A Louisiana lawmaker wants broader access to public records

By Piper Hutchinson, Louisiana Illuminator, March 17, 2024

McMakin’s House Bill 116 removes privacy protections for personnel records of public employees. The bill would undo case law that has put up significant roadblocks to those wanting to access records related to investigations into public employee misconduct. 

McMakin believes shielding those records from public view is wrong. 

“When you serve in a public role, you give up your rights to some of your privacy by being a public official,” McMakin said in an interview. 

McMakin’s legislation faces an uphill battle. While the Legislature tightens Louisiana’s public records law regularly, expanding access is rare, even though experts say there is a significant public interest in these government records. 

“The public has a right to access records of government business and taxpayer expenditures.  These records allow citizens to access information that is vital to accountability and oversight, both of which help prevent abuse of power and potential corruption,” said Melia Cerrato, Sunshine Legal Fellow at Tulane First Amendment Law Clinic. “Public records about employees’ conduct and the government’s response are matters of significant public importance.”