Politics & Government
Gov. Murphy Extends Government Agency Response Deadline
The move to allow more time for agencies to respond to information requests later before has drawn criticism.
NEW JERSEY - Governor Phil Murphy extended the deadlines across state government to review and act by a specified deadline via executive order, and it has not gone unnoticed. Nor will it go unchallenged.
“Governor Murphy could not be less transparent about the state’s response to the pandemic,” said Morris County Assemblywoman Aura Dunn. “He has withheld information from the public and there is no urgency to reply to requests to learn anything. The modified date has been exploited and the law should be reversed.”
For his part, Murphy maintains that Executive Order No. 159 is designed to ease the burden on the state employees.
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“As the state government has responded to the COVID-19 crisis, resources have been immensely strained,” said Governor Murphy. “Extending these deadlines allows state agencies to continue to be able to meet the needs of New Jerseyans, and provides agencies with crucial time to make decisions with the consideration and input necessary for the long-term benefit of our state.”
Dunn is moving to increase Open Public Records Act (OPRA) transparency by introducing legislation returning the deadline back to seven days from "any time the government gets around to it."
The deadline was modified so a custodian of a public record only had to give their best college try to respond in seven days instead of mandating a response within seven days. The change was made because government employees worked remotely and staff may be reduced.
“As things return to normal the reasons for changing the deadline in the first place aren’t relevant,” Dunn said.
Find out what's happening in Long Valleyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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