New Jersey State Legislature

New Jersey State Legislature
General information
Type:	State legislature
Term limits:	None
Session start:	January 14, 2020
Website:	Official Legislature Page
Leadership
Senate President:	Stephen Sweeney (D)
House Speaker:	Craig Coughlin (D)
Majority Leader:	Senate: Loretta Weinberg (D) House: Louis Greenwald (D)
Minority Leader:	Senate: Thomas Kean Jr. (R) House: Jon M. Bramnick (R)
Structure
Members:	40 (Senate), 80 (General Assembly)
Length of term:	4 years (Senate), 2 years (General Assembly)
Authority:	Art Article IV, New Jersey Constitution
Salary:	$49,000/year
Elections
Last election:	November 5, 2019
Next election:	November 2, 2021
Redistricting:	New Jersey Redistricting Commission has control

The New Jersey State Legislature is the state of New Jersey's legislative branch, seated in the New Jersey State House at the state's capital, Trenton. The Legislature is bicameral, consisting of two houses: the New Jersey General Assembly and the New Jersey Senate.

New Jersey has a Democratic state government trifecta. A trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and majorities in both state legislative chambers. As of November 5, 2020, there are 21 Republican trifectas, 15 Democratic trifectas, and 14 divided governments where neither party holds trifecta control.

See also: New Jersey House of Representatives, New Jersey State Senate, New Jersey Governor

Overview

Legislative elections are held in November of every odd-numbered year. (The state is in this regard unusual, as most states hold legislative elections in even-numbered years, when Congressional elections are also held.)

The Legislature is empowered to make new law, subject to the Governor of New Jersey's power to veto a bill. However, the veto may be overridden by the Legislature if there is a two-thirds majority in favor of overriding in each House.

Furthermore, by a three-fifths vote, the Legislature may propose an amendment to the New Jersey Constitution. An amendment may also be proposed if the Legislature passes it by a majority in two consecutive years. Whichever manner is adopted, the Amendment must be approved in a referendum to become valid as a part of the Constitution. Another major legislative power is vested in the Senate, which has the sole authority to confirm or reject gubernatorial nominees for judicial and some executive positions.

Unlike most state legislatures, many New Jersey legislators also concurrently hold another office at the county or municipal level.

Elections

2019

See also: New Jersey General Assembly elections, 2019

Elections for the New Jersey General Assembly took place in 2019. The primary was on June 4, 2019, and the general election was on November 5. The filing deadline for candidates was April 1, 2019.

2017

See also: New Jersey State Senate elections, 2017 and New Jersey General Assembly elections, 2017

Elections for the New Jersey State Senate took place in 2017. All 40 seats were up for election. The general election took place on November 7, 2017. A primary election took place on June 6, 2017. The filing deadline for the primary election was April 3, 2017.

Elections for the New Jersey General Assembly took place in 2017. All 80 seats were up for election. State assembly members are elected to two-year terms. The general election took place on November 7, 2017. A primary election took place on June 6, 2017. The filing deadline for the primary election was April 3, 2017. Legislative districts in the New Jersey General Assembly are multi-member districts, with two representatives in each district. In Democratic and Republican primary elections, the top two candidates move forward to the general election, and the top two candidates in the general election are declared the winners.

2015

See also: New Jersey General Assembly elections, 2015

Elections for the New Jersey General Assembly took place in 2015. A primary election was held on June 2, 2015. The general election took place on November 3, 2015. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 30, 2015.

2013

See also: New Jersey State Senate elections, 2013 and New Jersey General Assembly elections, 2013

Elections for the office of New Jersey State Senate took place in 2013. The primary election was held on June 4, 2013, and the general election was held on November 2, 2013. The candidate filing deadline was April 1, 2013.

Elections for the office of New Jersey General Assembly took place in 2013. The primary election was held on June 4, 2013, and the general election was held on November 5, 2013. The candidate filing deadline was April 1, 2013.

2011

See also: New Jersey State Senate elections, 2011 and New Jersey General Assembly elections, 2011

Elections for the office of New Jersey State Senate took place in 2011. The primary election was held on June 7, 2011, and the general election was held on November 8, 2011. The candidate filing deadline was April 11, 2011. New Jersey's state senators typically serve four-year terms. However, after each decennial census, the senators elected in the first post-redistricting election only serve for two years. Thus, in the 2011 election, each senator was elected to a two-year term.

