the staff of the Ridgewood blog
In a recent survey conducted by Fairleigh Dickinson University, it was revealed that a large majority of registered New Jersey voters are in favor of maintaining the state’s Open Public Records Act (OPRA) as it currently stands.
The OPRA system is facing potential changes with a bill making its way through the Legislature, having cleared committee in the state Senate and awaiting further amendments before being presented to the Assembly committee.
According to the FDU poll, 81% of respondents expressed support for keeping the OPRA system unchanged, while approximately 14% favored implementing the proposed changes. This widespread opposition to the bill was noted by Dan Cassino, a government and politics professor at FDU and the director of the poll, who emphasized that individuals across various demographics, including Republicans, Democrats, and people of different age groups and ethnic backgrounds, overwhelmingly reject the proposed alterations.
Although slightly more Democrats (15%) than Republicans (11%) were in favor of the changes, Black voters showed the highest level of support among racial and ethnic groups, with 25% expressing approval. Geographically, urban core counties exhibited higher support for the changes (18%), whereas the Jersey Shore region showed the lowest support at 10%.
Cassino noted that supporters of the OPRA overhaul may face challenges in garnering public support, as the survey results indicate widespread opposition among New Jersey voters. He suggested that if proponents believe public sentiment would shift with greater awareness of the bill’s contents, they would need to undertake significant efforts to explain and justify their proposals.
The FDU poll, conducted between April 1 and 8, surveyed 809 registered voters in New Jersey using a voter list of adult residents. Respondents were selected randomly and contacted via live-caller telephone interviews or text-to-web surveys.
Meanwhile, the legislation in question has stirred controversy since its introduction last month. While it cleared committee in the state Senate, it was held from consideration at an Assembly Appropriations Committee meeting. Critics, including good government and advocacy groups, argue that the bill would undermine the integrity of New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act.
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