By Kelly Heyboer and Matt Friedman/The Star-Ledger

TRENTON — Worries about the cost of rebuilding a state battered by Hurricane Sandy did not scare New Jersey voters away from approving $750 million in borrowing for the state's colleges and universities Tuesday.

With 93 percent of precincts reporting, the higher education bond question won the approval of more than 62 percent of voters. More than 83 percent favored a second ballot question that will allow lawmakers to force judges to pay more for their health and pension benefits.

The passage of the higher education bond question is a major victory for the state’s public and private colleges, which will use the money to build labs and classroom space. It will be the first time New Jersey has borrowed for college construction projects in 24 years.

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"The voters have demonstrated what families across New Jersey already know, that investing in higher education is possibly the single-most important thing that we can do to assure that our children have a future that is full of opportunity, promise and potential," said Robert Barchi, the new president of Rutgers.

The question had broad bipartisan support and was backed by Gov. Chris Christie. A coalition of more than 200 labor, education and policy organizations formed a political group, called Building our Future, to lobby for its passage.

But the idea of putting the state further in debt to finance construction at public and private colleges had its critics, including the conservative group Americans for Prosperity. Steve Lonegan, the group’s state director, said lawmakers should have reconsidered the measure after last week’s storm.

"This is no time to borrow money to throw up more unnecessary buildings on college campuses," Lonegan said.

Public research universities, including Rutgers, will get $300 million. The other public four-year colleges will split $247.5 million. County colleges will get $150 million and private colleges will get $52.5 million.

With the voters’ approval of the second ballot question, the state constitution will be amended so the Legislature can enact laws to force Superior Court judges and state Supreme Court justices to finance their benefits.

The question was put on the ballot to short-circuit a Supreme Court decision that said tenured judges and justices — unlike other state employees — can’t be forced to pay more toward their pension and health benefits. Under the state constitution, judges were protected from pay cuts to help prevent political retribution.

The question had the support of Christie and Republicans and Democrats in the state Legislature. Judges who wanted voters to reject the measure could not voice their opinions because they are barred from campaigning.

The New Jersey State Bar Association opposed the referendum, arguing it would undermine judicial independence.

"The judges are in a separate category and they are forced to live a different life," said Kevin McCann, the bar association president. "They can’t have outside employment ... and you just don’t want them looking over their shoulders."

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Related coverage:

• Voters approve amendment requiring N.J. judges to pay more for benefits

• N.J. voters approve ballot question letting state borrow $750M for higher ed improvements

• Complete 2012 election coverage