Elections for the office of New Jersey General Assembly took place in 2011. The primary election was held on June 7, 2011, and the general election was held on November 8, 2011. The candidate filing deadline was April 11, 2011.

Sessions

Article IV of the New Jersey Constitution provides that each Legislature is constituted for a term of two years, split into two annual sessions. Because the Constitution also specifies that all business from the first year may be continued into the second year, the distinction between the two annual sessions is more ceremonial than actual. The two-year legislative term begins at noon on the second Tuesday in January of each even-numbered year, which for the 2016-2018 term was on January 12, 2016. At the end of the second year, all unfinished business expires.

Article IV also allows the Governor of New Jersey to call special sessions of the Legislature. Additionally, a special session can be called if a majority of each legislative house petitions the Governor requesting a special session.

2020

See also: 2020 New Jersey legislative session and Dates of 2020 state legislative sessions

In 2020, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 14, 2020 and adjourn on December 17, 2020.

Impact of coronavirus pandemic

See also: Changes to state legislative session dates in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Coronavirus pandemic
Select a topic from the dropdown below to learn more. Political responses overviewState reopening plansDocumenting America's Path to RecoveryDaily updatesElection changesChanges to vote-by-mail and absentee voting proceduresFederal responsesState responsesState executive ordersStay-at-home ordersMultistate agreementsNon-governmental reopening plansEvictions and foreclosures policiesTravel restrictionsEnacted state legislationState legislative session changesSchool closuresState court closuresInmate releasesLocal government responsesDiagnosed or quarantined politiciansBallot measure changesArguments about government responsesThe 1918 influenza pandemicPandemic Response Accountability CommitteeUnemployment filingsLawsuitsBallotpedia's polling on the coronavirus pandemicSubmit

Several state legislatures had their sessions impacted as a result of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.

2019

See also: 2019 New Jersey legislative session and Dates of 2019 state legislative sessions

In 2019, the legislature was in session from January 9, 2018, through January 14, 2020.

2018

See also: 2018 New Jersey legislative session and Dates of 2018 state legislative sessions

In 2018, the legislature was in session from January 9, 2018, through January 8, 2019. To read about notable events and legislation from this session, click here.

2017

See also: Dates of 2017 state legislative sessions and Potential government shutdowns

In 2017, the legislature was in session from January 10, 2017, through January 9, 2018.

Click [show] to read about the 2017 partial government shutdown.

New Jersey's three-day partial government shutdown came to an end on July 4, 2017, after Gov. Chris Christie (R) signed a $34.7 billion state budget into law. The New Jersey government went into a partial shutdown on July 1, 2017, after Democratic leadership in the Legislature and Christie failed to reach an agreement over the budget by the start of the new fiscal year. New Jersey last experienced a partial government shutdown in 2006. The budget impasse in 2017 centered on a proposal by Christie to restructure Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, the state's largest health insurance company. Christie said he would not sign the budget, which included over $325 million in funding for Democratic priorities, unless it included the Horizon legislation. Both Christie and Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D) were in favor of including legislation in the state budget that would allow for more government oversight of the insurance provider. The legislation would have also required Horizon to dedicate its excess surplus to fund drug treatment programs. Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D) opposed the legislation, arguing that it could increase premiums for Horizon's policyholders. Fearing that Christie might line-item veto Democratic-backed proposals in the budget if the Horizon legislation was not included, many members of the Legislature abstained from voting on the budget which led to the shutdown. On July 3, 2017, the Legislature and Christie reached an agreement to end the shutdown but the legislation was not signed until the early morning of June 4, 2017. The $34.7 billion budget included increased spending for education and healthcare and also established a cap on Horizon's reserves. Instead of the excess surplus going to fund drug treatment programs, the budget required the money to be used to limit future premium increases for Horizon's 3.8 million policyholders. The legislation also added two public members to Horizon's board. The Assembly voted 53-23 in favor of the budget, while the state Senate backed it 21-14.

Click [show] for past years' session dates.

