There's a famous Schoolhouse Rock about how a bill becomes a law, but it doesn't apply in New Jersey, where the state supreme court has taken the position that it controls the pursestrings and the state constitution requires an additional $500 million in spending on schools—ironic, since the state constitutional language used to justify the move was merely the vague adjectives "thorough and efficient." The 3-2 Abbott v. Burke decision shows the importance of judicial appointments in preventing judicial aggrandizement; Governor Christie's nominee was blocked, and the liberal chief justice appointed the liberal swing vote. [Bader @ Examiner; Corner]