JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Latest on Missouri House rules on open records
(all times local):
1:40 p.m.
Missouri House members have voted against protecting staff from being fired for
being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
House members in a Tuesday voice vote rejected the proposed change to House
internal rules.
Kansas City Democratic Rep. Greg Razer is gay and pushed for the change. He
says that people should not be fired because of their sexual orientation or
gender identity.
Razer told colleagues “your religious views may say we’re going to hell. But we also have the right to have a job.”
Springfield Republican Rep. Curtis Trent raised concerns that adding those
protections for LGBT House staffers could infringe on religious liberty. He said
there needs to be more debate on the issue, and said it shouldn’t be decided in
an internal rule change.
___
1 p.m.
Missouri House members will have the option to make some of their emails
confidential, despite a voter-approved requirement that made their work records
open to the public.
House members in a voice vote approved the change Tuesday as part of a broader
package of internal House rules.
Republican House Majority Leader Rob Vescovo originally proposed making
lawmakers’ records on party strategy and correspondence with constituents
confidential.
But Republican Rep. Nick Schroer on Tuesday recommended giving individual
lawmakers the discretion to close those records or leave them open.
Missouri voters in November overwhelmingly approved Constitutional Amendment 1,
which added lawmakers to a long list of taxpayer-paid officials subject to the
state’s open-records law. The law gives the public access to government records.
___
9:15 a.m.
Missouri House members are trying to exempt themselves from part of a
voter-approved requirement that made their work emails open to the public.
Republican House Majority Leader Rob Vescovo’s proposal is expected to come up
for debate Tuesday.
It would make lawmakers’ records on party strategy confidential. It also would
exempt emails with constituents from the new open-records requirement.
Missouri voters in November overwhelmingly approved Constitutional Amendment 1,
which added lawmakers to a long list of taxpayer-paid officials subject to the
state’s open-records law. The law gives the public access to government records.
Vescovo was not immediately available to comment to The Associated Press about
the proposed changes on Tuesday.
But House Minority Leader Crystal Quade says there’s no need for it. She says
Democrats will try to fight it.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI