Open Meetings/Open Records Breezes through Senate

This year’s version of Open Meetings/Open Records reform, HF 777, passed the Senate 35-13 on Wednesday.  Hopefully, the passage of the bill was largely symbolic since Wednesday was Dubuque Night and the champion of OMOR reform was now retired Senator Connolly from Dubuque, who was replaced in the Senate by the floor manager of the bill, Pam Jochum from Dubuque. 

The bill is a strike-and-replace amendment that creates the Iowa Public Information Board. This new board would investigate and resolve complaints of open meetings/open records law. ISAC is opposed to HF 777 for two reasons: the complaint process through the Attorney General’s office and the county attorneys works well, and the new Board will cost in the vicinity of $600,000 per year. ISAC will continue to work with the coalition of interests to kill this bill on the House side.