Reporter honors Rotundo, Koffman
By Jessica Alaimo, PolitickerME.com ReporterMal Leary took a break from pestering lawmakers Thursday morning, and instead honored two of them.
Leary, who runs Capitol News Service, helped establish the Maine Freedom of Information Coalition in 2002. Thursday he thanked Sen. Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston, and Rep. Ted Koffman, D-Bar Harbor for their dedication to preserving open government.
Rotundo and Koffman were cochairs of a legislative panel to improve the public records law. As a result, the Legislature passed a bill requiring any exception to the public records law to be separately reviewed by the Judiciary Committee.
“That panel found over 600 exceptions to the public records law, scattered throughout Maine laws, many so archaic that they left lawmakers and advocates alike wondering how they ever made their way into law,” Leary said in his remarks.
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Freedom of Information
As another member of the Maine Freedom of Information Coalition, I want to echo the sentiments that Mal Leary offered today.
Without access to information, the public can not hold our public servants accountable.
Government belongs to the public. It is the tool we all use to accomplish things in the public interest.
But without accountability, those we have given power can abuse it.
So that is why we want to thank those who have taken leadership in keeping government accountable.
Now if we can do this at the federal level...
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