CJ Griffin
@CJGriffinEsq
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Media & public interest lawyer. Focus on #OPRA , police transparency, & constitutional rights. Tweets & opinions are my own.
Hackensack, NJ
Joined November 2011
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Pinned Tweet
Sorry
@GovMurphy
there is just ZERO chance that the bill will not lead to more corruption. Stop the gaslighting--it's made it worse.
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More than 25% of black men in Florida cannot vote due to racist justice system & bad voter laws
#ACLULeads
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@bessbell
I loved Bernie and voted for him, but there were definitely some followers who just didn't seem right. Going from Bernie to Trump? Being THAT sexist? Constantly being THAT obsessed with bashing Democrats?
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As I have said before, every lawmaker should be required to take NJ Transit to Trenton every day during budget season. That'd fix the problem in short order
Rail svc has resumed in/out of PSNY and is sub. to up to 90-min. delays due to earlier overhead wire issues and a disabled train in PSNY. Midtown Direct trains are diverted to HOB.
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New rule: Everyone in Trenton must exclusively take NJ Transit for a month. That'll fix the problem real fast.
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@DWS________
It took me 3 seconds on Google to see that Sasha was on a 2-year fellowship set to expire in August, so Katie didn't fire her--she said she had to work remotely until the end.(This was June/July 2022)
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Had a NJ Supreme Court argument yesterday. In rural KS, I wasn’t in HS debate b/c they required girls to wear skirts. I wouldn’t. Now, I’m thankful to live in NJ, with a Judiciary that treats everyone with respect - even women in suits and ties!
Let’s all be kind to one another
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Remember how the police unions argued we shouldn't know the names of cops who receive major discipline because it's mostly just uniform violations? Well, here's some of Jersey City's 2020 major discipline. YIKES! Pass
#S2656
to let us see all IA files!
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@DWS________
She completed her 2-year fellowship; she wasn't fired. She was ordered to work from home the "last few weeks" of it, since she did not follow health policies.
I wish folks would just google rather than believing fake accounts.
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Isn't it weird that the GOP hasn't pounced on the Norcross stuff? They are fairly silent on the Menendez trial too. And, though most voted against it, they never made the OPRA bill an issue for Dems
All these things are easy political scores, so the silence is striking
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Yup. I’ve been doing this for a decade+ b/c I believe gov’t transparency is vital to democracy. I’ve represented the press & public in some of the most important OPRA cases, making police records public etc. Sued the last admin, current admin, & will sue the next
#SaveOPRA
I have some thoughts about whether the men pushing this bill would be this mad about OPRA if it wasn’t a gay woman cleaning their clock in court every time they illegally withhold public records.
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.
@NJMonitor
and I received “Making Democracy Work” awards last night from
@LWVNJ
. It felt so great to be in a room full of people so committed to promoting our democracy
Folks were also very angry about the OPRA bill and hopeful that
@GovMurphy
will veto!
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@GovMurphy
@jeanmikle
I’m sorry, but I don’t think there should be TEASERS during a crisis. This isn’t a reality show reveal. Spill the beans. We are all on edge as is.
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NJ Leg on the Line: We need a very, very slow, thoughtful process that studies what other states do and involves the public.
NJ Leg on OPRA: Hurry and gut the damned thing!
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Whether he likes it or not, his legacy is going to be defined as the governor who was far too secretive during COVID and who gutted our election transparency laws and eviscerated OPRA....Period. Full stop.
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Cops in NJ will no longer be able to stop drivers for plate frame violations like this, where only a small portion of “Garden State” is covered, per today’s Supreme Court ruling.
100K+ people have been stopped per year for this—disproportionately POC drivers.
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@StevenFulop
@NYGovCuomo
Time to cross Maritime Parc off my dining list. If a restaurant doesn't comply with COVID rules, it makes me too worried that they ignore other health and safety regulations too.
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Because it's what I do, I'll break down Murphy's cowardly signing statement in this thread (in no particular order): 🧵(Gonna release tweets as I go since reporters are writing stories)
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As we focus on policing, note that BY LAW the NJ State Police must publish biannual data on traffic stops so we can identify racism. They are YEARS behind!
Our AG says he is committed to transparency and fixing policing, but SP is under his watch.
