TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation Wednesday that overhauls access to the state’s public records, likely making it harder for the public and media to access some documents, according to the critics.
Murphy, a Democrat, said he recognizes the disappointment of social justice, labor and other groups who vehemently opposed the bill.
“If I believed this bill would allow corruption in any way, I would veto it in a heartbeat,” Murphy said. “After a thorough examination of the provisions of the bill, I am convinced that the changes, viewed comprehensively, are relatively modest.”
The legislation amends the state’s Open Public Records Act, which the public and journalists regularly use to obtain documents from state and local governments, including budgets, agency revenues, public salaries, correspondence and other information that is not always easy to discover.
The bill’s sponsors say they support transparency and want to help struggling employees who can’t always handle a wave of requests, sometimes from business interests. Opponents of the bill have argued that the measure will make it more difficult to obtain documents and comes at a time when Americans faith in institutions has been sliding. In a May 2023 survey of AP-NORC and Robert F. Kennedy Human RightsMost respondents said that news that reports the facts facing the country or that includes in-depth background and analysis is extremely or very helpful in understanding issues important to them.
A provision in the legislation allows officials to charge commercial interests up to twice the cost of producing documents. Other language authorizes agencies to prosecute plaintiffs they accuse of disrupting “governmental function.” The new law also ends the requirement that cities pay attorney fees in court cases they lose due to records requests.
The latest provision could make it prohibitively expensive for the public and reporters to challenge local and state governments in court, according to opponents of the bill, including civil rights groups, the state press association and dozens of others who testified at the committee hearings this year.
The Associated Press signed a letter from the New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists urging politicians to reject the legislation.
