>State Senate is pushing a revamped bill to overhaul the state Sunshine Law
The Senate is pushing a revamped bill to overhaul the state Sunshine Law, key lawmakers say.
Bill sponsor state Sen. Loretta Weinberg, D-Bergen, said she’s been paying close attention to reports of elected officials’ prohibited email quorums and ensuing county prosecutors’ investigations.
Weinberg says this session’s proposed overhaul of the Sunshine Law, or Open Public Meetings Act, would increase fines for first violations from $100 — set in 1994 — to thousands of dollars per violation, to generate revenue and force officials and prosecutors to take violations more seriously. It will specify that email and text message quorums are prohibited.
“I’ve had so much input from so many different people and legislators on board, it’s rather dizzying,” Weinberg said Monday. “My feeling about government is if you don’t want it in public, there must be something wrong, except for the obvious sensitive negotiations.” (Rosen, Gannett)
