South Dakota open records bill advances
A bill in South Dakota that would strengthen the open records law advanced through a Senate committee this week (see
story). While there's no guarantee it will make it through, it's another good sign this year that efforts in legislatures nationwide are now focusing on improving access, not just defending against secrecy legislation. The tide has turned, it appears, at least in some ways, probably in response to the growing government secrecy (and fibs) in America since 9/11. Similar to the flurry of open record laws adopted in the late 1960s and early 1970s (civil rights, Vietnam, Watergate), when the government loses the public's trust then the public demands accountability.