Issue Position: Privacy and Public Records

Issue Position

As a former city attorney, I have years of experience in government transparency and public records. I believe that the public has a right to know what our elected officials are up to and that we have to balance the right to information with protecting the privacy of both constituents and public employees. I am in strong support of including legislator emails, calendar information, and correspondence in public records requests. However, I also believe that sensitive and identifying information, such as birthdates and home addresses, needs to be protected from public consumption. Our constituents have a reasonable right to express their opinion to their elected officials without sensitive information then being released.

Last session I voted for the Legislative Public Records Act because I believe the policy is right. But the process we used was wrong. And process matters, because the ends do not always justify the means. After hearing from many of you, I joined many of my colleagues in asking the Governor to veto the bill so it can go through the regular process. I am committed to continuing to find the right balance and look for ways to make it easier for my constituents to engage in the democratic process.

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