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Lawmaker tries to revive bill that would open public officials’ calendars, but fails in SD Senate • South Dakota Searchlight [1]

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Date: 2025-01

An effort to revive a bill that would open the calendars and appointment logs of statewide officeholders to the public failed Monday in the South Dakota Senate with a 16-18 vote.

Sen. Michael Rohl, R-Aberdeen, used a procedural maneuver to force the State Affairs Committee to send Senate Bill 9 to the Senate after the committee rejected the bill last week. But he did not garner enough support Monday to have the bill considered on the Senate floor.

Some state officials raised concerns with the bill in last week’s committee hearing, including increased administrative burdens and the bill’s potential to compromise the safety of elected officials.

Rohl’s options now include refiling the bill or “letting it go,” he told South Dakota Searchlight after the vote.

While he was disappointed a majority of senators “feel government transparency isn’t worth debate,” he’s grateful for other senators who supported his motion.

“I might make it even more narrow in scope, which would be pretty hard,” Rohl said. “This was pretty much the first baby step you could take toward public transparency.”

Some other bills intended to support open records and open meetings are still alive, including Rohl’s bill to open the records of governors and lieutenant governors after five years instead of 10, a bill supported by the South Dakota NewsMedia Association that would require public boards and commissions to annually review open meetings laws, and a bill from Rep. Mary Fitzgerald, R-Spearfish, clarifying that electronic communications conducted among all members of a public board or commission are subject to open meetings laws.

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[1] Url: https://southdakotasearchlight.com/briefs/lawmaker-tries-revive-bill-open-public-officials-calendars-fails-sd-legislature-senate/

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