New Jersey Foundation for Open Government
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This is a real life example of what can be at stake, as the public is denied the right to a voice. Here’s a perfect example of public reaction when a government agency exercises its right NOT to open a meeting for attendees to comment, when the discussion is on a topic of passionate interest Read More …
A local publisher in Paterson filed criminal charges against the city council for shutting down public comment without allowing him to speak. A motion was made and seconded, and a council vote abruptly closed the public comment portion. Since people typically seek civil remedies when protocol at a public meeting doesn’t meet legal standards, the Read More …
The Roselle Park Municipal Land Use Board announced on July 20 that it will be doing away with the public comment portion of its meetings starting in September. The move takes away the public’s ability to speak on land use topics outside of those for which a hearing is held. -NJFOG The Roselle Park News Read More …
In this excellent blog post, John Paff describes how the Gloucester Township Council cut off a speaker from talking during public comment and then immediately closed the public comment period, which almost certainly violated that person’s First Amendment right to address the Council as well as the rights of anyone who was still waiting to Read More …
An interesting thing happened at the March 11, 2015 meeting of the Clementon Housing Authority board of commissioners. The vice chair of the board got up to speak “as a member of the public” during the public comment portion of the meeting. The topic was Community Development Block Grant money, for which the Authority may Read More …