Takeaway:
- Call Senate President Scutari, Assembly Speaker Coughlin, and Governor Murphy and ask them to oppose a bill that would gut the New Jersey Open Public Records Act.
- Send an email to Scutari, Coughlin, and Murphy protesting the legislation.
- Come to Trenton on Thursday, March 14, at 12 noon to attend a final committee hearing on the bill at the Statehouse (121 State St.), Room 11. Fill out this form if you can make it.
Dear colleague,
On Monday, members and staff of our unions went to Trenton to show our opposition to a bill that would make it easier for local governments and state institutions, including Rutgers, to avoid public scrutiny. We were joined by over 100 people from unions, civil liberties and social movement organizations, and the media in testifying about the damage to democracy and accountability that would result from fast-tracking legislation to gut the New Jersey Open Public Records Act (OPRA).
During two-plus hours of testimony before an Assembly committee and four hours before a Senate committee, nearly everybody who spoke called for the two companion bills (S2930 in the Senate, A4045 in the Assembly) to be withdrawn. Lawmakers at the hearings, including the bill’s Senate sponsor, acknowledged that S2930/A4045 needs major changes to protect legitimate requests for the public records of state agencies and institutions like Rutgers. Yet both committees voted to move the legislation forward, setting up a full Senate and Assembly vote as soon as Monday. This makes no sense!
Public access to government records is a cornerstone of our democracy and a free press. We need to take action to make sure they don’t gut a law our unions rely on to uncover the facts about Rutgers. We need more openness and transparency in New Jersey, not less!
Tomorrow (Thursday, March 14) at 12 p.m., the Assembly Appropriations Committee will hold a final hearing on A4045. Lawmakers claim they will amend the bill to address the concerns raised on Monday, but we need to keep the pressure on. Here’s what you can do:
- Call the offices of Senate President Nicholas Scutari (732-827-7480), Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (732-855-7441), and Governor Phil Murphy (609-292-6000) and ask them to declare their opposition to S2930/A4045. You can tell them: “S2930/A4045, the bill to undermine OPRA, will harm democracy and the accountability of our public institutions like Rutgers University. Please declare your opposition to this dangerous bill and use your influence to get it withdrawn.” Click here for more suggested talking points.
- Click here to send emails to Senate President Scutari, Assembly Speaker Coughlin, and Governor Murphy protesting S2930/A4045 and calling on them to publicly oppose it.
- Click here if you can attend an Assembly Appropriations Committee hearing on A4045 at the statehouse in Trenton (121 W. State St.) on Thursday, March 14, at 12 noon. The hearing will be in Committee Room 11 on the 4th floor.
Democracy dies in the dark! Take action now to help us save OPRA!
In solidarity,
Rutgers AAUP-AFT, Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union, and AAUP-BHSNJ
Rutgers AAUP-AFT Facebook page: https://facebook.com/RUaaup/
Follow us on Twitter @ruaaup and Instagram @rutgersaaup
Freedom School YouTubeChannel: https://rutgersaaup.org/YouTube
Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/rutgersptlfc
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @ruaaup_ptl
Visit our website: https://rutgers-ptlfc.org/
AAUP-BHSNJ website: https://onerutgersfaculty.org/
AAUP-BHSNJ Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RUaaupbhsnj