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Bill pre-filed (and withdrawn) on Monday to shield governor records

Louisiana State Capitol
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A bill was pre-filed Monday that would shield the Louisiana Governor's Office from some requirements in the state's public records laws.

The bill - which also was withdrawn on Monday - was pre-filed by State Rep. Michael Melerine, a Caddo Parish Republican.

The bill has now disappeared from the Legislature's website, but BRProud.com posted the following about the bill prior to that:

If passed, House Bill 177, authored by state Rep. Michael Melerine, would exempt the following from public records requests:

  • “the records of the office of the governor relating to the deliberative process of the governor.”
  • “intra-office communications of the governor and his internal staff.”
  • “the governor’s security and schedule or communications with or the security and schedule of the governor’s spouse or children.”

According to the article, the bill also would have kept “all forms of predecisional advice, opinions, deliberations, or recommendations made for the purpose of assisting the governor in the usual course of the duties and business of his office” from ever becoming public record.

To read the rest of the article, with all the details click here.