North Carolina Democrats are pushing for the restoration of public access to General Assembly records, challenging restrictions implemented by Republicans in 2023 that limited government transparency. House Bill 322, introduced by Rep. Pricey Harrison, aims to repeal Section 27.7 of the state budget that focused on document confidentiality. Harrison emphasized the importance of making public records accessible, stating that these records belong to the people and should be available. The legislation comes during Sunshine Week, a time dedicated to government transparency.
Changes to public record laws were included in the 2023 budget without public debate, allowing lawmakers to destroy their own records. This led to a coalition of news and public organizations expressing concern in a public letter to General Assembly members. Despite bipartisan support for public transparency, Harrison noted that she does not expect the bill to move forward due to the lack of debate when the restrictions were initially implemented.
Harrison highlighted the role of public records in holding government officials accountable and mentioned past scandals where public funds were misused. The transparency bill also aims to address campaign finance law changes introduced by Republicans last year. However, Harrison acknowledged the challenges posed by the high volume of public records requests, which has caused fatigue among staff.
Rep. Jake Johnson expressed concerns about whistleblowers and internal transparency issues, suggesting that confidential communication between staff and legislators may be compromised. He compared the situation to how the federal Congress operates, stressing the need for confidentiality in certain interactions. The debate over government transparency in North Carolina continues to be a contentious issue between Democrats and Republicans.
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