Transparency Laws Must Be Updated, Weinberg Says

The state’s decades-old open public meetings and public records laws must be updated to keep pace with new technology, Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg said in an op-ed published in the Press of Atlantic City.

“Increased reliance on ever-developing technologies such as the Internet, email, texting, cell phones and smartphones represent new opportunities and potential pitfalls in how government includes the people it is intended to represent,” Weinberg wrote.

The Teaneck Democrat is pushing to for legislation she said will take into account new technology and reduce the possibilities of “violations of the public trust.”

Weinberg’s proposed revisions to the public meetings law would include a measure to prohibit officials from texting or emailing with each other during a public meeting and require governments to post meeting minutes, resolutions and related documents online.

“While the majority of municipalities operate in a very transparent manner, the changes to the Open Public Meetings Act target the bad behavior of the few. It is not enough for certain elected officials to point to their compliance while not demanding the same from their peers,” the op-ed stated.

The bills have faced opposition from some local officials, who say elements of the legislation would amount to an “unfunded mandate” and burden staffers.

In the op-ed, Weinberg said she collected input from town clerks.