Senator Woodhouse must allow vote on public records bill

[Editor’s note: Despite overwhelming support from members of the public, legislators from both parties, and even the governor himself, Chair Woodhouse has yet to allow a vote on SB287.]

Public Comment in Support re: Senate Bill 287
Senate Committee on Finance
Monday, May 27, 2019

My name is Daniel Honchariw. I serve as senior policy analyst for the Nevada Policy Research Institute.

I’m here to speak on Senate Bill 287, which seeks to improve our state’s Public Records Act in a variety of critical ways.

We first want to express our appreciation to Vice Chair and bill sponsor Sen. Parks for bringing this critically important legislation forward, Sen. Kieckhefer for working tirelessly to help draft compromise language, and Sens. Woodhouse and Denis for co-sponsoring the bill.

Seeing as there is now only a week left in the session, we respectfully ask that this committee hold a vote on SB287 tomorrow, so that lawmakers in both houses are afforded the opportunity to vote on the bill before sine die.

Gov. Sisolak has spent his career fighting for transparency in government, and his recent comments indicate he would almost certainly sign SB287, provided the Legislature works swiftly to get this bill to his desk before the session concludes a week from today.

I know there are many pressing needs before this committee, but the issue of transparency in government is of vital importance to all Nevadans, as evidenced by the tremendous outpouring of support that SB287 received at its first hearing before the Senate Government Affairs Committee.

With the session almost over, we hope you will please do everything in your power to ensure this bipartisan bill is given an opportunity to reach the governor’s desk.