this post was submitted on 06 Oct 2023
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United States | News & Politics

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RALEIGH, N.C. (CN) — North Carolina lawmakers have been exempted from public records requests, through an item in the North Carolina budget which took effect Monday at midnight and was three months late.

Buried in the 625-page document allocating $30 billion in funding are provisions that shield legislators from public records requests, even once they’ve left office.

Section 27.7 of the 2023 Appropriations Act (HB 259) categorizes documents prepared by legislative employees as confidential, rather than public records, and their existence “may not be revealed” without the consent of the legislator.

The budget also names legislators “custodian of documents” to discern if a record is a public record or not, and to choose to retain or destroy it. They also cannot be required to reveal any documents or information requests made while they were in office.

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[–] pete_the_cat@lemmy.world 101 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Buried in the 625-page document allocating $30 billion in funding are provisions that shield legislators from public records requests, even once they’ve left office.

Doing shit like this should be illegal.

[–] FederatedSaint@lemmy.world 28 points 11 months ago (1 children)
[–] pete_the_cat@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

Nah, they've been doing this for years (bury one thing inside another).

[–] DevCat@lemmy.world 57 points 11 months ago

This is how you hide your crimes.

[–] mojo@lemm.ee 36 points 11 months ago

Then they're no longer working for the public

[–] Maeve@kbin.social 31 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Does FOIA not have supremacy?

[–] Dozzi92@lemmy.world 35 points 11 months ago (1 children)

It's just one challenge at the federal level that makes this all go away. Hopefully. Unless higher courts are incompetent or equally corrupt. But this is America right, where things like that don't happen because of the Constitution or some shit.

[–] Redditsucks1@lemmy.world 26 points 11 months ago (1 children)

It's not like there's corruption in the Supreme Court or anything. Thank god we have them to trust.

[–] Neve8028@lemm.ee 3 points 11 months ago

Honestly don't think that this would make it through the supreme court. They need to knock down legislation like this to get headlines and take focus away from their own corruption. Gotta love American politics.

[–] geekworking@lemmy.world 5 points 11 months ago

They are getting around this by classifying all records as personal records so that they are not subject to any public records rules.

[–] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 27 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I officially exempt myself from paying taxes and medical bills. Also I declare myself the Zinc Saucier, which I just made up, and which comes with double prize money.

[–] swab148@startrek.website 5 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Does that mean you're the official Saucier of Zinc? If so, can I get a hookup?

[–] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 2 points 11 months ago (2 children)

You…you want some zinc sauce?

[–] swab148@startrek.website 2 points 11 months ago
[–] Zathras@lemm.ee 2 points 11 months ago

I'm 40% zinc.

[–] badbytes@lemmy.world 13 points 11 months ago (2 children)

I'm OK with calling North Carolina, part of the south.

[–] DarthBueller@lemmy.world 12 points 11 months ago

Um. Was there any question? Any illusions I had about the state were shattered for me two years into Obama’s first term.

[–] EmpathicVagrant@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

Far as I’m concerned there’s only one Carolina.