New Jersey lawmakers pass overhaul of state’s open records law

By MIKE CATALINI
Associated Press

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Over jeers of “shame” shouted from the gallery, New Jersey lawmakers have passed legislation to overhaul the state’s open public records law. The move came despite objections from civil rights groups and the state’s press association. The Democrat-led Assembly and Senate passed the legislation that heads now to Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, whose spokesperson declined to comment on the measure. Among the changes included in the legislation is a provision that permits commercial interests to pay up to twice the cost of producing records and language that authorizes agencies to bring a case to state court against requesters determined to be interrupting “government function.”