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New Jersey legislators advance bill overhauling state's open records law. One new section allows for requesters considered to be interrupting govt function to be sued in state court. (from The Associated Press) apnews.com/article/ec7e8b…

I urge the committee to take all of this into account.

nj.gov/comptroller/ne…

It will increase the likelihood of fraud, waste, and abuse.

Some of our best tips come from concerned residents who have filed OPRA requests.

Closing the curtains will block the sunshine OPRA has provided for the last two decades.

When the NJ Comptroller speaks, listen. #ProtectOPRA

My concerns about this #OPRA bill remain.

While the amendments address some issues, the version before the Senate Budget Committee today will still result in less transparency, and make it harder for residents to hold government accountable.

Here's how N.J. Senators voted in committee on the amended bill to change the state's Open Public Records Act.

The OPRA bill is bad policy and bad politics.

New Jerseyans will remember in every election going forward where our Senators stood.

I hope our Assembly members - who are up for election next year - understand that by voting for it, they will be jeopardizing their seats.

The bill is not meant to impair reporters' abilities to do their work? There's this provision: Requestors cannot send out “blast” record requests to more than one town or agency at a time. Countless important journalism projects have been done in this exact way...

Hooray for Senator Andrew Zwicker, Declan O'Scanlon and Senator Michael Testa for voting No on A2930 and standing up for good government and public access to information!!! Thank you.

A strong OPRA ensures a strong democracy! We need transparency in our government and our public universities

Sen. Sarlo on opposition to the public records bill: “It’s about how much attorneys will get paid when requesting records.”

They don’t get paid to request records. They get paid when a judge finds towns withhold public records illegally.

These videos were acquired via OPRA. NJ lawmakers are currently working overtime to make OPRA a useless tool so that *YOU* - the public - cannot hold them accountable. Legislative committees are voting tomorrow & Friday. Don't let them run govt like it's their own fiefdom. #njpol

The OPRA bill is not in the public interest. There are provisions that were written to directly target individuals who have used OPRA aggressively to research and reveal corruption in NJ. Passing a Bill to intimidate and/or stop members of the press is abuse of power.
VOTE No.

Hearing planned for amended bill that would restrict access to public records — 'New Jersey must strengthen and expand access to public records, not restrict it.' newjerseymonitor.com/2024/05/08/hea… via @njmonitor

They’re still out there claiming this is about commercial abuse. It’s NOT and never was!

They took the ban on data brokers out! And this bill actually gives commercial entities the ability to pay for a faster response - a right reporters don’t get!

No Rollbacks on OPRA: Public Access to Public Records!

The Institute's Yannick Wood visited the office of Assembly members Morales and Venezia to urge them to vote NO on S2930/A4045. We also urge Sen. Budget and Appropriations to stop OPRA rollbacks tomorrow. #SaveOPRA

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I’ve spent some time today speaking to our Jersey City delegation in Trenton on the OPRA bill’s potential damage to government and politics for the dem party. Here is what I can tell you from those conversations - you all are having an impact as our reps see the advocacy in…

On WNYC 🎙, Governor Phil Murphy addresses OPRA reform efforts (but declines to take position on bill)

'There are there are good reasons to update it, but I don't want to throw the proverbial baby out with the bathwater'

He adds: 'We're a transparent state and we don't want to lose that.'