Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Committee advances amended open-records bill after lengthy debate over "could" vs. "would" standard
Summary
Representative Chris Fugate told the committee House Bill 520 aims to limit public release of records in active law-enforcement investigations until enforcement action is complete, to protect witnesses and ongoing investigations.
Representative Chris Fugate, sponsor of House Bill 520, told the committee the bill—and the committee substitute—addresses when records related to open police investigations may be withheld from public records requests to protect ongoing investigations, witnesses and confidential informants. "This open records request… would keep the open record from being or parts of our investigation from being received from different people or agencies while the investigation is ongoing. It protects the investigation," Fugate said.
Several senators pressed the sponsor and other witnesses about the committee substitute's change of language from "would" to "could." Senator Tishner asked whether the bill amounts to a change to the Open Records Act;…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
