Striking a blow for open government

By Staff
Feb. 22, 2004
We congratulate members of the Mississippi Legislature who last week approved new rules that will open a key legislative process all conference committees to the public. Conference committees are where the rubber meets the road, where differences between versions of a bill get worked out, where the real decisions are made.
While conference committees on general bills have been open since 2001, House members and senators assigned to conference committees on money bills have done their work in secret. Now, after each house voted to approve the new operating rules, all of this work will be done in the sunlight of public scrutiny.
And that's as it should be.
Special thanks should go to Common Cause-Mississippi, the Mississippi Press Association and the Mississippi Center for Freedom of Information for leading the charge for this constructive change.