democracy.
We, the news media, are not often benevolent in our treatment of politicians. We unflinchingly report every unintended mistake, dubious decision and childish insult we think our readers would want to - or might need to - know about. We certainly don't give our elected officials the free pass they might wish for.
A Montana legislative committee is currently holding meetings to discuss the possibility of changing the rules concerning public access during legislative sessions. They haven't proposed any changes yet, so forgive us for bringing this up before any real damage has been done.
It is, after all, what we do.
The news media strive to be on hand whenever important government discussions take place so we can relay that information to the public - hopefully, before any major decisions are made. That way, the public has the opportunity to be informed participants in the actual decision-making process. If reporters aren't present to witness these discussions, we have to rely on our elected officials to provide any and all information of importance.
And as much as we may love our public officials, we have to admit that their interests don't always match up with their constituents'. Nobody likes to hear bad news, and we can't really blame politicians for sometimes trying to dress it up. But neither should we prevent journalists from laying it bare again - or nit-picky editorial writers from dressing it down.
Legislators don't have to give reporters the best seats in the House - or the Senate. They do, however, have to allow us past the door.
Montana is one of the most open states in the nation when it comes to reporter access. Strong sunshine laws give the public, including reporters, access to government information and allow us to attend many kinds of government meetings. Not every state can boast such an open arrangement. In fact, Montana is one of very few states that allow the public to attend legislative party caucuses, a right that was determined by the courts about 10 years ago.
Of course, open-meeting laws aren't always convenient for our lawmakers. Extra bodies, cameras and equipment require extra room and can sometimes be disruptive. Sensitive information can find its way to the wrong people. These days, especially, legislators are keenly aware that their every move can be recorded, and possibly used against them during the next election campaign.
Still, inconvenient as it might be, the government's business is everybody's business. The Montana Constitution explicitly states that “no person shall be deprived of the right to examine documents or to observe the deliberations of all public bodies or agencies of state government and its subdivisions, except in cases in which the demand of individual privacy clearly exceeds the merits of public disclosure.”
So far, we haven't heard any legislators mention privacy concerns. One legislative leader did, however, point out that public scrutiny can discourage lawmakers from having candid conversations.
We certainly don't want that. But neither do we want lawmakers having candid conversations in private and canned conversations before the public.
It's not enough for Montanans to know about a legislative decision after it's been made. The public must also be let in on the deliberations that led to these decisions. In fact, we're willing to bet that people are more likely to support legislative actions if they are aware of the reasoning that led to them.
If this legislative committee makes any recommendations, we sincerely hope they result in more public access - not less.
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