Section A · Page 6
The University Daily Kansan
Wednesday, January 26, 2000
Governor seeks to enforce open records, meetings acts
By Katrina Hull
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Obtaining public information may be as simple as following a sign.
Attorney General Carla Stovall and Gov. Bill Graves released their joint recommendations for enforcing the Kansas Open Records Act yesterday.
Posting instruction signs where public records are kept and at public meetings are included in the recommendations, along with the creation of a state public access officer and to up a $500 fee for violators of the act.
Ted Frederickson, attorney and professor of journalism, said he applauded the initiative by the governor and the attorney general, however the initiative alone would not fix problems of keeping government records open.
David Furnas, executive director of the Kansas Press Association, said that open records had concerned journalists for a while but were brought to lawmakers' attention recently when Kansas newspapers tested the availability of public records in all 105 Kansas counties.
"They will succeed only if they can persuade other public officials that providing information to citizens in not just what the law requires but also a part of their jobs as
public servants." Frederickson said.
Last fall, employees from 19 Kansas newspapers found that although 420 records requests were granted, 35 were denied.
The public access officer, who will be located in the attorney general's office, will hear complaints of alleged violations to the Open Records and Meetings acts and may issue nonbinding advisory opinions at the request of anyone.
The job description also includes making the open records and meetings rules known, along with carrying out the rules.
While the signs will serve as a friendly reminder, the $500 fine will carry more bite. Graves promised support at his Jan. 10 State of the State address, and he vowed to
Now the law, without a penalty, invites officials to violate it. Frederickson said.
"The governor will see to the best of his ability that this is taken up in the Legislature," said Don Brown, Graves' spokesman.
put teeth in the enforcement process.
Someone has to pay the stick as well, and Tiffany Ball, a public information officer for the attorney general, said her office had not determined yet the cost of adding the new position.
“However, adding a penalty will be effective only if the attorney general and local prosecutor use it against violators — something the media should watch closely,” he said. “If the law provides a stick, someone has to use it.”
The proposal was introduced in the House Local Government Committee yesterday and will be introduced in the Senate Local Government Committee today.
While legislators may support the idea, what remains to be seen is whether they will support the expense of adding an office in a tight budget year.
Most court records, except for juveniles or current criminal investigations
WHAT'S OPEN
Minutes from local government meetings
Public official's salary, including KU professors
Where tax and tuition money goes, because the University receives tax dollars, where it spends that money is public
WHAT'S NOT
NCAA records. Because it is a private organization, it is not required to release information.
- Student's grades. Parents may not access grade information without students' permission.
www.ink.org/public/ksag/contents/meetings/kora.htm
For an online summary of the Kansas Open Records Act check:
Plans for new bus system move forward with formation of committee
By John Audlehelm
Kansan staff writer
writer@kansan.com
The University of Kansas will have a say about the city's new bus system.
Mayor Erv Hodges said he expected to appoint Holly Krebs,
Last night's City Commission agenda announced that the city's new Public Transportation Advisory Committee needed five to seven members.
KU on Wheels transportation coordinator, to a spot on the committee by the first of February.
Krebs said she had expected appointments to be made this month.
"I haven't heard anything from the mayor," she said.
"I'm kind of surprised that hasn't been worked out yet," she
Krebs said the city hadn't determined the number of members for the board, but she preferred the maximum seven.
"I'm kind of surprised that hasn't been worked out yet."
Holly Krebs
KU on Wheels transportation
coordinator
of those concerns may be left out."
said. "I think that there are a lot of concerns, and if you only have five members on the board some
Hodges said the board was not legally required to have a specific number of members, but he expected to appoint seven, which the city commission would have to approve.
Hodges said he tried to make appointments that represented all sectors of the city, and he had already received nine letters from people wanting to be appointed. Krebs' position would
be the only one specifically designated for KU students.
In other action, the City Commission:
- Received city manager Mike Wilden's report that he sent a letter to Chance Coach, Inc., denying the Wichita manufacturer's protest of the city's decision to buy the buses from another company. Chance, among other things, said it should have received special consideration in the bidding process because it
was a Kansas company. The contract was awarded to Blue Bird Corp., of Macon, Ga.
"I formally denied their protest," Wilden said. "We do think that we've conducted a good review of this."
Received Wildgen's report that the city had received a federal grant for about $3 million to buy the buses.
"I don't recall any grants this large that we've received," he said.
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