A14, The Times, Sunday, May 5, 2002

OPINION
EDITORIALS
Right to Know: City Hall signs on

During the long campaign by the New Jersey Press Association and others to broaden New Jersey's law covering access to public records, no organization was a tougher bargainer than the state League of Municipalities. The proposed reform bill under went many revisions because of the League's concerns that it would infringe on citizens' privacy rights, impose excessive penalties on public employees who violated it and increase the costs of local government. In the end, the League was satisfied and the measure was enacted with its endorsement. The new law will become effective July 8. To its credit, the League now is making certain that the people who work for New Jersey's cities, boroughs and townships understand the extensive ways in which the law will broaden the definition of public records and facilitate the ability of citizens to examine them. The League has held three education sessions for elected and appointed officials and civil servants and has scheduled one more for next Friday, with a projected total attendance of 1,200 at all four. To the extent that New Jersey's transition to a new, more open way of government goes smoothly, the League's efforts to prepare its members for it will be largely responsible.

The above editorial was reprinted with permission from the Trenton Times.