The Blogster just received a courtesy call from a functionary in the non-partisan Office of Legislative Research that stoked his ambient disgust with the General Assembly. Yesterday’s blog item about the Reapportionment Committee ignoring the state Freedom of Information Act in failing to post an agenda 24 hours before this afternoon’s meeting did not take into consideration a little-know state statute.
Conveniently, the General Assembly exempts itself from having to release agendas of meetings 24 hours in advance. Virtually every other public agency has to, though. Wow. Is that why the Legislature drove the state budget into a $3.5-billion deficit ditch in time to greet Gov. Dannel Malloy in January? The exemptions are nestled in Sec. 1-225(b) and Sec. 1-225(d).
So instead of ignoring state regulations, the bipartisan Reapportionment Committee simply violated the spirit of “transparency” that so many pols wear around their shoulders like invisible American flags.
And at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, three-and-a-half hours before this less-than earth-shattering meeting of Democratic and Republican maneuvering over the future boundaries of General Assembly and congressional districts, the agenda is now posted.