User:CmdrDan/OPRA/Reform proposal

Unbeknownst to me there have been numerous efforts to amend New Jersey's OPRA law prior to 2024. We'll talk about those later.

On 13 May 2024 the legislature passed Bill S2930 ScaSca (2R) and it is now on the Governor's desk awaiting his signature or veto.

On 8 May 2024 Prior to the passage of the above legislation Gov Murphy appeared on WNYC's monthly Ask Governor Murphy show with Nancy Solomon (senior reporter and the founding managing editor of New Jersey Public Radio). Here is the archived audio of the 8 May 2024 show: NJ Gov. Murphy: We can cut seniors' taxes and save NJ Transit

5:41 Nancy Solomon starts asking about OPRA "reform" 6:40 As a principle as a general matter "Do you think reform is needed?"

"I'd say a couple of things and I'm not going to get into the details among other things...Kenny and I are very happy to listen to you...among other reasons ...if the bill is not on our desk if it's still being baked we're not going to comment on it. This one in addition to that is moving around a whole lot. I am of two minds on this...your listeners should also know this is no the first pass at this...

On the one hand with the Internet with technology more generally I think the notion of updating this is a worthy notion...and I have felt that from the get go.

Nevermind the generative artificial intelligence era...auto created transcript from show with my phone: Gov Murphy  00:08 Late so-called Lambda um, On the one hand. With the internet with technology more generally. Uh, I think the notion of updating this is a worthy notion. So that there's I think there are good reasons to do that. And I've felt that from the get-go, on the other hand by doing. So you can't sacrifice something that I think is sacrosanct to a whole lot of people in the state including Yours, truly, which is transparency. So finding that middle ground of updating, something into the internet era, never mind the generative, artificial intelligence error. Uh, which is, which is real, all of that is real. Um, on the one hand, but also continues to maintain transparency. Which is a Hallmark of Oprah is, is an objective that we must adhere to as well, so that's my general philosophy. I'm

Nancy Solomon WNYC  01:04 Surprised to hear you say that because my understanding is that if Government entities would just digitize all records, then it wouldn't be so much of a burden to supply documents when they're asked for them. Because, of course, we know when things are digitized and you can, you know, send them via the computer. It's much easier.

Gov Murphy  01:26 Well, except they're not, they're not all digitized right now. So um, that's one element of this obviously. But accessing people's personal information is a lot different than it was 20 odd years ago. That's one that I think is a worthy consideration. I'm not going to argue with you. I just think that there are there are good reasons to update it, but I don't want to throw the proverbial baby out with the bathwater giving people access to the, our residents members of the media which are big purveyors or users of This. You know, we're a transparent Society, we're transparent State, and we don't want to lose that. Callers.

Nancy Solomon WNYC  02:04 We want to hear from you 844-745-8255, you can

The governor mentions Kenny Kenny Gov Phil Murphy

https://www.wnyc.org/story/ask-governor-murphy-march-recap/ Ask Governor Murphy: March Recap

In 2024 there were two efforts to change the existing OPRA laws in New Jersey.

On January 9, 2024 Bill A3114 was sponsored by Craig_Coughlin of Woodbridge, NJ and co-sponsored by Wimberly, Benjie E. and Haider, Shama A.

Assembly sites for the above:
 * https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-roster/319/assemblyman-coughlin
 * https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-roster/347/assemblyman-wimberly
 * https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-roster/452/assemblywoman-haider

Hearings
Agenda: Senate Budget and Appropriations, Monday, March 11, 2024 - 10:00 AM

Video Here's the video

I can't get found a way to play a specific point in the video, but I can't so here are the numbers:
 * go to 3:44:10 -4:30:40

News Coverage
News coverage has been withering with many editorials advocating for defeat or vetoing this legislation.

March 11, 2024: The New York Times "How Much Access to Government Records Does the Public Deserve?
March 11, 2024: The New York Times "How Much Access to Government Records Does the Public Deserve? Proposed restrictions in New Jersey are pitting municipal and county officials against supporters of government transparency." https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/11/nyregion/nj-opra-bill-public-records.html

The article also states: States including Arkansas, Colorado and Kentucky are considering restricting records access, while California is moving in the opposite direction, with activists pressing for a November ballot question to win more disclosure.

===May 8, 2024: WNYC "NJ Gov. Murphy: We can cut seniors' taxes and save NJ Transit" May 8, 2024: WNYC "NJ Gov. Murphy: We can cut seniors' taxes and save NJ Transit" https://www.wnyc.org/story/ask-governor-murphy-will-trenton-agree-tax-hike-fund-nj-transit/

May 14, 2024: WNYC: Brian Lehrer: Ask Governor Murphy: March Recap
May 14, 2024: WNYC: Brian Lehrer: Ask Governor Murphy: March Recap https://www.wnyc.org/story/ask-governor-murphy-march-recap/

Arkansas FOIA
Arkansas Freedom of Information Act The Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”), Ark. Code Ann. §§ 25-19-101 to 25-19-109, was enacted in 1967 at the behest of Governor Winthrop Rockefeller and the state’s journalism community. At his last press conference, Governor Rockefeller described the FOIA as his “proudest achievement” in office.

Arkansas Public Library Laws
Arkansas Public Library Laws Annotated 2020-2021 EDITION