House approves transparency bill

• By MARSHA SHULER
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Jun 23, 2009 - Page: 1A

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The Louisiana House on Monday approved Gov. Bobby Jindal’s bill dealing with the openness of Governor’s Office records with one of his chief legislative leaders joining critics deeming it unacceptable for its lack of transparency.

House Speaker Jim Tucker, R-Terrytown, said the proposed law would continue exceptions from the public records law that are in existence today that have not served the public well.

“The existing law gives the executive branch too much coverage,” said Tucker. “We may have avoided a great deal of embarrassment for this state” if there had been more transparency, he said.

Transparency in government has been Jindal’s mantra as he campaigned for office and during his administration.

Tucker proposed making all Governor’s Office records public then giving the governor the same limited “privilege” legislators enjoy for secrecy.

“It’s not a slap,” Tucker said. “This is about good policy. This is about the right policy for the people of this state and for transparency.”

The House rejected the amendment under heavy administration lobbying, with 46 representatives voting for the change while 50 voted against it.

A short time later, the House voted 62-41 for Senate Bill 278 which now returns to the Senate for concurrence in House committee changes.

State Rep. Anthony Ligi, R-Metairie, said the legislation would take a step forward in the release of Governor’s Office records which are mostly off-limits today.

Ligi noted numerous times that the proposed legislation represented a compromise with the Louisiana Press Association which called it “a step in the right direction.”

He acknowledged opposition from the state’s two largest newspapers, The Advocate and The Times Picayune.

Ligi said there has been a public records exception for Governor’s Office records for 69 years. Jindal’s legislation would end that broad exception, said Ligi.

Under the bill, records would be off-limits that deal with “the deliberative process of the governor, intra-office communications of the governor and his internal staff, the governor’s security and schedule” as well as those dealing with their spouse and children.