2016 See also: Dates of 2016 state legislative sessions In 2016, the legislature was in session from January 12 through January 10, 2017. 2015 See also: Dates of 2015 state legislative sessions In 2015, the legislature was in session from January 13 through January 11, 2016. Major issues Major issues in the 2015 legislative session included pension reform, funding the Transportation Trust Fund, property taxes, and bills aimed at improving the economic climate in Atlantic City after the closing of three casinos in a short span of time. 2014 See also: Dates of 2014 state legislative sessions In 2014, the legislature was in session from January 14 through January 12, 2015. Major issues Major issues in the 2014 legislative session included lowering property taxes, establishing the "Hurricane Sandy Bill of Rights," pay equity for women, funding for women’s health care, and making college more affordable. 2013 See also: Dates of 2013 state legislative sessions In 2013, the legislature was in session from January 10, 2013, to January 13, 2014. Major issues Major issues in the 2013 legislative session included rebuilding the state after superstorm Sandy and gun control. 2012 See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions In 2012, the legislature was in session from January 10, 2012, to January 9, 2013. 2011 In 2011, the legislature was in session from January 12, 2011, to January 9, 2012. 2010 In 2010, the legislature convened on January 12, and remained in session throughout the year.

Role in state budget

See also: New Jersey state budget and finances

New Jersey on

Check out Ballotpedia articles about policy in your state on:

Budgets • Civil liberties • Education • Elections • Energy • Environment • Healthcare • Pensions

The state operates on an annual budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:

1. Budget instruction guidelines are sent to state agencies in August.
2. State agency requests are submitted in October.
3. Agency hearings are held in November and December.
4. Public hearings are held in March and June.
5. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the New Jersey State Legislature on or before the fourth Tuesday in February.
6. The legislature adopts a budget in June. A simple majority is required to pass a budget.
7. The fiscal year begins July 1.

New Jersey is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.

The governor is constitutionally required to submit a balanced budget. In turn, the legislature is also constitutionally required to pass a balanced budget.

Cost-benefit analyses

See also: Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative Cost-Benefit Study

Map showing results of the Pew-MacArthur cost-benefit study

The Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative is a joint project of the Pew Charitable Trusts and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation that works to partner with states in implementing cost-benefit analysis models.. The initiative released a report in July 2013 concluding that cost-benefit analysis in policymaking led to more effective uses of public funds. Looking at data from 2008 through 2011, the study's authors found that some states were more likely to use cost-benefit analysis, while others were facing challenges and lagging behind the rest of the nation. The challenges states faced included a lack of time, money, and technical skills needed to conduct comprehensive cost-benefit analyses. New Jersey was one of 29 states with mixed results regarding the frequency and effectiveness of its use of cost-benefit analysis.

Ethics and transparency

Following the Money report

See also: "Following the Money" report, 2015

The U.S. Public Interest Research Group, a consumer-focused nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., released its annual report on state transparency websites in March 2015. The report, entitled "Following the Money," measured how transparent and accountable state websites were with regard to state government spending. According to the report, New Jersey received a grade of B and a numerical score of 84, indicating that New Jersey was "Advancing" in terms of transparency regarding state spending.

Open States Transparency

See also: Open States' Legislative Data Report Card

The Sunlight Foundation released an "Open Legislative Data Report Card" in March 2013. New Jersey was given a grade of A in the report. The report card evaluated how adequate, complete, and accessible legislative data was to the general public. A total of 10 states received an A: Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Kansas, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.

Dual employment and financial disclosure requirements

State ethics regulations regarding dual public employment and income disclosure for legislators vary across the United States. A January 2015 report by the National Council of State Legislatures (NCSL) concluded that legislators in 33 states are not permitted to maintain additional paid government employment during their terms in office. The NCSL published a report in June 2014 that counted 47 states with disclosure requirements for outside income, business associations, and property holdings. The exceptions to these disclosure categories were Idaho, Michigan, and Vermont. Click show on the right side of the table below to compare state policies:

