With last week's 98-47 House vote against the bill and a unanimous Senate vote today for indefinite postponement, LD 1805 is officially dead.  Fortunately, Maine lawmakers came out strong in defense of open government - and lobbying this bill ended up being a surprisingly inspiring experience.  Conversations with Representatives and Senators from all parties expressed strong values around government transparency and accountability. 

When LD 1805 came out of the Judiciary Committee with a majority vote, those of us in the Maine Freedom of Information Coalition got nervous.  The bill would have allowed the governor and his staff to hide a variety of public records from public scrutiny, altering a decades old law that has, thus far, ensured governors from all parties are accountable to the people they serve.

Fortunately, other lawmakers were willing to take up the charge. Putting aside partisanship and cronyism - they came together to protect the public's right to understand and scrutinize proposals made by our state's chief executive.  

They understood that a government for and by the people requires that the public know what their government is doing.

And they understood that since the governor is doing the people's work on the people's dime - it's only right that we have access.  

I was thanking one Representative who came to her vote after much soul searching and in the face of extreme pressure from political allies.  

She smiled, saying, "they kept coming to me with different reasons, new arguments for why this was a good idea.  And I went home and re-read the bill and thought 'no'.  This is a terrible idea.  I believe in transparency.  I believe it in here."

She gestured to her heart.  
 
I believe it there too.  In my heart, and in my gut.  

In the truest sense, the records at issue in LD 1805 are the property of We the People. 

And without access  - we are unable to fully exercise our fundamental First Amendment rights.

Sunshine is the best cure for rot - the best deterrent to corruption.  And I sincerely thank our elected officials for continuing to see the light.