North Carolina Democratic lawmakers propose a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right of access to public records and meetings — a direct challenge to last year’s law that exempted lawmakers from the state’s public records law.
The proposed amendment comes as a response to a provision lawmakers added to last year’s state budget that allows them to hide legislative records from public scrutiny, despite opposition from open government advocates and Democrats.
House Bill 1075 and Senate Bill 911 would add a new section to North Carolina’s constitution specifying that any limitation of access to public records must be narrowly tailored to a protect compelling public interest.
If passed into law, the amendment would be placed on the ballot in November’s general election. Republican leaders are unlikely to take up either measure.