Aug 07, 2007
Your right to know: Open ethics trials
Matthew Eisley - News & Observer

Reform-minded state lawmakers did an odd thing last year: As part of a new law overhauling ethics rules for lawmakers and other state officials, they ordered ethics trials hidden from public view. 
Outside reform advocates raised the issue with legislative leaders, who seemed uninterested in repealing the secrecy measure. 
 
Then newspaper scrutiny of the concealment helped reverse it. 
 
The News & Observer published a Q section story March 11 about the secret ethics trials. It pointed out that hearings would be closed even after preliminary investigations had found probable violations and official charges had been filed. It also noted the secrecy was "a striking departure from the way other state agencies treat North Carolina's thousands of lawyers, doctors, elected judges and political candidates. All are subject to public trials on formal misconduct charges." 
 
Other news outlets published The N&O story or similar ones. Editorialists campaigned for openness. And legislative leaders promised to reconsider it. Last Thursday, on the final day of this year's legislative session, lawmakers rewrote the law to open the hearings. 
 
"It's great that we'll have open ethics hearings," said Bob Phillips, co-founder of the N.C. Coalition for Lobbying and Government Reform. "That it had been closed was not good for democracy. There needs to be transparency. The public has a right to know." 
 
To read the original story "What are they afraid of?" online, go to www.newsobserver.com/164/story/552325.html.