‘OPRA Bill Is Not Who We Are’: Newark Mayor Says Overhaul Is Bad Idea

NEWARK, NJ — New Jersey’s largest city has seen its fair share of requests made under the New Jersey Open Public Records Act (OPRA). And Newark city administrators are well aware of how “cumbersome” they can be, Mayor Ras Baraka says.

But that doesn’t mean you should throw the baby out with the bathwater, he adds.

Earlier this week, Baraka added his voice to the chorus of criticism that rained down in New Jersey as state lawmakers passed a bill that may drastically change the public’s access to government records. The bill is sitting on the desk of Gov. Phil Murphy, who can choose to sign it – or veto it. Read More: Public Record Access Is About To Take A Nosedive In NJ, Advocates Say

The proposed law, S-2930/A-4045, passed a bipartisan vote in both chambers of the state Legislature on Monday, seeing support from many Democrats and Republicans alike. It would make changes to the OPRA law, which guarantees the public’s right to certain government records, and creates an appeal process for denials. Learn more about OPRA here.

Some critics of the current process allege that it needs to be revamped, with multiple New Jersey towns citing expensive labor bills related to the requests.

Supporters of OPRA acknowledge that it could use an update – especially when it comes to “data mining” companies that pad their rolls for profit on the public’s dime. But the law is a crucial safeguard for democracy, they add, arguing that gutting it would be devastating to the public's “right to know” what their government is doing in their names.

Several advocacy groups have said the bill will make it harder for news reporters to do their jobs, including the New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists.

Other people decrying the bill include Baraka, who issued the following statement in the wake of its passage through the New Jersey Senate and Assembly this week:

“We know that states with mandatory fee-shifting comply with OPRA requests at higher rates. This bill changes that structure and guarantees that the public will have less transparency. We can address the issues with OPRA being used as a business without throwing the baby out with the bathwater. I am the mayor of our state's largest city. I know how cumbersome OPRA requests can be. But I also know, without transparency we do not have democracy. I am a Democrat and I believe that we are supposed to be the party of the people. I believe in accountability for anyone taking advantage of working families, short-changing our communities, weakening our public institutions, or threatening our democracy. You can't have faith in our institutions, you can't have democracy, without transparency. This OPRA bill is not who we are in New Jersey.”

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