, 2023 |
| Leadership |
| Senate President Nicholas Scutari (D) House Speaker |
| Elections |
| Next Election: November 7, 2023 Last Election: November 2, 2021 |
| Previous legislative sessions |
| 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 |
| Other 2023 legislative sessions |
The 2023 New Jersey legislative session is a continuation of its 2022 legislative session. The New Jersey State Legislature was scheduled to convene on January 11, 2022, and adjourn on December 31, 2023.
New Jersey did not hold elections for state legislators in 2022. At the start of the 2023 session, Democrats had a 24-16 majority in the Senate and a 46-34 majority in the General Assembly. Democrats controlled the governorship, creating a Democratic state government trifecta. In 2023, New Jersey was one of 23 state legislatures where neither party had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers.
Leadership in 2023
New Jersey State Senate
- Senate president: Nicholas Scutari (D)
- Majority leader: Teresa Ruiz (D)
- Minority leader: Steven Oroho (R)
New Jersey General Assembly
- Speaker of the House: Craig Coughlin (D)
- Majority leader: Louis Greenwald (D)
- Minority leader: John DiMaio (R)
Partisan control in 2023
- See also: State government trifectas
New Jersey was one of 17 Democratic state government trifectas at the start of 2023 legislative sessions. A state government trifecta occurs when one political party holds the governor's office, a majority in the state Senate, and a majority in the state House. For more information about state government trifectas, click here.
New Jersey was also one of 23 state legislatures where neither party had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers. Veto overrides occur when a legislature votes to reverse a veto issued by an executive such as a governor or the president. If one party has a majority in a state legislature that is large enough to override a gubernatorial veto without any votes from members of the minority party, it is called a veto-proof majority or, sometimes, a supermajority. To read more about veto-proof supermajorities in state legislatures, click here.
The following tables show the partisan breakdown of the New Jersey State Legislature in the 2023 legislative session.
New Jersey State Senate
| Party | As of January 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 24 | |
| Republican Party | 16 | |
| Total | 40 | |
New Jersey General Assembly
| Party | As of January 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 46 | |
| Republican Party | 34 | |
| Total | 80 | |
Regular session
The list below shows up to 25 pieces of legislation in the 2023 legislative session that most recently passed both chambers of the legislature, were signed by the governor, or were approved by the legislature in a veto override. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation met these criteria in 2023. This information is provided by BillTrack50.
Standing legislative committees
A standing committee of a state legislature is a committee that exists on a more-or-less permanent basis, from legislative session to session, that considers and refines legislative bills that fall under the committee's subject matter.
At the beginning of the 2023 legislative session, there were 49 standing committees in New Jersey's state government, including 6 joint committees, 16 state Senate committees, and 27 state House committees.
Joint committees
- Economic Justice and Equal Employment Opp Committee
- Ethical Standards Committee
- Housing Affordability Committee
- Joint Budget Oversight Committee
- Public Schools Committee
- State Leasing and Space Utilization Committee
Senate committees
- Budget and Appropriations Committee
- Commerce Committee
- Community and Urban Affairs Committee
- Economic Growth Committee
- Environment and Energy Committee
- Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee
- Legislative Oversight Committee
- Senate Education Committee
- Senate Higher Education Committee
- Senate Judiciary Committee
- Senate Labor Committee
- Senate Law and Public Safety Committee
- Senate Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee
- Senate Rules and Order Committee
- State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee
- Transportation Committee
House committees
- Aging and Senior Services Committee
- Agriculture Committee
- Appropriations Committee
- Budget Committee
- Commerce and Economic Development Committee
- Community Development and Affairs Committee
- Consumer Affairs Committee
- Education Committee
- Environment and Solid Waste Committee
- Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee
- Health Committee
- Higher Education Committee
- Homeland Security and State Preparedness Committee
- Housing Committee
- Human Services Committee
- Judiciary Committee
- Labor Committee
- Law and Public Safety Committee
- Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee
- Oversight, Reform and Federal Relations Committee
- Regulated Professions Committee
- Science, Innovation and Technology Committee
- State and Local Government Committee
- Telecommunications and Utilities Committee
- Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee
- Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee
- Women and Children Committee
Legislatively referred constitutional amendments
In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.
The methods by which the New Jersey Constitution can be amended:
The New Jersey Constitution provides for a legislative process to amend the state constitution.
