TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas lawmakers are pledging support of legislation that seeks to make state government more transparent. The Wichita Eagle reports that Republican state Representative John Rubin and Democratic state Representative John Wilson signed a pledge to support these efforts. The pledge was drafted by Open Kansas, a nonprofit that supports government transparency. The organization says Kansas was among 11 states to receive a failing grade when the Center for Public Integrity rated state transparency last year. One of the Senate bills would address a loophole in the state's records law that allows officials to conduct public business on private email. Another would change the Open Meetings Act so public bodies have to disclose more information when they go into closed sessions. A House bill would enable live audio streaming of committee hearings.
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