Voters face ballot question on $500M bond for schools

Voters in New Jersey, in addition to deciding competitive Senate and House races, will also decide the fate of $500 million in bonds that would be used for a host of school-related initiatives.
It's the only question on the Nov. 6 ballot, asking voters whether to approve the $500 million in new debt for school security, county colleges, vocational schools and water infrastructure.
The constitution requires voter approval of new debts.
The legislature, as well as Gov. Phil Murphy, approved the bipartisan measure to get the question on the ballot, but not without a disagreement over the amount of the bonds.
Gov. Murphy halved the legislative proposal from $1 billion to $500 million, citing the state's already heavy debt load.
AP wire services helped contribute to this report.