Leland Yee: State refuses to release legislative calendar of disgraced state senator
Source: Contra Costa Times
In the wake of state Sen. Leland Yee's arrest on public corruption charges, the powerful Senate Rules Committee insists on shielding his official activities from the public by refusing to release his legislative calendars.
The committee's response to three recent requests from this newspaper echoes a consistent line the California Legislature has articulated over the years: The public is better served by keeping lawmakers' activities secret, it argues, than by shining a light on them. Not even the intense interest in Yee, the subject of an FBI sting, justifies public scrutiny of the company he kept.
Critics label the stance outrageous.
"Democracy only works when voters know what their representatives are doing (or not doing)," said Peter Scheer, executive director of the First Amendment Coalition. "Information permits voters to hold reps accountable, which is the essence of democracy."
Read more: http://www.contracostatimes.com/crime-courts/ci_25830139/leland-yee-state-refuses-release-legislative-calender-disgraced
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