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Hard to write about any corruption story without reminding the public that Gov Murphy & the Leg just signed the OPRA bill to make politicians less transparent and accountable
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Story pitch: the commuters who got written up, fired, missed job interviews, etc because NJ doesn't fund NJ Transit and delays are a daily thing
Rail svc has resumed in/out of PSNY and is sub. to up to 90-min. delays due to earlier overhead wire issues and a disabled train in PSNY. Midtown Direct trains are diverted to HOB.
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@Josh4Jersey
@StevenFulop
Not defending Fulop, but good people change their minds on things when they realize their positions were wrong, ill-advised, etc
But you're still dug in on bad positions. Please "flip flop"
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Politicians cling to their offices like they belong to them, but those offices belong to the public.
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The number of emails/texts I've gotten from people who are utterly shocked that
@GovMurphy
would sign this bill - wowza. A whole lotta, like me, assumed he was a good guy who wouldn't do such a thing and had faith that the worst he'd do was a conditional veto
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When
@GovMurphy
says mayors are reaching out about the OPRA bill, is it
Vauss, who sued an 82 yr old for filing OPRAs & Irvington is subject of bad comptroller report?
Bonaccorso, of Clark, who was criminally charged w falsifying records & caught on tape saying the N Word? 1/
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Folks seem to agree. It was bad that Murphy failed us & signed the bill, caving to all the mayors who violate OPRA nonstop
What made it far worse is the gaslighting written/verbal statements he made defending it
Whoever recommended that move to him, bad advice! Folks are maaad
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What's more New Jersey than dropping a bill to gut the Open Public Records Act on the same day that yet another superseding indictment is filed against our U.S. Senator?
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C'mon
@GovMurphy
. NJLEG is setting you up to be a hero or a villain to 81% of voters who are against this bill
Sign it, stain your legacy & put our press & democracy in peril
Veto it, become the Gov who saved OPRA & Democracy!
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In a year’s time, the Legislature:
- passed the “Elections Transparency Act”, which dismissed pending complaints against lawmakers
- gave themselves huge pay raises for their part-time jobs
- gutted OPRA
And
@GovMurphy
was right there with them, signing it all into law
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Evidently something is happening involving birds, sports, and Jersey.
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Thank you to all the advocacy groups, reporters, and regular folks who called, tweeted, testified, protested. I know you're all sad
These records belong to us. It's sad these self-interested politicians got their way. But ultimately, we pay their salaries and can fire them.
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The irony of appointing someone who was the subject of testimony during the Menendez trial. Former AG Grewal said Helmy also tried to influence a prosecution and that it was “gross”
BREAKING: Gov. Phil Murphy will appoint George Helmy, his former chief of staff, to the U.S. Senate to replace Bob Menendez.
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Yikes, when you put it this way, I guess there was zero hope that Murphy would veto the OPRA bill. Secrecy and silencing is part of the brand (which I should have known given how hard it has been for reporters to get records from the state)
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Language matters and this column really nails how police departments describe the public's conduct differently than their own....
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@wildstein
@mayorstack
I like that
@mayorstack
doesn’t take his office for granted—he works for votes even when there’s no chance he could lose. Voters deserve that engagement!
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Thanks
@amazonatty
for my new shirt! So thankful for your friendship over the years and all the teaming up on police transparency! ❤️
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To do:
1- Ask Murphy to veto: 209-292-6000
2- Support reporting: Donate to nonprofit news like
@NJMonitor
@jerseyvindy
; subscribe to NJ papers
3- Donate to orgs who lobbied against the bill like
@ACLUNJ
@LWVNJ
@NJWFP
@NJCitizenAction
@Action2getherNJ
4- Remember; vote
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To everyone who bashes “gadflies”…our media is decimated. The reporters are *amazing* but there aren’t enough. So “gadflies” play a key role in showing up to meetings, demanding answers, requesting documents, and sending tips of “funny business” to reporters.
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I'm sorry, this just isn't a credible statement
@GovMurphy
. You're making your legacy worse.
.
@GovMurphy
: "If I believed that this bill would enable corruption in any way, I would unhesitatingly veto it ... I have sought not only to lead an administration free from corruption, but also to speak out against it in all of its forms."
