New Jersey lawmakers pass overhaul of state’s open records law

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Over jeers of “shame” shouted from the gallery, New Jersey lawmakers on Monday passed legislation to overhaul the state’s open public records law despite objections from civil rights groups and the state’s press association.

The Democrat-led Assembly and Senate passed the legislation that heads now to Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, whose spokesperson declined to comment on the measure.

The legislation covers the state’s Open Public Records Act, which the public and journalists regularly use to get documents from state and local governments, including budgets, agency receipts, public salaries, correspondence and other information not always easy to unearth.

The bill’s sponsors say they back transparency and want to help beleaguered clerks who cannot always handle a wave of requests, sometimes from commercial interests. The bill’s opponents argued that the measures in the legislation would make it harder to get documents and comes at a time when public trust in government is uncertain.

There was no debate in the Senate, but Assembly members sparred back and forth before the measure ultimately passed.

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