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Two legislative proposals gaining rapid momentum this session could have devastating effects on Louisiana’s public records law. While House Bills 964 and 841 focus on entirely different topics, both have the effect of undermining transparency in government. In 2002, Louisiana ranked among the top five states in granting citizens access to public records, according to […]
Video recordings and Internet video broadcasts of all Senate meetings should be made available to the public online at no charge. An attempt to require this basic open government policy, already in place for the House, failed to pass during the December special session. If the Senate begins now, it could make progress toward improved […]
Increasing the oversight and transparency of state spending in response to the massive influx of federal aid has proven to be a formidable task for the Governor. As the state embarked upon its recovery from the hurricanes of 2005, the administration promised two key tools: independent accounting auditors and a Web site to report federal […]
Consolidation of New Orleans’ seven assessors into a single office ranks high among the meaningful reforms that the legislature must pass this session. New Orleans stands alone in having seven constitutionally-protected assessors, while all other parishes operate with only one. Consolidation of these offices is a good first step toward achieving more uniform assessments, streamlining […]
Records held by a long list of agencies within the governor’s office should be subject to the public records law. The state’s “sunshine laws” are the tools that allow citizens to participate in key public decisions and to hold government accountable. The public records and open meetings laws help ensure that actions taken by public […]
Immediately deploying the resources of the offices of the Legislative Auditor, Inspector General, State Treasurer and Department of Revenue to coordinate and monitor federal disaster assistance to Louisiana was an appropriate response to meet the state’s emergency financial oversight needs. But, a more comprehensive oversight plan with independent components and additional contracting restrictions and requirements […]
The Senate should reject a proposal to keep negotiations between the state and business prospects secret. HB 744 would prevent the public from examining Department of Economic Development (DED) records, regarding negotiations with businesses interested in locating or expanding operations in the state, for up to two years. Proponents argue the proposal is needed because […]