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The Supreme Court said that videos of shootings should be released within a few days of an incident. The AG issued a directive extending that timeframe. We deserve transparency
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The League of Municipalities sent out an OPRA resolution for towns to pass. Bradley Beach was set to pass it, but the Council actually read it, thought it was garbage, and amended the resolution to ask
@GovMurphy
to VETO the bill
Residents demanded it!
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NJ being spotlighted for anti-transparency along with Louisiana and Utah. Great job
@GovMurphy
!
These experts in transparency laws tell it like it is:
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I’m at the Bar Conference. I have had soooo many former adversaries who represent agencies come up and say they are shocked by this bill and how it guts transparency. Everyone agrees this bill doesn’t even address the legit issues with OPRA and is nothing but harmful.
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Murphy should veto the entire OPRA bill - it's sloppy & creates dangerous secrecy. 81% oppose. But if he conditionally vetoes, here's my bare minimum of what must come out:
1) The fee-shift gut. It is the only thing that makes agencies comply...media needs it to do their jobs
Despite overwhelming public outcry, the NJ Legislature passed legislation to gut OPRA. Now it's up to Governor Murphy to
#ProtectOPRA
. Call the Governor at 609-292-6000 and ask him to veto S2930/A4045.
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Maybe New Jersey should legalize marijuana ASAP to fill the hole in the budget...in addition to stopping 35k arrests this year.
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A big reason why politicians can introduce and pass horrible bills is because the press is so diminished that they can do so without a large swath of the public ever reading about it. We really need to figure out our media crisis before our democracy dies altogether.
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Politico gets it:
Hard to write about any corruption story without reminding the public that Gov Murphy & the Leg just signed the OPRA bill to make politicians less transparent and accountable
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A LOT of people are disillusioned right now; those voting yes should be prepared for election losses. We must focus on getting the next Gov and the folks in the Leg who replace by this current bunch to pass a strong bill that reverses this gut & instead expands OPRA
#LongGame
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Plainfield mayor today: "OPRA cost us too much"
Also Plainfield:
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@StevenFulop
Umm, the voters had no other choice in the primary because no one challenged him. Which was clearly a big mistake
We don’t have to be like the GOP and stand behind someone even when we know they are unfit.
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👏👏
@AndyKimNJ
comes out against S2930/A4505 and gutting OPRA. What say you
@TammyMurphyNJ
? Where do you stand on transparency and this bill?
I recount this in hopes that transparency brings about needed change. We need transparency across our state and country. For instance I’m concerned by recent reporting of proposed changes to OPRA that would restrict transparency in our state gov. 8/10
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My partner woke up unusually early this weekend. I was still sleeping but sorta stirred when she got up. She asked if I had any dreams and I evidently uttered, “file an OPRA request.”
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Some lawmakers keep saying we need to “read the bill”
We have read it! It exempts: metadata, email logs, and makes extremely difficult to get emails, complaints, etc. It codifies all sorts of obstacles to access. And it guts the enforcement mechanism (fee shifting)
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I’m glad folks are starting to reveal this is what was going on. How dare legislative leadership threaten school funding, especially to get votes for a bill that the public loathes and that threatens our democracy. I hope
@GovMurphy
stands up to this and plays hardball for OPRA!
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They don't like my cases - you know, the ones that gave us all access to:
- use of force reports
- dash & body cams
-names of cops who kill people
-police disciplinary agreements
-police IA files
-subpoenas for newborn baby blood
-video of cops bragging about brutality
(cont'd)
Someone said I was singled out in caucus--they hate a woman who stands up to them and debunks every lie
But, dudes, I run a pro bono center. I already do hundreds of hours of OPRA pro bono work each year--I'll do more to keep you in check.
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For years, the League has called for an OPRA Study Commission. I think 100+ municipalities passed it. Let's do it
@SenPresScutari
@SpeakerCoughlin
- pull these bad OPRA bills, form a fair commission, and let's legislate based on FACTS and input! The League can't possibly object!
