H.B. 122 takes a turn...
From our woman on The Hill, Cathy McKitrick:
A bill that would restrict public access to some government records, cleared the Senate Government Operations Committee on Tuesday after significant changes were made.
"The measure originally sought to prevent the balancing test" weighing public access vs. privacy interests, said Jeff Hunt, an attorney representing the Utah Media Coalition. The coalition initially opposed HB122, which is sponsored by Rep. Douglas Aagard, R-Kaysville, and backed by state Attorney General Mark Shurtleff.
When a government record is classified as protected or private, someone can argue that the public benefit of disclosing the information outweighs the need for privacy.
After reaching consensus on new language for the bill Monday, Hunt said he is on board with what he views as a fair compromise.
"We had frank discussions that went clear into the night," Hunt said, crediting Shurtleff for hearing the concerns of media and other public interest groups.
The new version of the bill requires that only one category require clear and convincing evidence for disclosure -- namely, records that would jeopardize the life and safety of an individual.
"We feel this compromise gives protection in investigations where a life could be at stake," Shurtleff told committee members Tuesday.
For seven other categories, the requestor would have to prove by a preponderance of the evidence -- or slightly more than 50 percent -- that the records should be made public, Shurtleff said.
The measure moves to the full Senate for further consideration.
A bill that would restrict public access to some government records, cleared the Senate Government Operations Committee on Tuesday after significant changes were made.
"The measure originally sought to prevent the balancing test" weighing public access vs. privacy interests, said Jeff Hunt, an attorney representing the Utah Media Coalition. The coalition initially opposed HB122, which is sponsored by Rep. Douglas Aagard, R-Kaysville, and backed by state Attorney General Mark Shurtleff.
When a government record is classified as protected or private, someone can argue that the public benefit of disclosing the information outweighs the need for privacy.
After reaching consensus on new language for the bill Monday, Hunt said he is on board with what he views as a fair compromise.
"We had frank discussions that went clear into the night," Hunt said, crediting Shurtleff for hearing the concerns of media and other public interest groups.
The new version of the bill requires that only one category require clear and convincing evidence for disclosure -- namely, records that would jeopardize the life and safety of an individual.
"We feel this compromise gives protection in investigations where a life could be at stake," Shurtleff told committee members Tuesday.
For seven other categories, the requestor would have to prove by a preponderance of the evidence -- or slightly more than 50 percent -- that the records should be made public, Shurtleff said.
The measure moves to the full Senate for further consideration.
Labels: GRAMA, Legislature
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