News Article

Constitutional Amendment On Judges' Pensions

By Phil Gregory, WBGO News
Trenton. July 27, 2012

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New Jersey Statehouse (photo by Phil Gregory)

New Jersey lawmakers will vote Monday on a proposed constitutional amendment that would require state judges to contribute more to their pensions and health benefits.


The push for the amendment comes after New Jersey’s Supreme Court ruled that benefit reforms the legislature enacted last year don’t apply to judges because the constitution says their salaries can’t be lowered.


Senator Shirley Turner says amending the constitution so judges contribute more as other state workers are required to do is a matter of economic fairness.


“It is patently unfair that they have a Cadillac plan or more so a Rolls-Royce pension plan and they pay so little into it.”


The New Jersey Bar Association opposes the amendment, saying it’s a dangerous intrusion of one branch of government into the independence of another.


Lawmakers are trying to beat an early August deadline to approve the amendment so it can go on the November ballot for voters to decide.

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