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When a lawmaker says, “that’s not our intent” or “that’s not what we mean” - doesn’t matter. All that matters is the plain language of the bill. If it’s unclear or can be interpreted another way, they must fix it. Courts only read the law, not the minds of lawmakers
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Whole lotta politicians on this platform this Memorial Day who are thanking those who sacrificed for our freedoms, all while they just voted to gut OPRA and undermine our democracy two weeks ago.
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When a town whines about 2-3 OPRA requests a month, I LOL
But it's also sad. OPRA requests = civic engagement, participatory democracy, better govt
Many politicians don't want any civic engagement, which is why they want to gut OPRA & make it so hard to attend public meetings
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Can you imagine the treasure trove we'd find if we could OPRA the emails of legislators?
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The Force Report was 72k+ public records, obtained via
#OPRA
. It was powerful reporting that changed the law!
Sometimes you have to request MANY records to tell a story, to expose, to oversee
Stop demonizing “voluminous requests” & those who use OPRA
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They’re called *public* records for a reason — they belong to us!
Agencies are the just custodians of our records
The Legislature shouldn’t gut the law that gives us access to our own records.
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This bill to gut OPRA will likely pass. It’s time to bust out the big guns: in addition to asking you to contact lawmakers, I’ve once again put up my
@Oprah
altar and am asking her to save OPRA. (Worked last time!)
Dear Leg: we will give you a do over. Pull the bills, start anew
🚨URGENT UPDATE🚨: This anti-transparency bill is moving FAST. Both the Senate and Assembly have scheduled committee hearings for this coming Monday (March 11) and we need you to act now.
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All I’ll say is that there are definitely more things to report, and reporters should keep digging until they find someone who will spill the beans…
The inside story of how N.J. and its governor gutted an important law
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If all you're reporting is that a Dem-org backed candidate won, but not comparing the margins of victory to pre-Line elections...then you're not reporting the whole story. I want to see the comparisons, as do others
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There's no reason that council meetings aren't live-streamed. The Legislature should amend OPMA to require virtual streaming and participation. It's 2022 and the pandemic proved its easy to do.
But many cities dislike folks being in the know...
Were this many police needed for this week's
@JerseyCity
council meet? If part of the issue is capacity in chambers then it's a great argument for virtual (in addition to in-person) access to city council meetings. Mayor
@StevenFulop
can make this happen with a snap.
@Amy_DeGise
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🚨🚨 Now they have Republicans out there touting the OPRA bill that 81% of the public opposes. Major warning sign that this will be a bipartisan effort to gut transparency to serve the League/towns over the objections of the People
STREAMING NOW. Sen.
@tonybucco
on the virtues of "the line," and how the
#OPRA
reform process is definitely gonna be transparent. Plus, the panel on everything else this week.
@NancySolomon2
@spsullivan
@colleenodea
.
@MyNJPBS
@NJSpotlightNews
@DavidCruzNJ
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The entire OPRA bill was the result of a disinformation campaign by local governments and their lobbyists
Please veto the Sarlo Secrecy/Danielsen Darkness Bill,
@GovMurphy
! Democracy depends on you!
The Eastampton clerk twice came to the Statehouse last week to gripe that requestors are harassing clerk’s offices with OPRA requests. I asked for their OPRA log and it says they’ve had 74 OPRA requests this year. That’s less than one per business day.
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There sure are a lot of fully grown men throwing temper tantrums right now.
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Rather than subscribing to national newspapers (Times, WaPo, etc), subscribe to local newspapers covering what’s happening here in NJ and donate to local digital publications and blogs.
News isn’t free. Subscriptions pay the salaries of reporters and we need a lot more
A big reason why politicians can introduce and pass horrible bills is because the press is so diminished that they can do so without a large swath of the public ever reading about it. We really need to figure out our media crisis before our democracy dies altogether.
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Dear Democrats: The voters did you a favor by voting you into office. Don't blow the good will by gutting the public's right to monitor their government. Expand OPRA!
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Instead of seeing a lot of OPRA requests as a burden, see it as the public hungry for information and wanting to participate in democracy.
If you're anti-OPRA, you're anti-democracy.
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Last night I lit a candle and asked Oprah to protect OPRA. Today I’m told the bills won’t get a hearing this week!
Phew, but keep the pressure on!
(No, I don’t have an Oprah altar…but I love her and had the materials to throw one together quickly!)
