Bad news for open government.
Noting there were not enough votes to get the two bills that would update the state’s sunshine laws out of committee, State Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck) took both bills off the state Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee agenda today.
Weinberg, who said she had spent “a long two years” working with parties on both sides of the issue to come up with proposed language to update the state Open Records Act (OPRA) and the Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA), took the NJ League of Municipalities to task for constantly moving the goal posts during negotiations. “I want to say very publicly they have been bad partners in this endeavor,” she said.
Weinberg thanked her co-sponsor state Sen. Joseph Pennacchio (R-Montville), the NJ Press Association, the ACLU of NJ, the Municipal Clerks Association, NJ Foundation for Open Government, the League of Women Voters and the editorial staffs of The Star-Ledger and The Record for their support.
The upshot is that the OPRA and OPMA bills are off the table for this year.
Maybe next year?
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