A discussion of the Legislature’s secrecy

Ralston Live
Ralston Live

Ralston Live will feature the type of interviews, commentary and analysis that have made Jon Ralston a household name in Nevada for many years. Longtime executive producer Dana Gentry also joins Ralston Live. Production of Ralston’s nightly broadcasts will be shared by Vegas PBS and KNPB Reno. The two stations provide broadcast coverage to the entire state of Nevada.

Source: Ralston Live | Vegas PBS Shows | Vegas PBS

Michelle Rindels and Kevin Powers join Jon Ralston to discuss the response to the Associated Press’s request for legislators’ records.

I’ve made my arguments a couple of times now, so I won’t go too deep into the analysis of this.

But I do have to make a couple of points:

The history of legislative immunity extends only to legitimate legislative activity. It’s not a blanket pass to conduct business in private.

The deliberative privilege does not extend to everything that is “predecisional.” It’s a very long reach to claim all the information leading up to an actual vote can be sealed off from the public.

When Powers argues that, in court, evidence can be ruled inadmissible, he neglects to note that the evidence itself, the arguments on either side, any briefs or supplemental information provided to the court prior to a ruling are all argued in open court. It’s only kept secret from the jury.

 

Check Also

2023 NPF Better Newspaper Contest Winners 9/20/23 Release

Here is the third release of 2023 Nevada Press Foundation BNC Award Winners.  We will …