03/13/07

Sunshine Week 2007

Legislators promote open-government bills


By JIM DAVENPORT
Associated Press Writer

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- Public officials would have to respond to requests for documents faster and copying charges would be limited under new open-government legislation introduced in the state Senate.

The bills improve the foundation of the Freedom of Information Act in South Carolina and help reporters do their jobs, Sen. Thomas Alexander, R-Walhalla, said Tuesday.

Alexander and other legislators held a news conference at the Statehouse during Sunshine Week, a nationwide effort to draw attention to the public's right to know what's going on in government.

Many of the state's FOI laws have been in place since 1976, though they were updated in the late 1990s.

Sen. Jake Knotts said the Legislature should set an example for other public officials.

"The best disinfectant you can ever get is sunshine," said Knotts, R-West Columbia. "We need a uniform process throughout South Carolina that everybody in government adheres to; that everybody in the press -- associated with the press -- knows what the rules are."

The five bills introduced last week would:

-- Curb discussions of public business at chance or social meetings and through the Internet.

-- Reduce the number of weekdays public officials have to respond to a FOI request to 10 days from 15 days.

-- Require that costs for copying public documents are limited.

-- Make public officials read a statement before going into a closed-door executive session detailing what will be discussed and that no votes will be taken.

-- Keep public bodies from adding agenda items within 24 hours of the meeting unless it is of "substantial public interest."