Ethics regulations for state legislators
State	Allows additional paid public employment?	Requires disclosure of financial interests?
Alabama	No	Yes
Alaska	No	Yes
Arizona	No	Yes
Arkansas	Yes	Yes
California	No	Yes
Colorado	Yes	Yes
Connecticut	No	Yes
Delaware	Yes	Yes
Florida	No	Yes
Georgia	No	Yes
Hawaii	Yes	Yes
Idaho	Yes	No
Illinois	Yes	Yes
Indiana	Yes	Yes
Iowa	No	Yes
Kansas	No	Yes
Kentucky	No	Yes
Louisiana	No	Yes
Maine	No	Yes
Maryland	No	Yes
Massachusetts	No	Yes
Michigan	No	No
Minnesota	Yes	Yes
Mississippi	Yes	Yes
Missouri	No	Yes
Montana	Yes	Yes
Nebraska	No	Yes
Nevada	No	Yes
New Hampshire	No	Yes
New Jersey	No	Yes
New Mexico	No	Yes
New York	Yes	Yes
North Carolina	No	Yes
North Dakota	Yes	Yes
Ohio	No	Yes
Oklahoma	No	Yes
Oregon	No	Yes
Pennsylvania	No	Yes
Rhode Island	Yes	Yes
South Carolina	Yes	Yes
South Dakota	No	Yes
Tennessee	No	Yes
Texas	No	Yes
Utah	No	Yes
Vermont	No	No
Virginia	No	Yes
Washington	Yes	Yes
West Virginia	No	Yes
Wisconsin	Yes	Yes
Wyoming	Yes	Yes

Senate

The New Jersey Senate is the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature. It consists of 40 Senators. Each member represented an average of 219,797 residents, as of the 2010 Census. After the 2000 Census, each member represented 210,359. Senators must be 30 years of age or older, must have lived in the state a minimum of four years, and must live in the district represented.

Senators serve four-year terms, except in the first term of a new decade, which only lasts for two years. The "2-4-4" cycle was put into place so that Senate elections can reflect the changes made to the district boundaries on the basis of the decennial United States Census. (If the cycle were not put into place, then the boundaries would sometimes be four years out of date before being used for Senate elections. Rather, with the varied term, the boundaries are only two years out of date). Thus elections for Senate seats take place in years ending with a "1," "3" or "7" (e.g., 2011, 2013 and 2017 this decade).

Interim appointments are made to fill vacant legislative seats by the county committee or committees of the party of the vacating person. The office is on the ballot for the next general election (regardless if all other Senate seats are up in that year, such as in years ending with a "5" or "9," such as 2015 and 2019 this decade), unless the vacancy occurred within 51 days of the election. Then the appointment stands until the following general election.

Party		As of November 2020
	Democratic Party	25
	Republican Party	15
	Vacancies	0
Total		40

Between 1991 and 2017, partisan control of the New Jersey State Senate shifted from being heavily Republican to a Democratic majority. Republicans went from having a 14-seat advantage following the 1991 elections to being at a 10-seat disadvantage after the 2017 elections. The table below shows the partisan history of the New Jersey State Senate following every general election from 1991 to 2017. 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 Party Control: 1991-2017

Party	91	93	97	01	03	07	11	13	17
Democrats	13	16	16	20	22	23	24	24	25
Republicans	27	24	24	20	18	17	16	16	15

From 1991 to 2001, Republicans held large 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 since 1919. Because of the split chamber, the Senate was ran from 2002 to 2003 by co-presidents John Bennett (R) and Richard Codey (D). Republicans won the 27 seats required for a two-thirds supermajority just once.

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 2017, 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 significant losses in state legislative elections, totaling 968 seats all together.

General Assembly

The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. The Assembly consists of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years. Each member represented an average of 219,797 residents, as of the 2010 Census. After the 2000 Census, each member represented approximately 210,359 residents. To be eligible to run, a potential candidate must be at least 21 years of age, and must have lived in New Jersey for at least two years prior to the election. They also must be residents of their districts. Membership in the Assembly is considered a part-time job, and many members have employment in addition to their legislative work. Assembly members serve two-year terms, elected every odd-numbered year in November. Several members of the Assembly hold other elective office.

The Assembly is led by the Speaker of the Assembly, who is elected by the membership. The Speaker is the third in line after the Lieutenant Governor and President of the Senate to replace the Governor, should he prove unable to execute his duties. The Speaker decides the schedule for the Assembly, which bills will be considered, appoints committee chairmen, and generally runs the business of the Assembly.

