Two of the main pillars of a representative republic are a free press and government transparency. We aren’t doing so well with the free press, and now there is a move in North Carolina to limit government transparency in the State.
On October 4th, The Carolina Journal reported:
On Tuesday, a coalition of media outlets led by the Carolina Journal sent a letter to all North Carolina lawmakers opposing language in the state budget that grants legislators broad discretion as custodians of their own public records, to determine what qualifies as a “public record.” Further, it allows for the destruction of documents lawmakers deem not public records.
“As organizations committed to fostering an informed citizenry and ensuring that government actions are subject to public scrutiny, we believe the ability to access public records is fundamental,” the letter, signed by CJ and the North Carolina Press Association, reads. “Public records provide valuable insights into the legislative process, government decision-making, and the actions of elected officials. They are the cornerstone of government transparency, allowing citizens to hold their representatives accountable and make informed decisions about their governance.”
While the letter outlines many reasons we are alarmed by this measure, it can all be boiled down to one: We just want good government.
The article notes:
On the one hand, lawmakers have been blasted for providing the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations expanded access to documents under its authority to oversee local governments and nongovernment entities that receive state funds. The 42-member committee would have access to records for state contractors or any group dealing in state money.
As the stewards of taxpayer money, lawmakers have an obligation to ensure that our money is spent appropriately. That obligation is part of the commitment they each make to good government.
We look no further that the debacle that is Gov. Roy Cooper’s Office of Resilience and Recovery. Nearly a decade after Hurricanes Florence and Matthew, victims still live in hotels because the office has mismanaged the contracting and rebuild phase. Investigative hearings have yielded little, and lawmakers say that access to documentation is why.
On the other hand, lawmakers are saying their own records face a different test, hence the reason for our opposition. Their records require just as much scrutiny. North Carolinians have the right to know.
Mushrooms are not the only things that grow in darkness.
The article concludes:
The documents held by members of the General Assembly are literally the public record of what happens in North Carolinians’ government. Allowing that information to be shielded from public view perpetuates the skepticism of government that has been building in recent years.
In the coming legislative session, we urge state lawmakers to open public access to records by enshrining the public’s “right to know” through a state constitutional amendment. We need more transparency, not less.