Governor Murphy, Shame on You! Murphy Pulls Curtain on OPRA – Democrats in Lead Protecting Government Secrets / Hiding Corrupt Practices
Green Party of New Jersey Decries Governor Murphy’s Signing of the New Open Public Records Act
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 8, 2024
For more information contact: Barry Bendar, Elections Chair, 609-276-3183
Madelyn Hoffman, Policy Committee Chair, mrhlepaix@gmail.com
The Green Party of New Jersey (GPNJ) expressed its anger and dismay at Governor Phil Murphy’s signing of the “new” version of the Open Public Records Act (OPRA). GPNJ testified before the New Jersey Assembly, in March 2024, that OPRA’s transparency provisions needed to be strengthened and expanded, not rolled back, in order to give New Jersey residents greater access to public records and more tools to use in calling for policy changes where and when needed.
Governor Murphy’s signature on state bills S2930/A4045 not only resulted in many grassroots advocacy organizations, nonprofits and attorneys for the public interest immediately criticizing the move, but added to those issues on which the governor has ruined his legacy in New Jersey.
“Sacrificing democracy and decreasing transparency in the effort to obtain public records will lead to even lower turnout at New Jersey polls,” said Barry Bendar, one-time co-chair of GPNJ. “Not too long from now, I’m afraid, this will result in only the party faithful, those who kowtow to the state party bosses, going to the polls on Election Day. Every day, state and federal governments are sowing seeds to suppress people’s voices. This trend must stop!”
Green Party Congressional candidate for NJ’s 9th Congressional District Ben Taylor, as part of his efforts to demand a veto of Murphy, submitted an OPRA request on the day the NJ legislature approved the transparency destroying measure. He requested among other things the Memorandum of Understanding between Rutgers University and Tel Aviv University. While he has obtained the MoA, the other materials were denied. Coincidentally or perhaps not, the Rutgers answer to the OPRA request was coordinated with the date that Murphy signed the government opaqueness measure. More details on the findings in the MoA and the implications of delaying the less than full response until after Murphy signed will be sorted. There are follow up requests planned and it is very possible that NJ dealings with genocidal Israel which includes the NJ Israel Commission coordinating NJ profiting from the genocidal operations and the Rutgers-TAU connections could be the reason the NJ Democrats wanted to slam the door on transparency in NJ and replace it with secrecy and the hiding of corrupt practices, which NJ is famous for at every government level.
GPNJ is committed to fighting for transparency in government, on a local, state and national level and is outraged at Governor Murphy’s signing of this legislation, in direct opposition to voices calling for increased democracy, not less.
Related: OPRA Request to Rutgers for Tel Aviv Contract Partially Fulfilled – Details Shortly.
