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SALT LAKE CITY -- While Utahns rally against HB477 -- the new bill restricting the public's access to certain governmental records -- a lawmaker spoke to KSL about the real impact of keeping text messages private.
It's been called the "granddaddy of egregious bills," the new provisions to the 20-year-old GRAMA laws that has stirred a lot of emotions since its rush through the Legislature.
Public business is being conducted in the form of text messages and e-mails and conversations, and all of that I think needs to be available to public scrutiny.
–Sen. Ben McAdams
Sen. Ben McAdams, D-Salt Lake, voted against the changes to the Government Records Access Management Act. The bill that passed both chambers and was signed into law in less than three days exempts text messages from public disclosure -- even from lawmakers' government-issued, taxpayer-funded accounts.
McAdams thinks elected officials should always be wary of how their actions are perceived.
"Before I hit send on that I always ask myself, ‘How is that going to look, if I wake up and see it in the newspaper tomorrow morning?'" he said. "Just knowing that that's out there is an important check and balance on government, on myself."
Critics fear the proposed changes establish private channels for public business, but supporters call the law a clarification of government records.
Rep. Ronda Menlove, the Republican Majority Assistant Whip, says a text now is the same as a private conversation.
"What's the difference between me walking out the door and chatting with a lobbyist who encourages me to vote some way as opposed to that message coming to my phone?" Menlove asked. "To me, the text is more like chit-chat."
McAdams disagrees.
"Public business is being conducted in the form of text messages and e-mails and conversations, and all of that I think needs to be available to public scrutiny," he said.
The law takes effect July 1, but Gov. Gary Herbert has pledged to look at potential tweaks and adjustments in a special session before then.
E-mail: jboal@ksl.com
