On April 17, 2010, the Express-Times published an article on Warren County school board's refusal to publicize its meeting agendas until ten minutes before the start of the meeting. I am quoted in the article as a representative of the New Jersey Libertarian Party.
"When you announce your agenda in advance, it gives people an opportunity to research the issues and come to the meeting prepared with cogent comments and questions," said John Paff, who chairs the New Jersey Libertarian Party's Open Government Advocacy Project.
"The way they're doing it ... transforms the citizens from participants to observers," he said.
This school board's position underscores the need for Senate Bill No. 1351, introduced by Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-37) and Assembly Bill No. 2322. an identical bill introduced by Assemblyman Gordon M. Johnson (D-37).
S-1351/A-2322 will, among other things, require public bodies to publicize a meeting's agenda at least three business days prior to the meeting and prohibit matters not on the published agenda from being discussed or acted upon unless the prerequisites for holding an emergency meeting have been met.
Please take the time to forward this article to your Senate and General Assembly representative with a request that they cosponsor S-1351/A-2322.