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Friday, January 16, 2009
Ind. Gov't. - Editorial supports teeth for Open Records Law
From an editorial today in the Evansville Courier & Press:
Indiana state Sen. Beverly Gard, a Republican from Greenfield who has long championed the cause of open government, will try again this year to put teeth in the state's public access law.If every Indiana lawmaker felt as Gard does about the importance of making government records easily available to all citizens of the state, we would have far fewer government doors shut in the faces of Hoosiers.
It was Gard and, from this area, Rep. Russ Stilwell, D-Boonville, who led a successful campaign in 2007 to limit the ability of public officials to hold "serial meetings." That was a shameful tactic used by some officials to legally prevent Indiana residents from attending some meetings of their government boards. * * *
Gard has introduced Senate Bill 232 in the current legislative session. It has been referred to the Committee on Local Government. It would allow a court to assess a civil penalty of up to $1,000 against public officials or employees or the agency itself for refusing to open records or meetings to the public.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on January 16, 2009 09:55 AM
Posted to Indiana Government