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Sunday, March 05, 2006
Law - Kentucky lawmaker would make legislators' communications private
A story yesterday in the Louisville Courier Journal reported:
FRANKFORT, Ky. -- All e-mails, telephone records and correspondence to and from lawmakers would no longer be public records under a bill filed Monday by state Rep. Rob Wilkey, D-Scottsville.Wilkey said yesterday that House Bill 699 is designed to ensure the privacy of constituents, who sometimes write or call seeking help with personal situations, such as an illness or legal problem.
"It's so we can have open and frank communications with our constituents," he said.
But the Kentucky Press Association is working to defeat the bill, saying it would prevent the public from knowing how lawmakers conduct public business.
Communications such as those Wilkey described -- from private individuals detailing personal information -- already are exempt from disclosure under the state open-records law, said Jon Fleischaker, a lawyer for the press association who represents The Courier-Journal.
Lawmakers must disclose only business communications from people such as government officials, other lawmakers or someone representing a corporation or organization, he said.
"I think it's just another effort at secrecy," Fleischaker said. "E-mails and voice mails are often the only source of information today."
Posted by Marcia Oddi on March 5, 2006 10:27 AM
Posted to General Law Related