Amends State Constitution to require two-thirds majority vote of Legislature to advance certain legislation during lame duck session.
Impact
The amendment represents a significant change in the legislative process during lame-duck sessions. By increasing the vote requirement to two-thirds, which equals 27 Senate votes and 54 Assembly votes, fewer bills may pass during this period. This change could empower the minority party in the legislature and potentially limit the ability of the outgoing legislators to push through contentious legislation. Proponents may argue that this amendment will enhance governance by ensuring that significant legislative changes are made with broader consensus, thereby increasing the stability of laws enacted just before a new legislative session.
Summary
ACR81 is a concurrent resolution proposing to amend the State Constitution of New Jersey. The proposed amendment seeks to mandate that any bills and joint resolutions require a two-thirds majority vote in both the Senate and the General Assembly to be advanced during lame-duck sessions. A lame-duck session is defined as the period from the first day that voters can cast ballot in a general election for members of the General Assembly until the new Legislature begins on the second Tuesday in January following the election. Currently, legislation only requires a simple majority to pass, which amounts to 21 votes in the Senate and 41 in the General Assembly.
Contention
Debate surrounding ACR81 likely centers on the implications of tightening the legislative process in a critical transitional period. Proponents of the bill may contend that a two-thirds majority prevents hasty legislation without thorough consideration, protecting the interests of the electorate as represented in the newly elected legislature. However, opponents may argue that this may hinder necessary legislative actions that need to be taken in a timely manner before the new legislators take office. This contention suggests a conflict between ensuring thorough legislative scrutiny and the need for efficient governance, especially in potentially urgent matters.
Submission
If agreed upon, this amendment must be presented to the public during the next general election, allowing citizens to vote directly on changing the legislative requirements during lame-duck sessions. Such a procedure underlines the bill's relevance in promoting active civic engagement in state governance, as it necessitates that a proposed constitutional change receives majority public support.
A resolution to direct the Clerk of the House of Representatives to only present to the Governor enrolled House bills finally passed by both houses of the One Hundred Third Legislature.
Relating to nonsubstantive additions to, revisions of, and corrections in enacted codes, to the nonsubstantive codification or disposition of various laws omitted from enacted codes, and to conforming codifications enacted by the 88th Legislature to other Acts of that legislature.