Senator Hoylman Hails Passage of Bill to Shine Light on Port Authority Records

New York, NY— Today, State Senator Brad Hoylman (D – Manhattan), ranking member of the Senate Investigations and Government Operations Committee, hailed the Senate’s passage of S.6718A to close the loophole that exempts the Port Authority from the New York State’s Freedom of Information Law (FOIL). Senator Hoylman first called for increased transparency of Port Authority records when he introduced the Port Authority Open Government Act (S. 6593) in February to subject the Authority to FOIL and the equivalent Open Public Records Act in New Jersey and co-authored an op ed on the issue.

Senator Hoylman said: “Gone are the days when we will tolerate the Port Authority’s unfettered power to block legitimate requests for government records from the press and public. The Bridgegate scandal has made clear there’s a pressing need for transparency and accountability at the Port Authority in order to help restore the public’s faith in this mammoth authority. I hope that the New York State Assembly will swiftly pass this legislation and bring it to the desk of Governor Cuomo to enshrine the public’s right to know about the Port Authority in state law.”

Senator Hoylman represents New York’s 27th Senate District which encompasses the Port Authority Bus Terminal, five PATH stations, and the entrances to the Lincoln and Holland Tunnel. He has been an outspoken advocate on increasing transparency at the Port Authority New York and New Jersey which has a major impact on the daily lives of New Yorkers and New Jersey residents and is responsible for an $8.2 billion annual operating budget.

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