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Legislative Alert - HB218 - secret meetings bill update

HB218:

This bill has the effect of nullifying the concept of open government. Your government can decide to place a facility in your back yard and you get to find out after the fact. Between this and SB 5 (giving developers the ability to request that your property be condemned) we see a not so subtle shift of power to developers, eliminating the rights of the citizens who pay the bill for our state government.

Of yes, some will scream that this bill is innocent. Well read the following provision:

C) Records not subject to disclosure pursuant to subparagraph (A) of this paragraph shall become subject to public disclosure once the agency, person, business, or entity publicly announces that the entity or business that is the subject of negotiations will be retained, expanded, or located in the jurisdiction or that negotiations to do so have been terminated or abandoned.∀

Just a few days ago this bill was tabled by the Republican leadership in the Senate. When this happens it is one of two things; 1) the bill is dead for the Session or 2) it is an effort to do some back room wheeling and dealing to try and get the votes needed.

According to the Catoosa Times it appears that the backroom wheeling and dealing is in process. But come to think of it, could you expect any less for a secret meeting bill!

Quoting Republican Senator Jeff Mullis from the Catoosa Times:

.. A proposed law restricting public access to records relating to economic development is poised this week to clear the Georgia Senate after being tabled last week while some controversial aspects were amended.

House Bill 218, which passed the House with a 118-52 vote last month and would keep private any records of local and state projects relating to economic development, was amended Thursday to encompass only state-level projects.

“This would make sure that the good-old-boy deals don’t happen,” said Sen. Jeff Mullis, R-Chickamauga.

Mullis, who chairs the Senate Economic Development and Tourism Committee, said the bill is essential to Georgia’s ability to compete with its neighboring states — all of which have laws restricting access to economic development information — in luring industry.

Senator Mullis now claims that the bill can move forward because they have "limited" the secrecy to only State-level projects. He expects you believe that since it is only state-level secrecy involved that it not affect you:

Duh! Where does he believe that state-level projects are built! This not built is some magic land called the state, they are built in some local area and it might just be your neighboorhood.

This is just the divide and conquer strategy, "it will not affect me so it does not matter if it is bad government!"

He further claims that by making this ambiguous state-level amendment that it will prevent the good-ole-boys deals from occurring. Actually we are more concerned about the good-ole-Atlanta-Chamber boys deals than those at a local level.

We have seen more backroom wheeling and dealing at the State level than local!

We appreciate Mr. Mullis's efforts to address the concerns of the citizens, but this is still bad government. You either have open government as required for our form of government or you don't. This is bad government and deserves to be killed and should not be passed. We are very disappointed in Mr. Mullis and in fact the entire  Republican leadership for pushing a secret meeting bill.

Call your state Senator today and tell them to vote against HB 218 - the secret meeting bill.

Copy of the House substitute bill follows:

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