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Committee votes to concur on bill narrowing scope of executive exemptions
Summary
Senate Judiciary voted to take House Bill 271 from the table and concur in changes intended to narrow the governor’s executive exemptions on privileged communications; senators debated scope and a related Supreme Court matter before approving concurrence.
Senator Ricky moved to take House Bill 271 from the table and to concur on the measure, described in committee as an act revising laws to narrow the scope of executive exemptions and executive privilege for confidential communications and records. Committee discussion referenced a pending Supreme Court matter involving claimed executive privilege over certain records and a request from the Court that the legislature address the scope of privilege.
Senators asked clarifying questions about whether the governor retains individual privacy interest in policy or legislative records; committee members and staff said the bill is intended to confirm that the governor does not have an individual privacy interest in public information pertaining to policy or legislative matters. After roll-call voting (proxies and some absent recorded per committee practice), the committee concurred on House Bill 271 and passed it out of Senate Judiciary. Senator Emerich agreed to carry the bill.
