Senate Budget Committee to hear OPMA and OPRA modernization bills, Monday Oct. 15th

ATTENTION – You Can Help Pass Open Meetings and Open Records Reform

The Open Public Meetings Act (S106) and the Open Public Records Act (S107) reform legislation will be heard on Monday, October 15 in the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. These bills were first heard and voted out of the Senate State Government Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee in June 2018.

The hearing will be held at 1 PM, Room 4, first floor, of the State House Annex in Trenton.

All who want to preserve their rights to attend public government meetings and obtain public records are urged to contact as many members of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee (names and contacts below) and say, “I ask that you support the Open Public Meetings Act (S106) and the Open Public Records Act (S107) reform legislation.”

The OPMA (S106) has remained largely unchanged since it was adopted in 1975. It is in need of improvement. The OPRA (S107) was adopted in 2001, and is also in need of improvements that will bring it into the 21st century.

The members of the Senate Budget Committee need to hear from you. Please take a few minutes to call them and ask for their support of S106 and S107 for Monday’s hearing.

Here is contact information for each member of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. If you prefer to send an electronic message, clicking on each Senator’s name will bring you directly to their personal profile page on the NJ Legislature’s website.

Sarlo, Paul A. (Chair) – (201) 804-8118
Stack, Brian P. (Vice-Chair) – (201) 721-5263 (Jersey City), or (201) 376-1942 (Cell)
Addiego, Dawn Marie – (609) 654-1498
Bucco, Anthony R. – (973) 627-9700
Cruz-Perez, Nilsa – (856) 541-1251 (Camden), (856) 547-4800 (Audubon), (856) 853-2960 (Woodbury)
Cunningham, Sandra B. – (201) 451-5100
Diegnan, Patrick J. – (908) 757-1677
Greenstein, Linda R. – (609) 395-9911
O’Scanlon, Declan J. – (732) 444-1838
Oroho, Steven V. – (973) 300-0200 (Sparta), (908) 441-6343 (Allamuchy)
Ruiz, M. Teresa – (973) 484-1000
Singleton, Troy – (856) 234-2790
Thompson, Samuel D. – (732) 607-7580

These bills will not move without your help. NJFOG cannot do it alone. Please contact each committee member and ask them to protect your right to informed participation in public meetings and access to public records by supporting bills S106 and S107.

Your urgent assistance is needed and greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

For more detailed information on bills S106 and S107, please see our previous article:

Support OPMA and OPRA modernization bills S106 and S107