Somewhere in the fray of year-end business, the state Legislature needs to pass a modest bill that would serve each lawmaker’s constituents and the public interest. It also would help restore a little of the Legislature’s reputation supporting open and responsive government.
To be fair, state lawmakers already approved other useful bills to strengthen the state Open Meeting Law, expand access for audio-visual recording of meetings, and ensure meeting rooms can accommodate all who wish to participate.
The remaining measure would direct public bodies to make copies of documents under discussion at public meetings available to the public ahead of time. The bill passed the Assembly with a bipartisan vote, but got stuck in the Senate committee chaired by the senator who sponsored it. Apparently he heard from critics complaining about the big burden on local bureaucrats…
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