Louisiana state senator wants more transparent governor's office

The state law that controls the applicability of public-records laws to the Louisiana governor’s office has been amended several times in the past few years and some state senators say it’s moving in the wrong direction, The (Baton Rouge) Advocate reported.

Gov. Bobby Jindal touts the 2008 and 2009 amendments as proof his office is progressing towards openness, but state Sen. Robert Adley is unconvinced. He argues the amendments actually allow for a broader exemption than before because they exempt records of the office’s deliberative process, which Adley claims can be used to include almost anything the office does.

Adley has proposed a bill that would open all the records of the governor’s office and only keep confidential those for which the office is able to provide reason for nondisclosure. The bill would also define the term "deliberative process" more specifically.