NJ Rethinks Two Key Open-Government Laws

New Jersey lawmakers are looking at reworking the state's open-government laws.

State Sen. Loretta Weinberg has proposed bills to tighten the state's open records and open public meetings laws.

Among the changes would be banning government officials from texting each other while their boards are meeting. The laws would also require government bodies to post items on their agendas 48 hours before their meetings and would clarify that emails among large groups of officials and videos of meetings would be considered public records.

Some groups, including municipal government clerks across the state, say the changes might actually have the effect of making governments less transparent because they would create more bureaucracy.

Weinberg hopes the Legislature takes up the measures this year.

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