N.J. just weakened its public records law. Heres why advocates are angry at Gov. Murphy. [Video]

Gov. Phil Murphy on Wednesday signed controversial legislation that overhauls New Jersey’s two-decades old public records law, turning back critics who said the fast-tracked measure will weaken transparency and make it harder for citizens to see what their governments are doing.

The Democratic governor acknowledged he was disappointing progressive advocates, including many who have strongly supported him. But he disagreed with concerns that it “will both enable corruption and erode trust in our democracy.”

“If I believed that this bill would enable corruption in any way, I would unhesitatingly veto it,” Murphy said in a signing statement. “I simply reject the idea that those calling for the bill’s passage are part of a nefarious plot to evade transparency and accountability.”