By Charles Young, WV News
CHARLESTON (WV News) — Lawmakers in the House of Delegates passed a bill Wednesday that would allow the West Virginia Legislature to set its own rules about what information the public can access.
House Bill 3412 passed 58-42. The chamber’s nine Democrats were joined by 33 Republicans in opposition to the bill. It now goes to the state Senate for consideration.
The bill would amend §29B-1-2 of West Virginia State Code, the section relating to public records, by adding two new lines: “This article does not apply to the Legislative branch, upon its adoption of rules regulating the disclosure of public records.”
Del. Clay Riley, R-Harrison, vice chair of the House Finance Committee, said the bill would exempt the Legislature from statutory requirements on releasing public information “if” the body adopts its own rules at a latter date.