Party		As of November 2020
	Democratic Party	52
	Republican Party	28
	Vacancies	0
Total		80

Between 1991 and 2017, partisan control of the New Jersey General Assembly shifted from being heavily Republican to a Democratic majority. Republicans went from having a 36-seat advantage following the 1991 elections to being at a 28-seat disadvantage after the 2017 elections. The table below shows the partisan history of the New Jersey General Assembly following every general election from 1991 to 2017. 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 Party Control: 1991-2017

Year	'91	'93	'95	'97	'99	'01	'03	'05	'07	'09	'11	'13	'15	'17
Democrats	22	27	30	32	35	44	47	48	48	47	48	48	52	54
Republicans	58	53	50	48	45	36	33	32	32	33	32	32	28	26

From 1991 to 2001, Republicans held large 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 just 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 2017, Democrats held their largest majority following the 2017 elections when they held a 28-seat advantage. Despite the national trend toward Republican state legislatures during the presidency of Barack Obama (D), the New Jersey General Assembly was resistant to that trend. Democrats never fell below 47 seats during Obama's presidency. From 2009 to 2017, Democrats experienced significant losses in state legislative elections, totaling 968 seats all together.

Veto overrides

See also: Veto overrides in state legislatures

State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in New Jersey are listed below.

How many legislators are required to vote for an override? Two-thirds of members in both chambers.

Two-thirds of members in both chambers must vote to override a veto, which is 54 of the 80 members in the New Jersey General Assembly and 27 of the 40 members in the New Jersey State Senate. New Jersey is one of 36 states that requires a two-thirds vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto.

How can vetoes be overridden after the legislature has adjourned?

According to Article V, Section 1 of the New Jersey Constitution, vetoes issued during the first year of the legislative session can be overridden in a special veto session that automatically occurs 45 days following adjournment.

Authority: Article V, Section 1 of the New Jersey Constitution.

"Upon receiving from the Governor a bill returned by him with his objections, the house in which it originated shall enter the objections at large in its journal or minutes and proceed to reconsider it. If, upon reconsideration, on or after the third day following its return, or the first day of a special session convened for the sole purpose of acting on such bills, two-thirds of all the members of the house of origin agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent, together with the objections of the Governor, to the other house; and if, upon reconsideration, it is approved by two-thirds of all the members of the house, it shall become a law."

History

Partisan balance 1992-2013

See also: Ballotpedia:Who Runs the States and Ballotpedia:Who Runs the States, New Jersey

Partisan breakdown of the New Jersey legislature from 1992-2013

New Jersey State Senate: From 1992-2013, the Republican Party was the majority in the New Jersey State Senate for the first 10 years and the Democratic Party was the majority for the last 10 years.

Across the country, there were 541 Democratic and 517 Republican state senates from 1992 to 2013.

New Jersey State House of Representatives: From 1992-2013, the Democratic Party was the majority in the New Jersey State House of Representatives for the last 12 years and the Republicans were the majority for the first 10 years.

Across the country, there were 577 Democratic and 483 Republican State Houses of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.

Over the course of the 22-year study, state governments became increasingly more partisan. At the outset of the study period (1992), 18 of the 49 states with partisan legislatures had single-party trifectas and 31 states had divided governments. In 2013, only 13 states had divided governments, while single-party trifectas held sway in 36 states, the most in the 22 years studied.

The chart below shows the partisan composition of the Office of the Governor of New Jersey, the New Jersey State Senate and the New Jersey House of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.

SQLI and partisanship

To read the full report on the State Quality of Life Index (SQLI) in PDF form, click here.

New Jersey was one of eight states to demonstrate a dramatic partisan shift in the 22 years studied. A dramatic shift was defined by a movement of 40 percent or more toward one party over the course of the study period.

The chart below depicts the partisanship of New Jersey state government and the state's SQLI ranking for the years studied. For the SQLI, the states were ranked from 1-50, with 1 being the best and 50 the worst. New Jersey had Republican trifectas from 1994-2001 and Democratic trifectas from 2004-2009. There were four years when New Jersey finished in the top-10, all of those years with Republican trifectas.

