Weinberg Bill Would Bar Officials From Texting During Public Meetings
Teaneck senator pushes upgrades to state’s public meeting and records laws.
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Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg and Senate President Steve Sweeney renewed their call Thursday for a set of reforms to the state’s open government laws, including a measure preventing officials from texting during public meetings and requiring agencies to put more information online.
Weinberg and Sweeney said the bills would upgrade transparency laws that are more than a decade old.
“These bills are only intended to modernize and strengthen the existing open government laws on the books, and public officials at all levels should already be doing their best to fulfill their obligations to be accountable to the taxpaying public,” Weinberg said in a statement.
The senator said she would also seek to reform the Government Records Council, which handles public records complaints. Under Weinberg’s proposal, members of the governor’s cabinet would be booted from the GRC and the senate president and assembly speaker would each appoint a member to the council.
“At its best, the GRC is inept; at its worst, the GRC is obstructionist, employing the same closed-door tactics that erode people’s faith in government,” Weinberg said.
Weinberg said some local and county governments have objected to the reforms. The League of Municipalities has raised concerns over costs. Local officials have also argued they already follow some elements of Weinberg's bill.
Other provisions include requiring meeting minutes to be made public within 45 days and bring independent and quasi-government agencies under public meetings laws. The bill would also require agencies to explain reasons for blacking out information in public records requests and allow requests to be made without the official form.
Groups including the New Jersey Press Association and New Jersey ACLU back the proposed changes.
A spokesman for Gov. Chris Christie, however, said the legislators were pushing a double-standard.
"...It's always amusing that the Legislature preaches transparency while it exempts itself from things like financial and conflicts of interest disclosure. And even OPRA,” Christie Press Secretary Michael Drewniak told the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Both bills, S1452 and S1451, were approved by the Senate State Government Committee and are pending before the budget committee.
John Q.
10:42 am on Friday, June 15, 2012
Another useless Weinberg proposal.
Wonder if this old batalack ever passed a note to someone during a meeting.
Liberalism is a mental disorder.
Peter Adler
11:44 am on Friday, June 15, 2012
Shame on you!
Wayne's World
11:53 am on Friday, June 15, 2012
JohnQ - You are a Michael Savage listener? I love that crazy loon. He makes no sense whatsoever and is a bombastic doomsdayer, but I love his batsh#t crazy talk on the radio...too bad lots of people can't differentiate serious political talk from entertainment. Rush, Hannity, Savage = entertainment; Levin = serious political philosophy. The problem with all of these talking heads is that it's all propaganda all the time instead of thoughtful discussion of the issues. Just to balance things out I listen to liberal radio on Sirius XM - those hosts don't hold a candle to the above intellectually and are actually MORE propagandist if that is at all possible. Collectively, this is a major detrimental effect on the electorate as many people just regurgitate this crap and have no thought of their own. Clearly by the ratings the American people have an apetite for political talk radio and are interested in the issues of the day - would be nice to have even just ONE talk show host who could intelligently debate issues in a fair-minded way.
William Mays
3:59 pm on Friday, June 15, 2012
Screw politicians, if you want real entertaining radio, Howard Stern is where its at.
Bertha
5:42 pm on Friday, June 15, 2012
Dear John Q.
The term is battle ax. You are lame. And wrong about Senator Weinberg.
Peter Adler
11:43 am on Friday, June 15, 2012
Thanks Loretta, you always hit the nail on the head. Attended a Planning Board meeting the other night and tried to count how many board members were busy texting. Most disturbing to see their lack of attention.
stewart resmer
1:01 pm on Friday, June 15, 2012
Many states already have this law on the books, we hold regular scheduled public meetings for a reason, so as to discuss the issues in an open and forthright manner and present them to the People, texting is a private communication, ergo it is public business being kept away from the public, Miss Weiberg is correct.
Any one who opposes this measure, is against full disclosure.
CD Cantelli
1:52 pm on Friday, June 15, 2012
Instead of worrying about useless things, maybe she should concern herself with why her committee turned down TWO qualified candidates to the court
William Mays
4:04 pm on Friday, June 15, 2012
I don't know about the other guy, but Philip Kwon's mother had legal problems, and he used to be a registered Republican. The other guy was a registered Republican. A pretty big dumb ass too if he's a gay Republican. Oh yeah, lets register with the party that hates their guts. What a moron.
