[Vision2020] Open Meetings - Closed!

Fri, 23 Jan 2004 13:25:38 -0800

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It appears that our man Tom Trail has some backbone and hopefully will =
get some attention from the southern Idaho Mafia.

Please let him know your feelings on this important issue.

Dick Schmidt

(Taken from the Spokesman-Review)

Lawmaker stresses openness
Moscow representative says legislators should support state law =
requiring open meetings=20

BOISE _ Idaho lawmakers should step forward and say they support the =
state law that requires their meetings to be open to the public, =
according to Moscow Rep. Tom Trail.=20

"There has been a distressful increase in public distrust of elected =
officials," said Trail, a fourth-term Republican. "Nothing raises flags =
faster than an announcement that what was an open meeting will now be =
restricted."=20

On Thursday, Trail introduced a resolution in the House stating that the =
Legislature affirms the requirements for open meetings as set forth in =
state law, and "directs all levels of government, including committees =
of the Idaho Legislature, to strictly follow the requirements of such =
law."=20

"I've got some constituents who wanted to do this," Trail said. "If =
leadership does not allow this bill to proceed, I think it's up to the =
people to hold 'em accountable. If we get a hearing, we'll have a vote =
up or down."=20

Trail's legislation is a concurrent resolution, HCR 35.=20

Idaho's open meeting law requires all meetings of legislative committees =
to be open to the public. But last week, the resources committees in the =
House and Senate held closed-door meetings to discuss the Snake River =
Adjudication water rights case.=20

Democrats on the Senate committee walked out and refused to participate, =
saying the closed meeting violated the state law and the Idaho =
Constitution, which requires the business of the Legislature to be =
conducted in public.=20

The two secret sessions followed five closed-door meetings legislative =
committees held last year.=20

Trail's resolution says in part, "Open meetings are integral to the =
citizenry's trust in the Idaho Legislature. ... When open meeting laws =
are violated, it creates the appearance that secret deals are being =
concluded behind doors closed to the public and other interested =
parties."=20

Trail said, "In an election year, legislators who don't have a =
commitment to the open meeting act ought to be held accountable."=20

Every seat in the state Legislature is up for election this year.=20

House Speaker Bruce Newcomb, R-Burley, said he doesn't expect Trail's =
bill to go anywhere.=20

"This one, this doesn't mean anything, because the statute can't trump =
rules," Newcomb said. "What you've got to do is have a rule change."=20

Newcomb noted that last spring, lawmakers received an attorney general's =
opinion saying their internal rules, which allow closed meetings in some =
circumstances, supersede the state law. Other attorneys, including those =
for the media, have strongly disagreed.=20

"You can pass all the statutes in the world, but the rules are still =
there," Newcomb said.=20

Newcomb said there are "a lot of these in the pipeline," referring to =
proposals dealing with open or closed legislative meetings.=20

Last week's meetings, he said, were on "attorney-client type stuff, =
which isn't really for public dissemination because of all the parties =
involved. ... That's legit."=20

The Democratic senators who walked out of the closed Senate committee =
meeting met separately with the state Attorney General's Office to be =
briefed on the court case. They said that was more appropriate than =
convening an official closed meeting of a panel that by law is required =
to be open.

.Betsy Z. Russell can be reached toll-free at (866) 336-2854 or by =
e-mail at bzrussell@Rmci.net. Russell is president of the Idaho Press =
Club, which advocates for open meetings and open records.

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<DIV>
It appears that our man Tom Trail has some =
backbone and=20
hopefully will get some attention from the southern Idaho =
Mafia.
Please let him know your feelings on this important issue.
Dick Schmidt
(Taken from the Spokesman-Review)
Lawmaker stresses =
openness <FONT=20
class=3Ddrophead>Moscow representative says legislators should support =
state law=20
requiring open meetings 
BOISE _ Idaho lawmakers should step forward and say they support the =
state=20
law that requires their meetings to be open to the public, according to =
Moscow=20
Rep. Tom Trail.=20
"There has been a distressful increase in public distrust of elected=20
officials," said Trail, a fourth-term Republican. "Nothing raises flags =
faster=20
than an announcement that what was an open meeting will now be =
restricted."=20
On Thursday, Trail introduced a resolution in the House stating that =
the=20
Legislature affirms the requirements for open meetings as set forth in =
state=20
law, and "directs all levels of government, including committees of the =
Idaho=20
Legislature, to strictly follow the requirements of such law."=20
"I've got some constituents who wanted to do this," Trail said. "If=20
leadership does not allow this bill to proceed, I think it's up to the =
people to=20
hold 'em <A name=3DJUMPLINK>accountable. If we get a hearing, we'll have =
a vote up=20
or down."=20
Trail's legislation is a concurrent resolution, HCR 35.=20
Idaho's open meeting law requires all meetings of legislative =
committees to=20
be open to the public. But last week, the resources committees in the =
House and=20
Senate held closed-door meetings to discuss the Snake River Adjudication =
water=20
rights case.=20
Democrats on the Senate committee walked out and refused to =
participate,=20
saying the closed meeting violated the state law and the Idaho =
Constitution,=20
which requires the business of the Legislature to be conducted in =
public.=20
The two secret sessions followed five closed-door meetings =
legislative=20
committees held last year.=20
Trail's resolution says in part, "Open meetings are integral to the=20
citizenry's trust in the Idaho Legislature. ... When open meeting laws =
are=20
violated, it creates the appearance that secret deals are being =
concluded behind=20
doors closed to the public and other interested parties."=20
Trail said, "In an election year, legislators who don't have a =
commitment to=20
the open meeting act ought to be held accountable."=20
Every seat in the state Legislature is up for election this year.=20
House Speaker Bruce Newcomb, R-Burley, said he doesn't expect Trail's =
bill to=20
go anywhere.=20
"This one, this doesn't mean anything, because the statute can't =
trump=20
rules," Newcomb said. "What you've got to do is have a rule change."=20
Newcomb noted that last spring, lawmakers received an attorney =
general's=20
opinion saying their internal rules, which allow closed meetings in some =

circumstances, supersede the state law. Other attorneys, including those =
for the=20
media, have strongly disagreed.=20
"You can pass all the statutes in the world, but the rules are still =
there,"=20
Newcomb said.=20
Newcomb said there are "a lot of these in the pipeline," referring to =

proposals dealing with open or closed legislative meetings.=20
Last week's meetings, he said, were on "attorney-client type stuff, =
which=20
isn't really for public dissemination because of all the parties =
involved. ...=20
That's legit."=20
The Democratic senators who walked out of the closed Senate committee =
meeting=20
met separately with the state Attorney General's Office to be briefed on =
the=20
court case. They said that was more appropriate than convening an =
official=20
closed meeting of a panel that by law is required to be open.
=95Betsy Z. Russell can be reached toll-free at (866) 336-2854 or by =
e-mail at=20
bzrussell@Rmci.net. Russell is president of the Idaho Press Club, which=20
advocates for open meetings and open=20
records.</A></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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