Bills let sunshine in
Briana Byrd - The Daily Iowan
Issue date: 3/27/08 Section: Metro
If you're feeling left out when it comes to local and state government, those feelings could change if two new "sunshine" bills are passed.
The open-meetings and open-records bills would increase the fines for violating freedom of information laws, give a five-day deadline for public officials to respond to open-records requests, and require that the names of top job finalists be released before the decision is made.
"The goal is for there to be more open meetings to provide sunshine in what happens in government," said Rep. David Jacoby, D-Coralville. "I don't like that it's the state government telling the local government what to do, because we at the state level are not adhering to the same principles."
Johnson County Supervisor Terrence Neuzil agreed, adding that what the Legislature needed to do was "practice what it preaches."
"I used to work in the Iowa Legislature and cannot believe how many deals are being made behind closed doors," he said. "Government is open and for the people. When they go and strategize and call it a caucus, it means they are making decisions behind closed doors."
The number of Iowa public records and open meetings complaints rose from 169 to 282 in four years, according to the 2006 Iowa Ombudsman Report.
Because of this increase in complaints and an attempt to better enforce the law, the two bills were formed, said Rep. Vicki Lensing, D-Iowa City.
"There have been some concerns over the last couple of years - the law was violated usually unintentionally - but it underscores the need for education on openness and enforcement of the law," she said in an e-mail. "Hopefully, the legislation being proposed will help us get there."
A national study, recently conducted by the National Freedom of Information Coalition, gave Iowa and 37 other states failing marks for their response time, appeals, expedited review, fees, and sanctions.
"We looked at other states and the models they have for sunshine laws and tried to come up with something that would work in Iowa," Lensing said.
Neuzil said the very first correspondence he received after being elected was not a letter of congratulations but one about the open-meeting laws. He said he and the other county supervisors take the rule very seriously.
"It has really instilled in county government how sure we are that the decisions we make are open to the public," Neuzil said.
Despite the study's results, he said, as a government official, he and the other supervisors were "willing and able" to give out information upon request.
E-mail DI reporter Briana Byrd at:
briana-byrd@uiowa.edu
The open-meetings and open-records bills would increase the fines for violating freedom of information laws, give a five-day deadline for public officials to respond to open-records requests, and require that the names of top job finalists be released before the decision is made.
"The goal is for there to be more open meetings to provide sunshine in what happens in government," said Rep. David Jacoby, D-Coralville. "I don't like that it's the state government telling the local government what to do, because we at the state level are not adhering to the same principles."
Johnson County Supervisor Terrence Neuzil agreed, adding that what the Legislature needed to do was "practice what it preaches."
"I used to work in the Iowa Legislature and cannot believe how many deals are being made behind closed doors," he said. "Government is open and for the people. When they go and strategize and call it a caucus, it means they are making decisions behind closed doors."
The number of Iowa public records and open meetings complaints rose from 169 to 282 in four years, according to the 2006 Iowa Ombudsman Report.
Because of this increase in complaints and an attempt to better enforce the law, the two bills were formed, said Rep. Vicki Lensing, D-Iowa City.
"There have been some concerns over the last couple of years - the law was violated usually unintentionally - but it underscores the need for education on openness and enforcement of the law," she said in an e-mail. "Hopefully, the legislation being proposed will help us get there."
A national study, recently conducted by the National Freedom of Information Coalition, gave Iowa and 37 other states failing marks for their response time, appeals, expedited review, fees, and sanctions.
"We looked at other states and the models they have for sunshine laws and tried to come up with something that would work in Iowa," Lensing said.
Neuzil said the very first correspondence he received after being elected was not a letter of congratulations but one about the open-meeting laws. He said he and the other county supervisors take the rule very seriously.
"It has really instilled in county government how sure we are that the decisions we make are open to the public," Neuzil said.
Despite the study's results, he said, as a government official, he and the other supervisors were "willing and able" to give out information upon request.
E-mail DI reporter Briana Byrd at:
briana-byrd@uiowa.edu
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