Some legislators want to make public access to government records, documents and meetings part of the state constitution. A bill introduced Thursday by Rep. Stephen LaRoque, R-Lenoir, would allow voters to decide whether to enshrine current open-records laws in the constitution. Voters could decide in November 2012 if the measure is approved by the General Assembly. Republican Sen. Debbie Clary of Cleveland County is introducing the same bill next week. She says taxpayers have a right to know about what’s happening inside their government. The proposed constitutional amendment would say that every person has the right to inspect or copy any record connected to the official business of any public body or official.(THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, 2/10/11).
