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The sun will come out ... next session

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By Times Staff | Sunday, May 4, 2008 6:22 PM CDT | () comments

From all available information, it appears that an effort to strengthen Iowa’s sunshine laws in the just-completed legislative session was more a victim of politics and timing than legitimate disagreement over the substance of the legislation.

Journalists and proponents of an open government were feeling pretty positive that a bill that would have accomplished, among other things, the creation of an Iowa Public Information Board to enforce the provisions of the law, was headed for passage.

But as things happen in the waning hours and minutes of any legislative session, various maneuvers in both the House and Senate doomed the legislation. Leaders of both parties are blaming the other side.

Any important piece of legislation saved for the last day, much less the final hours, of the session can be subject to the whims of procedure, politics and weary legislators. As it was, several key changes to the sunshine laws were removed in the legislative process, weakening any eventual legislation that would have passed.

Removed were:

Provisions to make subcontracts involving public boards and outside organizations available for public view. This was a direct response to the Central Iowa Employment and Training Consortium, or CIETC, scandal.

A ban on so-called “walking quorums” by government boards. A walking quorum attempts to evade open-meetings laws by discussing public business in a series of conversations without board members present.

We would like to see those provisions returned to future legislation.

The original 50-page bill may have been too much to handle in one session. Backers may be looking toward something less complex in the future.

Bill Monroe, Iowa Newspaper Association executive director, said a significant number of legislators supportive of strengthening public access to government will be returning during the next session. He said there is “good forward momentum” to bring the issue back.

As we’ve editorialized in the past, open government isn’t just for the media. It’s for all of us.

Next session, let’s get this issue wrapped up early so there’s no doubt that the citizens of Iowa will be the winners.