Requests for N.J. public records rejected during coronavirus crisis as Murphy administration uses little-known law

NJ.Com ^ | May 17, 2020 | Brent Johnson

[CheshireTheCat]

In 2005, New Jersey enacted a sweeping law called the Emergency Health Powers Act, giving the governor greater authority to take actions to protect Garden State residents during a health crisis.

Gov. Phil Murphy has cited the statute frequently the last two months as he’s issued a series of orders to place the state in near-lockdown to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

But in an unexpected development, some government agencies in Murphy’s administration have also cited the law to reject requests from media outlets seeking public records related to how the state has responded to an outbreak that has killed more than 10,000 residents and caused widespread unemployment.

[CheshireTheCat]

Warning: This or something similar may be true of your state as well.

[conservative98]

Look. He's a dictator. He's a dictator!

[Texas Eagle]

Ah. Once again, demonicRATS keeping solutions to themselves.

[ronnie raygun]

greater authority to take actions to protect Garden State residents during a health crisis.
LIKE NURSING HOMES

[Grampa Dave]

A woman we know, her Mother supposedly died of Corona-19 in a NJ nursing home. She was sent to a hospital with pneumonia, was diagnosed with Corona-19 and sent back to the Nursing home.

There, she basically got Hospice treatment, inject-able morphine and Oxygen for a few days. She died.

Her daughter was told that her mother had signed a DNR and had arranged to be cremated, and had paid for a place for her urn where her dead brother was buried. (none of which was known by the daughter)

The daughter was told by the NH, that there was no use to fly back to NJ, and the service might be held in May.

The daughter has heard nothing so far from the nursing home or the funeral home.

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Warning: This or something similar may be true of your state as well.

[antidemoncrat]

Tyranny of the government strikes again. The cure for this is for the states’ citizens to flood the capitol and shut the state down until these petty tyrants leave in shame.

[proud2beconservativeinNJ]

greater authority to take actions to protect Garden State residents during a health crisis.

LIKE NURSING HOMES

Our state governments, Cuomo and Murphy, certainly had an epic fail in NY and NJ in protecting our vulnerable and elderly in long term care.

The main stream networks, radio and newspapers still report " another (_insert your hometown_) resident has died due to Coronavirus. They do not write "Another nursing home resident has died after contracting the Covid-19 in their NJ/NY nursing home.