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Committee hears bill to limit governor's recently recognized "candor" privilege
Summary
Representative Staffman told the committee HB 271 would statutorily limit a common-law "candor" privilege the Montana Supreme Court recently recognized for the governor, preserve existing statutory confidentiality lists, and ease public access to executive-branch records.
Representative Ed Staffman opened House Bill 271 saying it addresses a Supreme Court decision (O'Neil v. Gianforte) that the sponsor said recognized a common-law "candor" privilege for communications between the governor and staff. Staffman said the majority opinion created a cumbersome process for public-records requests and that the Legislature can override common law by statute, preserving constitutionally rooted privacy exceptions and existing statutory confidentiality categories.
Staffman explained the…
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