Gov. Phil Murphy, we need you to veto legislation that would destroy OPRA as NJ knows it

As freshmen legislators representing Sussex County and parts of Morris and Warren Counties, we ran for State Assembly last year to inject some conservative common sense into a state government sorely in need of it.

From Day One, we knew that we would be on the frontlines fighting for lower taxes on individuals and businesses; pushing for smaller, less expensive government; and defending the rights of parents regarding public school curriculum and healthcare decisions for their children.  Candidly, neither of us thought we’d be faced with an attempt to water down New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act — OPRA, but here we are.

Yes, we can do better with OPRA — but this 'reform' is a step backward

That’s not to say there isn’t an argument for common sense reform — there is. Having both served in local government prior to winning our Assembly seats last year, we are well aware that much like many laws over 20 years old, OPRA could be streamlined and modernized for the benefit of both the public and government alike.

During Assemblywoman Fantasia’s time as a Sussex County commissioner, she was at ground zero for the Andover Subacute Nursing Home scandal, where more than 80 seniors and veterans died due to gross negligence by the state during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the wake of that tragedy, she and her colleagues filed countless document requests to expose the truth and hold bad actors accountable and were instead completely stonewalled by the Murphy Administration.

During his time as a mayor and councilman in Chester Township, Assemblyman Inganamort witnessed his local township staff deluged by commercial enterprises abusing the system with the goal of turning a profit at the expense of taxpayers. Since joining the Legislature, he’s been frustrated with lack of transparency at New Jersey Transit and other state agencies where massive amounts of taxpayer dollars are spent in secret.

And those troubling anecdotes are with a law that is widely considered a national model. Clearly, we can do better.

However, the issue we have with the bill that passed both the state Senate and Assembly earlier this month, is that it exploits the legitimate need for narrowly crafted reform to fundamentally weaken the law and infringe upon access to public records for everyday taxpayers and members of the press. That is simply unacceptable, and we won’t sit by quietly and let it happen.

In a state already infamous for the perception of public corruption and cronyism — that also recently happened to be called out by a respected independent, non-partisan group as one of the worst states in the country for financial transparency — the last thing we should be doing in Trenton is pouring gasoline on that reputational fire by rolling back an open public records law with a long history of bipartisan support.

Yet here we are … and the only person who can stop it is Gov. Phil Murphy.

Our view: NJ deserves transparent government. Tell your legislators how you feel about OPRA

Ed Forbes: OPRA 'reform' would badly damage access to public records in New Jersey

Murphy must defend New Jersey's transparency

As we said right up front, we ran for State Assembly to be a strong check and balance against Murphy’s agenda of reckless spending, relentless tax increases, ridiculous pandemic policies and radical agenda in our public schools.

Realistically speaking, our confidence is low that the governor steps up and does the right thing pertaining to OPRA. That said, it is not too late for the governor to change course and do the right thing.

That is why we are using this statewide op-ed to appeal directly to Murphy and urge him to live up to his boasts of being “all-in on transparency” — which he made during a recent radio interview. If those aren’t just hollow words, the governor will veto this bill and send an unmistakable message that New Jersey taxpayers and residents deserve better from their government and from their elected officials.

If he does, we stand ready to work with our colleagues in the legislature and the governor’s office to reform OPRA the right way, with the public’s interests at the forefront.

Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia and Assemblyman Mike Inganamort represent New Jersey's 24th Legislative District, which includes Sussex County and parts of Morris and Warren counties.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Phil Murphy must veto OPRA legislation that wold damage transparency