State failing at transparency

It wasn’t a big surprise that Kansas was rated one of the worst states in the country for government transparency and accountability. Anyone paying attention in recent years is aware how Gov. Sam Brownback and the Legislature have sought to avoid scrutiny and consolidate power.

Kansas was one of 11 states to receive an F grade in a new study by the Center for Public Integrity. The state ranked dead last for internal auditing, and also rated poorly for public access to information, electoral oversight, executive and judicial accountability, state budget process, lobbying disclosure and ethics enforcement.

One example cited in the report was the Brownback administration’s use of private e-mail accounts to conduct public business. The Eagle uncovered that the state budget director sent a preliminary copy of the state budget to lobbyists, using private e-mails. It later came out that Brownback also uses a private e-mail account and cellphone to conduct state business.

What’s more, the administration drags its feet responding to open-records requests. It took The Eagle from February until mid-October of this year to obtain e-mails from the state budget director.

Other media organizations have sued seeking to force the administration to release the names of people who sought appointment as judges – information that was routinely released by previous administrations.

The Topeka Capital-Journal recently published an investigative series outlining other ways the state government lacks transparency. Examples included how more than 90 percent of the bills filed during the 2015 session had no named sponsors, and how House GOP leaders have blocked attempts to start streaming audio or video of legislative committee meetings online.

Other issues noted in the Center for Public Integrity report include the revolving door between the Brownback administration and lobbyists, how the administration and the Legislature have eliminated and weakened protections aimed at insulating civil servants from political pressure and cronyism, and Brownback’s efforts to gain more control of the judiciary.

House Majority Leader Jene Vickrey, R-Louisburg, objected to the report’s conclusion, telling The Eagle that he believes the Legislature is “very transparent.” The best way to prove that is by closing open-records loopholes, requiring the names of sponsors on bills, and expanding public access by streaming meetings.

The Brownback administration also needs to step up. It doesn’t need to wait for legislative action to stop using private e-mails for public business, or to fulfill open-records requests in a timely manner.

Aren’t transparency and accountability conservative values?

This story was originally published November 12, 2015 at 6:06 PM with the headline "State failing at transparency."