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When can you get 80%+ of people to agree on ANYTHING in these polarized times?
The opposition to the OPRA bill is massive & includes folks of all political stripes & backgrounds. They have memories, they vote, they mobilize
"Keep your government hands off our public records"
This just in: An overwhelming majority of New Jersey voters oppose proposed changes to the Open Public Records Act.
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Woo! So many people are calling there’s now a wait time…so if you call, you may have to wait 10 mins. But then the actual speaking to a human takes just 15 seconds!
Worth the short wait to save OPRA!
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Is there a Democratic candidate for Governor who will pledge to keep Kevin Walsh on as Comptroller? Because that'd earn you applause...
Tensions grow between N.J. state watchdog and the pols under his scrutiny — "In New Jersey, where good governance is not always the norm, you need a strong comptroller to say to people in power at all levels that they will be held accountable."
@njmonitor
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I’ve never represented myself, but I have represented numerous reporters/newspapers/nonprofits/residents and have litigated many of the most important OPRA cases
They just don’t like someone who has the expertise & gumption to call out their blatant misinformation
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Good grief you guys. In Michigan, a bipartisan bill is moving to make the legislature subject to the public records law. Here in NJ, our Legislature -- which is exempt from OPRA--is moving to gut OPRA, with bipartisan support.
Two bipartisan bills in Michigan could expand the state’s Freedom of Information Act to allow requests for documents in the governor’s office and the state legislature.
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Who is printing the "With fear for our democracy, I dissent" shirts and signs?
Sadly, it applies to way too many actions by government institutions lately, including those here in NJ.
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Folks, it's more important than ever that we support
@NJComptroller
. By gutting OPRA, it leaves him as our primary watchdog.
They're coming for him next...
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Personally, I'm adding the 2025 & 2027 election cycle dates to my e-calendar with a list of those who vote yes so that I don't forget.
Let me be clear:
Don’t be surprised if Assemblymembers lose their seats next year if they vote yes on the bill to gut OPRA.
The government might try to end transparency, but we are being transparent and clear about the political consequences.
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Former Gov
@jim_mcgreevey
signed OPRA into law in 2002– a bipartisan bill with zero no votes 👏
Now another Dem Governor,
@GovMurphy
, is set to gut it without any data to support the false claims the Leauge makes 👎
A much smarter approach is a
#NJSunshineCommission
🌞
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Think about the number of corruption cases, as well as the gazillion dollars in fraud and waste the Comptroller has found, the past twenty years. All that despite OPRA. Now think of what the next 20 years with look like without a strong enforcement mechanism for OPRA
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They're called "public records" because they belong to the *public* -- yet, those in power are shielding more and more records from us. The secrecy is alarming.
Pay attention and demand vast transparency from government and all politicians (no matter which party you support)!
Lawmakers have been weakening OPRA, NJ's law that protects public access to govt records —“We’re at a critical mass where so many people are apathetic, unreliable voters, and government does what they please. This is the only tool we have to fight that.”
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Hey
@StevenFulop
and
@rasjbaraka
will you be testifying against the bills to gut OPRA tomorrow?
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Back to the anger stage of grief over OPRA.
@terrencemcd
's bio showed up in a google alert today. Can you believe
@GovMurphy
listened to mayors who want secrecy and then suggested that Terrence's obituary for OPRA was "offensive?"
Those who use OPRA are the experts in it
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Folks, they're gonna pass the OPRA bill. So we must keep calling, emailing, etc
Also, let your local town council & mayor know you're against this bill. Why? Because they (and the League of towns) are the ones who are demanding that the Leg rush this bill to gut OPRA.
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Sigh, New Jersey's OPRA "updates" were so bad we get scorn from Kentucky...
Happens in NJ too--council members texting each other during a meeting
You could get those texts by simply saying you want the messages Councilmember X sent during the meeting
Under the OPRA bill, you can't get them because you must know the "specific subject" of the texts
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🌞Let the Sun Shine 🌞
The Legislature should listen to the people: 81% do not want them to pass the OPRA bill
This is not a partisan issue. Everyone hates government secrecy and wants the Leg to leave our public records access alone
New numbers on public support for changes to OPRA: 81% oppose.
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