State rep: Public hearings aren't really public

Representative O'Flaherty has doubled down, reminiscing about the time he almost had to call the police to stop a reporter from filming a public hearing.

I really don't understand why Rep. O'Flaherty would choose to pick a fight on this issue and give the GOP the open-government mantle when there are probably three people in the world care about the Uniform Foreign-Court Money Judgment Recognition Act.

I think that Rule 1D of the Joint Rules of the two houses ought to be amended. Right now, the rule provides, in pertinent part:

A meeting of a committee may be recorded by a person in attendance by means of a recorder or any other means of audio/visual reproduction except when a meeting is held in executive session; provided, that a person seeking to record a meeting of a committee notifies the Chairs of the committee prior to commencing such recording; and provided further that during such recording there is no interference with the conduct of the meeting.

Language should be added to make it clear that written testimony, documents submitted, and, when available, transcripts should be made available to the public. Really, transcripts should be required, not optional.