February 7, 2007

Legislators Propose Making Legislature Subject to Open Records Laws

A pair of Republican state legislators have filed legislation that, if passed, would make the state's Open Records Act applicable to the legislature or any legislative committee, subcommittee, or ad hoc committee. State Sen. Bill Ketron, R-Murfreesboro, filed Senate Bill 0222 on Monday, and state Rep. Tom DuBois, R-Columbia, filed the companion House Bill 0437 on Tuesday. You can track the progress of the legislation here.

The legislation has a chance to pass in the Republican-lead Senate, which is more open to openness these days than the House, where House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh generally fights such things.