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A controversial bill that would have provided confidentiality for economic development efforts was unanimously deferred on Wednesday, the Center Square reports.
The proposal garnered significant criticism from groups such as the Public Affairs Research Council and the Louisiana Press Association, who contend the measure would hamper transparency. The bill—HB 461—specifically puts restrictions on public records requests related to economic development projects that are in the negotiation phase.
The committee deferred the bill for a week so that the bill’s author, Rep. Steven Jackson, D-Shreveport, can make amendments to his proposal.
“I am sympathetic to those concerns that (opponents) have,” Jackson said. “But what I do want to make sure we continue to emphasize is that we (will) not allow our local government bodies to be undermined when it comes to economic development.”
Jackson says that when he was serving as a Caddo Parish commissioner, nearby cities in Texas such as Longview and Tyler would submit public record requests to find out incentives offered by state and local governments. These record requests can also be “reverse engineered” to determine the state subsidies, he says, despite a similar exemption for Louisiana Economic Development and ports.
