Posted on 11/16/2016 7:38:08 AM PST by GIdget2004
Faced with a public records request from Mississippi Today for the state's contract with EdBuild, a legislative committee voted Tuesday to adopt a new policy mandating that all contracts it approves be confidential.
The House Management Committee, which approves contracts entered into by the House of Representatives, voted 7-3 to pass the policy, which states "All contracts entered into by the House Management Committee shall be confidential and shall not be released to any person or entity, except as specifically directed by the House Management Committee only when the committee deems necessary for the execution of the contract."
The action comes as a select group of state legislators have been meeting to review spending procedures, including contracting, by a number of state agencies.
The policy also states that any House member may "read and/or review" a contract, but "contents of the contract shall remain confidential and the House member shall not copy, duplicate or photograph the contract in any manner."
The state entered in to a $250,000 contract with the New Jersey-based nonprofit EdBuild in October. EdBuild is charged with reviewing and potentially rewriting the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, the formula that dictates how much state money public schools get each year.
The public will be given its first chance to offer public comment on the funding formula at a one-hour session at 4 p.m. Thursday at the Capitol. All comments will be limited to three minutes.
Mississippi Today submitted a public records request for the contract to the House of Representatives on Oct. 12. House Clerk Andrew Ketchings told Mississippi Today the committee would have to vote whether to release the contract at its meeting.
But at Tuesday's meeting, the committee was presented with and adopted the new policy.
(Excerpt) Read more at mississippitoday.org ...
Ya, corruption is hard to hide when you have open records.
Gov’t has no right to hide contracts.
It’s not only Democrats that can be corrupt. This sort of thing is corrosive and should be shut down by the larger party asap.
Mississippi is exempt from open records. Hmmmm
I think a Constitutional review is in order.
“It’s not only Democrats that can be corrupt. This sort of thing is corrosive and should be shut down by the larger party asap.”
Can you say Haley Barbour? In MS, the GOP is pond scum!
Sounds like Mississippi has a one party political system - the Corruptocrats.
All your contracts are belong to us.
Mississippi Adequate Education Program
I hope businesses and taxpayers thinking about moving to MS consider this before doing so.
Everyone should remember his collusion with Karl Rove in the Thad Cockroach debacle.
Corruption gets very little more apparent that this example.
What is my State trying to do? If they are using taxpayer money they can’t keep it secret - and I’ll wager this crap won’t go far.
ping
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.