On The Front Lines
Rutherford Institute Urges Rob Bell, John Edwards to Revise Legislation to Preserve Right of Citizens & Media to Hold Government Accountable
RICHMOND, Va.--In a letter to Del. Rob Bell (R-Albemarle County) and Sen. John Edwards, (D-Roanoke), John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute, is urging the two state representatives to take the lead in revising legislation that they sponsored (H.B. 903 and S.B. 207, respectively) which, as presently written, would restrict the right of Virginians to access crucial information about their government's handling of public safety matters.
Copies of Whiteheads letters to Bell (click here) and Edwards (click here) are available at www.rutherford.org.
For more than a quarter century, The Rutherford Institute has advocated for the rights of citizens to self-governance and for governmental bodies to remain open and transparent so that the ideals of democracy may be served.
"Government must be accountable to the people if free government is to survive. The ability of the media to access and report on the government's actions is also necessary to ensuring a government that is open and accountable," stated Whitehead. "When government is transparent, it not only allows for the prevention of the abuse of power and for the remedying of systemic problems within agencies, but it also promotes citizen confidence in the government as an agent of positive change."
H.B. 903 and S.B. 207 aim to allow the threat assessment teams established after the 2007 Virginia Tech shootings to more easily discuss information about students and university employees deemed to be a threat to campus safety. However, the bills would also exempt from Virginia's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) any records generated by the threat assessment teams, such as minutes, agendas or notes. Whitehead raises the concern that by proposing to wholly and entirely exempt the records of public institution threat assessment teams from disclosure under FOIA, H.B. 903 and S.B. 207 would render these teams autonomous, secretive governmental entities immune to public oversight. Furthermore, as Whitehead points out, these bills would serve to undermine FOIA, which was intended to prevent abuse of power and malfeasance by empowering citizens and the media with the ability to scrutinize the actions of government officials.
Press Contact
,
