Bill to ‘Repeal’ Public Records Law Moves Forward in Louisiana Senate

An effort to dramatically reduce access to most public records at all levels of government in Louisiana is one step closer to reality. State Senator Heather Cloud, R-Turkey Creek, sponsored Senate Bill 482, saying she fears what might happen with public safety if the public had access to the state’s deliberative records. But critics counter that these are, by definition, public records that the public can already access. Cloud has defended SB482 for the ability it would provide for public employees to voice their concerns without fear of reprisals, including possible retaliation against them for speaking out. The measure also spells out the need to protect records that involve security for the governor or his family.
Lawmakers on a Senate panel approved SB482, despite strong opposition to the proposed legislation. According to reports by Louisiana Public Radio, including one from reporter Molly Ryan, critics of the bill included news media and good-government groups. First Amendment lawyer, Scott Sternberg, called the proposal “a repeal of the public records law.”
The bill heads next to the full Senate. Senator Cloud says she will look to make the bill more narrow before bringing it to the floor. The committee also advanced a bill to require identification checks to request public records. That bill also heads next to the full Senate.