How they voted: New Jersey Legislature hobbles OPRA and public records access

Katie Sobko, NorthJersey.com
Updated ·3 min read
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The New Jersey Legislature gutted the Open Public Records Act on Monday, passing legislation that will roll back access to government documents and data.

The bill, positioned by its sponsors as a reform to OPRA, is now on its way to Gov. Phil Murphy's desk. Here’s a look at how every member of the Legislature voted on the measure.

In order to cast a vote, lawmakers — or their aides — are required to press a button on their respective desks. That vote is then recorded and made visible on large screens within the both the Assembly and state Senate chambers.

A few legislators have changed their votes since the voting machines were closed Monday.

New Jersey state Senate

Who voted YES

  • Carmen Amato - R

  • James Beach - D

  • Renee Burgess - D

  • John Burzichelli - D

  • Nilsa Cruz-Perez - D

  • Joseph Cryan - D

  • Patrick Diegnan - D

  • Vin Gopal - D

  • Linda Greenstein - D

  • Owen Henry - R

  • Joseph Lagana - D

  • Paul Moriarty - D

  • Nellie Pou - D

  • M. Teresa Ruiz - D

  • Paul Sarlo - D

  • Nick Scutari - D

  • Robert Singer - R

  • Troy Singleton - D

  • Bob Smith - D

  • Brian Stack - D

  • Joseph Vitale - D

Who voted NO

  • Jon Bramnick - R

  • John McKeon – D McKeon initially did not vote and later changed his vote to no

  • Declan O'Scanlon - R

  • Joseph Pennacchio - R

  • Parker Space - R

  • Douglas Steinhardt - R

  • Michael Testa - R

  • Britnee Timberlake - D

  • Latham Tiver - R

  • Andrew Zwicker - D

NOT VOTING

  • Anthony Bucco – R; Bucco was not present

  • Kristin Corrado - R

  • James Holzapfel – R; Holzapfel was not present

  • Gordon Johnson - D

  • Angela McKnight - D

  • Raj Mukherji - D

  • Vincent Polistina – R; Polistina initially voted no and later changed his vote to not voting.

  • Holly Schepisi - R

  • Shirley Turner – D; Turner was not present

New Jersey Assembly

Who voted YES

  • Reginald Atkins - D

  • Linda Carter - D

  • Craig Coughlin - D

  • Joe Danielsen - D

  • John DiMaio - R

  • Margie Donlon - D

  • Kevin Egan - D

  • Victoria Flynn - R

  • Louis Greenwald - D

  • Garnet Hall - D

  • Dan Hutchison - D

  • Robert Karabinchak - D

  • Sean Kean - R

  • James Kennedy - D

  • Pamela Lampitt - D

  • Yvonne Lopez - D

  • Julio Marenco - D

  • Antwan McClellan - R

  • Cody Miller - D

  • William Moen - D

  • Carmen Theresa Morales - D

  • Luanne Peterpaul - D

  • Eliana Pintor Marin - D

  • Annette Quijano - D

  • Verlina Reynolds-Jackson - D

  • Gabriel Rodriguez - D

  • William Sampson - D

  • Gary Schaer - D

  • Gerry Scharfenberger - R

  • Alexander Schnall - D

  • Erik Simonsen - R

  • William Spearman - D

  • Shanique Speight - D

  • Sterley Stanley - D

  • Shavonda Sumter - D

  • Lisa Swain - D

  • Cleopatra Tucker - D

  • Chris Tully - D

  • Michael Venezia - D

  • Anthony Verrelli - D

  • Jay Webber - R

  • Benjie Wimberly - D

Who voted NO

  • Robert Auth - R

  • John Azzariti Jr. - R

  • Rosaura Bagolie – D; Bagolie initially voted yes and later changed to no, posting on social media that the board “did not reflect my correct vote.”

  • David Bailey – D; Bailey initially voted yes and later changed to no.

  • Al Barlas - R

  • Christian Barranco - R

  • Brian Bergen - R

  • Alixon Collazos-Gill - D

  • Herb Conaway - D

  • Christopher DePhillips - R

  • Mitchelle Drulis - D

  • Aura Dunn - R

  • Dawn Fantasia - R

  • Roy Freiman - D

  • Donald Guardian - R

  • Michael Inganamort - R

  • Paul Kanitra - R

  • Andrea Katz - D

  • Michele Matsikoudis – R

  • Barbara McCann Stamato – D; McCann Stamato initially did not vote and later changed her vote to no, citing a clerical error.

  • Gregory McGuckin - R

  • Carol Murphy - D

  • Erik Peterson - R

  • Brian Rumpf - R

  • Alex Sauickie - R

  • Heather Simmons - D

  • Claire Swift - R

  • Michael Torrissi - R

ABSTAIN

  • Gregory Myhre - R

NOT VOTING

  • John Allen – D; Allen was not present

  • Clinton Calabrese – D; Calabrese was not present

  • Robert Clifton – R; Clifton was not present

  • Wayne DeAngelo - D

  • Shama Haider – D; Haider was not present

  • Tennille McCoy - D

  • Nancy Muñoz – R; Muñoz was not present

  • Ellen Park - D

  • Jessica Ramirez - D; Ramirez was not present

Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehosue. Email: sobko@northjersey.com

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ Legislature hobbles OPRA: How they voted