Bill to hide records in Jeff Landry's office from public view dies in Legislature

quote:

---

In a win for advocates of open government, Gov. Jeff Landry's controversial bid to weaken Louisiana's public records law suffered a major blow after a state senator killed a bill Monday that would have blanketed the governor's office in exemptions from freedom-of-information requests.

Sen. Jay Morris, R-West Monroe, said on the Senate floor that he would voluntarily withdraw his Senate Bill 423 after the legislation became dogged by a perception that "everyone is trying to hide something."

"I absolutely do not want to be associated with hiding anything," he said. "A lot of you have expressed to me your concerns about this bill. I have listened carefully."

By exempting such a broad array of governor's office records from the public records law, the bill would have shrouded that office in a blanket of secrecy exceeding even that of former Gov. Bobby Jindal, who enjoyed protections on records that contributed to his staff's decision-making. Morris' bill would also have required people who file requests to be Louisiana citizens and to prove their residency.

That legislation was cast by Senate President Cameron Henry last week as a "compromise" amid outcry over an even more aggressive measure, SB 482, which would have barred from public access records at all levels of government — from police stations and school boards all the way up to the governor's mansion — involved in government decision-making.

---