Governor Murphy Weakens Open Public Records Act

Much has been said by the Governor, Legislators and Mayors to justify their actions that led to this new law, touting the need to modernize OPRA and reduce overuse of the law by commercial interests. But we find their justification totally meritless. (Click here and here to see who voted against OPRA.)

The new law prioritizes commercial requests while making it significantly harder for the public, media, and advocates to access vital records. This undermines transparency and shields public officials from scrutiny, posing a serious threat to democratic accountability. We, the public, have every right to know what they are doing.

The concern is not only that corruption will be harder to see and address but that we will all be less likely now to know about mismanagement, fiscal irresponsibility and neglectful inaction by government officials. These are all deeply important matters for public attention, and we decry the Governor and all legislators and local officials who advanced this attack on OPRA.  

As our supporters know, New Jersey Citizen Action endorsed Governor Murphy, twice, in 2017 and 2021, and worked with him to advance social and economic justice reforms, many of which had long been stalled under Gov. Christie. We don’t begrudge the Governor these components of his legacy. But we want to be clear that gutting the OPRA law in tandem with the Election Transparency Act passed recently, constitutes a multi-pronged, fundamental attack against our democracy, and one that stains all else accomplished by the Governor.

The pro-democracy movement in New Jersey is strong and growing. Our collective efforts have challenged unaccountable leaders and driven significant political change. The powers that be in NJ politics must understand that we will work to support and elect leaders who support a better, more inclusive democracy — and work against candidates, including incumbents, who are willing to undermine our democracy, as they have with this gutting of the OPRA law. 

NJ’s democracy is worth fighting for, and we invite you to join us in our continued fight! A vital part of restoring NJ’s democracy is electing leaders who believe in it, and will stand up for it, and show those who work against our democracy the door. Something we must all remember when we go to vote next elections!