Jack B Goode
9:59 pm on Friday, June 15, 2012
I just came back to earth from Jupiter. Does being a Republican disqualify one from being appointed to the Supreme Court? I know that when the Dems are in power,they only appoint Dems to the Court.
William Mays
11:20 pm on Friday, June 15, 2012
Jack, you expect the Democratic controlled legislature to pretty much guarantee the death of all of their bills by allowing the Supreme Court to become Republican controlled? They have the right to reject Republicans.
LD
11:43 pm on Friday, June 15, 2012
@Jack apparently yes. The candidates were to fill Justice Soto's seat and he was a Republican, so the replacement should be a republican.
William Mays
11:44 pm on Friday, June 15, 2012
And if Republicans controlled the legislature, they could put all the Republicans on there that they want, but they aren't going to screw themselves over by nominating a Republican.
Billy Mays
5:50 pm on Saturday, June 30, 2012
What a dumb post. Go back to Jupiter where they obviously love you.
stewart resmer
6:38 am on Saturday, June 16, 2012
Jack? You did NOT say that right?!
SCOTUS that brought us Citizens United where unlimited secret PAC money is now the way we elect people to public office?
This SCOTUS where the majority were all installed by republican presidents?
Puleeezzzzz?
JB07652
4:01 pm on Saturday, June 16, 2012
I have a solution for this runaway problem in our society called TEXTING.
You see it in church, the movies, public meetings and of course behind the wheel of a car.
All this texting activity is due to essentially FREE texting.
Charge $5/message for the 1st 10 messages.
I bet that will stop alot of this rude nonsense.
I still see so many drivers texting and on the phone that this must be one of those laws the cops don't fell like enforcing. If you knew someone who got a $250ticket and points on license would you text behind the wheel?
Nose Wayne
8:27 pm on Saturday, June 16, 2012
Billy,Add extra bucks for how fast they are traveling. Makes it more interesting.
William Mays
10:27 pm on Saturday, June 16, 2012
Again ,thats Milly.
Nose Wayne
10:38 pm on Saturday, June 16, 2012
Billy,Who's Millie ? Sounds like a dilly !!!
Tommy P
8:15 am on Monday, June 18, 2012
During a public meeting, public officials should not be allowed to use ANY communications devices during that public meeting other then those needed to conduct the meeting. Hence the "public" in front of the meeting.
I wonder if the Fair Lawn council will oppose this too. I fear the cost of the dirt that is bound to come out.
Nose Wayne
1:15 pm on Monday, June 18, 2012
Does this mean our Board of Education will have to get rid of those annoying laptops ?
Chris Antonelli
1:29 pm on Monday, June 18, 2012
How about barring former and current education employees from serving on the BOE?
Tommy P
5:07 pm on Monday, June 18, 2012
I can now see why you like to call me a libertarian. Why shouldn't they be able to ask for the people's support? Are they not American enough?
Billy Mays
5:48 pm on Saturday, June 30, 2012
A really stupid idea. If they get enough support and votes they should be able to serve. Dummy.
myrent2damhigh
8:30 am on Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Hey pot is getting legalized. Can they smoke pot instead of texting? Pot growers are our new pharmaceuticals. Pot liegalizing is our state government's idea of job creating. Roche is closing and roaches are smoking. Where is super stealth garrett when we need him? Where is our overweight, energy glutton Governor? We should put a catalytic converted in his butt and recycle some of that exhaust. Would that work? No disrespect intended. I am just trying to save on taxes. Where are our state senators? Our Congressmen? Where are our senators? Roche is leaving with jobs and not one of them makes a press announcement? Not one of them even fakes indignation? or express sympathy for the 1000 employees loosing their jobs?
Billy Mays
5:47 pm on Saturday, June 30, 2012
What a real stupid post. Be real.
Billy Mays
5:47 pm on Saturday, June 30, 2012
Instead of passing a law preventing officials from texting during public meetings they should pass a law banning texting while driving for everybody.