Legislature
The New Jersey Constitution provides two legislative methods for referring a constitutional amendment to the ballot. First, the legislature can refer an amendment to the ballot through a 60% vote of both chambers during one legislative session. That amounts to a minimum of 48 votes in the New Jersey General Assembly and 24 votes in the New Jersey State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Second, the legislature can refer an amendment through a simple majority vote (50%+1) in each legislative chamber during two successive legislative sessions. That amounts to a minimum of 41 votes in the New Jersey General Assembly and 21 votes in the New Jersey State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
Historical partisan control
The table below depicts the historical trifecta status of New Jersey.
New Jersey Party Control: 1992-2025
Fourteen years of Democratic trifectas • Eight years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Senate | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | S | S | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Assembly | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
Historical Senate control
Between 1991 and 2021, partisan control of the New Jersey State Senate shifted from a Republican to a Democratic majority. Republicans went from having a 14-seat advantage following the 1991 elections to being at an 8-seat disadvantage after the 2021 elections. The table below shows the partisan history of the New Jersey State Senate following every general election from 1991 to 2021. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
New Jersey State Senate election results: 1991-2021
| Party | 91 | 93 | 97 | 01 | 03 | 07 | 11 | 13 | 17 | 19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 13 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 24 |
| Republicans | 27 | 24 | 24 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 |
From 1991 to 2001, Republicans held majorities in the chamber, the largest following the 1991 election when Republicans held a 14-seat advantage. In elections between 1993 and 2001, the Republican majority in the state Senate stayed at 24-16 until the 2001 election when the chamber became tied at 20-20. It was the first legislative tie in the state since 1919.[1] Because of the split chamber, co-presidents John Bennett (R) and Richard Codey (D) ran the Senate from 2002 to 2003.
Democrats took control of the New Jersey State Senate in the 2003 elections. Democrats picked up two seats in that election and won a 22-18 majority. Between 2003 and 2021, Democrats held their largest majority following the 2017 elections when they held a 10-seat advantage. Despite the national trend toward Republican state legislatures during the presidency of Barack Obama (D), the New Jersey State Senate was resistant to that trend. Democrats never fell below 24 seats during Obama's presidency. From 2009 to 2017, Democrats experienced losses in state legislative elections, totaling 968 seats all together.
Historical House control
Between 1991 and 2021, partisan control of the New Jersey General Assembly shifted from a Republican to a Democratic majority. Republicans went from having a 36-seat advantage following the 1991 elections to being at a 12-seat disadvantage after the 2021 elections. The table below shows the partisan history of the New Jersey General Assembly following every general election from 1991 to 2021. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
New Jersey General Assembly election results: 1991-2021
| Year | '91 | '93 | '95 | '97 | '99 | '01 | '03 | '05 | '07 | '09 | '11 | '13 | '15 | '17 | '19 | '21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 22 | 27 | 30 | 32 | 35 | 44 | 47 | 48 | 48 | 47 | 48 | 48 | 52 | 54 | 52 | 46 |
| Republicans | 58 | 53 | 50 | 48 | 45 | 36 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 34 |
From 1991 to 2001, Republicans held majorities in the chamber, the largest following the 1991 election when Republicans held a 36-seat advantage. In elections between 1993 and 1999, Republicans lost seats in every election. Republicans won the 54 seats required for a two-thirds supermajority once.
Democrats took control of the New Jersey General Assembly in the 2001 elections. Democrats picked up nine seats in that election and won a 44-36 majority. Between 2001 and 2021, Democrats held their largest majority following the 2017 elections when they held a 28-seat advantage. The New Jersey General Assembly was resistant to the national trend toward Republican state legislatures during the presidency of Barack Obama (D). Democrats never fell below 47 seats during Obama's presidency. From 2009 to 2017, Democrats experienced losses in state legislative elections, totaling 968 seats all together.
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker
State election laws are changing. Keeping track of the latest developments in all 50 states can seem like an impossible job.
Here's the solution: Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker.
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Tracker sets the industry standard for ease of use, flexibility, and raw power. But that's just the beginning of what it can do:
- Ballotpedia's election experts provide daily updates on bills and other relevant political developments
- We translate complex bill text into easy-to-understand summaries written in everyday language
- And because it's from Ballotpedia, our Tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan
See also
| Elections | New Jersey State Government | State Legislatures | State Politics |
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External links
Footnotes
