Bramnick proposes mandated legislator town hall meetings

State Sen. Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield) is proposing legislation that would require every New Jersey lawmaker to hold at least two public town hall meetings each year.

Under Bramnick’s bill, every state senator and assembly member must hold at least two town hall meetings annually, with at least one in their district.  The meetings would be designed to allow constituents and other members of the public to comment on public issues and ask questions directly of their elected representatives.

The legislation would require town halls to be open to the public and provide at least one hour for public questions and comments. Joint town halls involving four or more legislators would be required to last at least two hours.

Bramnick said the measure is intended to improve transparency and accountability in state government by creating a regular forum for direct interaction between lawmakers and the people they serve.  The bill would also require legislators to provide public notice of each town hall meeting at least seven days in advance.

He held his first town hall meeting last month in Westfield and has another set for June 23 in Summit – both swing towns in the 21st legislative district.

In a draft of the bill reviewed by the New Jersey Globe, Bramnick argued that New Jersey residents currently have opportunities to address county commissioners and municipal governing bodies during public meetings but lack a comparable forum to engage directly with state legislators. The town hall requirement, he said, would help bridge that gap.

The proposal does not include a penalty for legislators who fail to hold town hall meetings.