BATON ROUGE, La. (WVUE) – Governor Jeff Landry questioned whether Louisiana taxpayers have a right to know how their government makes decisions.
FOX 8 asked him about the bill that would drastically reduce the public's access to government records.
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In an interview, when asked if taxpayers have that right, he compared the right to public records to going to a restaurant.
“Well, listen, that's a great question. Right? They elect us with full confidence that we're going to go out there and solve these problems. When we make decisions, those decisions are made public and they become national policy,” he said.
“But all the decisions you make in advance don't have to be made in person. I'll give you a good example, but when you go to a restaurant, do you go there and watch the cooks make every dish you serve? , you just walk into a restaurant, you think it serves great food, and you order that great meal, and you don't know how and what the chef put in it and where he got the ingredients. , you don't want to know how many people were involved in the cooking. All you care about is good food. That's what the people of this state want, and they want their elected representatives. We want you to get out there and solve the problem, and this bill will help us do that.”
The bill, introduced by Sen. Heather Cloud (R-Turkey Creek), would allow the government to withhold records on how decisions are made. This may include emails, text messages, calendars, or other records related to the decision-making process.
Critics call the bill an attack on transparency.
“The exception to this is the repeal of public records laws. Which documents are not part of the local government's decision-making process? These are our taxes, my taxes,” attorney Scott Sternberg said. He said this at a committee hearing on April 17th.
Landry argued that current records laws are being used as a weapon to authorize “nonsensical” requests to obstruct the government.
“The constant barrage has a chilling effect on the ability of the people to solve the problems they choose,” he said.
FOX 8 asked what records they were particularly concerned about being made public.
He left without answering any questions.
FOX 8 political analyst Mike Sherman said public records are often baffling for public leaders, but they can help improve policy outcomes.
“I used to be a government official and I hated public records requests. I'm sure the governor would and would do that, but it's part of living in a democracy. department,” Sherman said.
“He's clearly trying to limit the amount of public documents that the office has to disclose. He compared it to a chef in the kitchen making a meal. Well, let me tell you, I When I order seafood, I want real Louisiana seafood. I want to know what's in that dish. I don't want that cheap foreign stuff,” Sherman said. .
At least two Republican state senators have suggested the bill needs tweaks before it passes the Senate.
“This bill is pretty extreme. That's why we're seeing pushback from members of Congress who are trying to limit the scope of the bill. I think it might accomplish something, but it's much more limited,” Sherman said. said.
Even if the bill passes the Senate, it would still need to pass the House to make it to Landry's desk.
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