• SQLI average with Democratic trifecta: 18.67
• SQLI average with Republican trifecta: 9.75
• SQLI average with divided government: 21.86

Chart displaying the partisanship of New Jersey government from 1992-2013 and the State Quality of Life Index (SQLI).

Legislators

Salaries

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

State legislators
Salary	Per diem
$49,000/year	No per diem is paid.

When sworn in

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

New Jersey legislators assume office at noon of the second Tuesday in January following the election.

Joint Legislative Committees

See also: Public policy in New Jersey

• Joint Budget Oversight
• Joint Committee on Economic Justice and Equal Employment Opp
• Joint Committee on Housing Affordability
• Joint Committee on the Public Schools
• Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards
• Joint State Leasing and Space Utilization Committee
• New Jersey Legislative Select Committee on Investigation

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 in which the New Jersey Constitution can be amended:

New Jersey Constitution
Preamble
Articles
I • II • III • IV • V • VI • VII • VIII • IX • X • XI

See also: Article IX of the New Jersey Constitution and Laws governing ballot measures in New Jersey

There's only one way to amend the New Jersey Constitution, and that is through a legislatively referred constitutional amendment. New Jersey is one of six states that has no provision for a constitutional convention.

New Jersey has several unusual requirements for proposed amendments:

• It has an either/or system for qualifying a proposed amendment for the ballot. A proposed amendment can be passed by simple majority in two separate legislative sessions, or by a 60 percent supermajority vote of one session. Connecticut and Hawaii have a similar "either/or" requirement, except that Connecticut requires a 75 percent supermajority, and Hawaii requires a two-thirds supermajority.
• If state voters reject a proposed amendment, the same or a similar proposed amendment can't go back on the ballot "before the third general election thereafter."

New Jersey has several common requirements as well:

• Proposed amendments must adhere to the single-subject rule.
• Once on the ballot, a simple majority of voters must approve a measure for it to go in the constitution.

2020 measures:

Below is a list of measures that were referred to the 2020 ballot by the legislature or that have made it approximately halfway throughIn states where it takes one session to refer a measure to the ballot, Ballotpedia begins coverage of proposals once they have passed in one chamber of the legislature and only require approval in the second chamber for referral. In states where it takes two session to refer a measure to the ballot, Ballotpedia begins coverage of proposals once they have passed in both chambers in the first session required. the process in the legislature for referral to the ballot in 2020.

See also: New Jersey 2020 ballot measures

Certified:

The following measures have been certified for the ballot.

New Jersey Public Question 1: Marijuana Legalization Amendment				Democrats	Republicans
Senate:	Required: 24	Yes votes: 24 (60.00%)	No votes: 16 (40.00%)	Yes: 23; No: 2	Yes: 1; No: 14
House:	Required: 48	Yes votes: 49 (61.25%)	No votes: 24 (30.00%)	Yes: 49; No: 2	Yes: 0; No: 22
New Jersey Public Question 2, Peacetime Veterans Eligible for Property Tax Deduction Amendment				Democrats	Republicans
Senate:	Required: 24	Yes votes: 38 (95.00%)	No votes: 0 (0.00%)	Yes: 24; No: 0	Yes: 14; No: 0
House:	Required: 48	Yes votes: 72 (90.00%)	No votes: 0 (0.00%)	Yes: 51; No: 0	Yes: 21; No: 0
New Jersey Delayed State Legislative Redistricting Amendment				Democrats	Republicans
Senate:	Required: 24	Yes votes: 25 (62.50%)	No votes: 15 (37.50%)	Yes: 24; No: 0	Yes: 1; No: 15
House:	Required: 48	Yes votes: 51 (63.75%)	No votes: 26 (32.50%)	Yes: 50; No: 0	Yes: 0; No: 26

Potential:

The following measures have made it through one chamber—or one session for two session states—and may appear on the ballot in 2020.

No measures to list

See also

• New Jersey
• New Jersey House of Representatives
• New Jersey State Senate
• New Jersey state legislative districts
• State legislative scorecards in New Jersey
• Governor of New Jersey
• New Jersey Constitution

External links

• New Jersey Legislature website
• Wikipedia: New Jersey Legislature