Senate Sunshine

Good news this week from the Iowa Senate:

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - The state Senate has voted to create an Iowa Public Information Board that would look into complaints about open meeting and open record law violations.

The Senate approved the measure on a 35-13 vote Wednesday, sending it to the House.

Under the Senate-backed plan, the board would investigate reports at no cost to those filing complaints.

The Legislature has debated the issue in each of the last two sessions but hasn't been able to agree to a plan for enforcing Iowa's open record and meeting rules.

It's often tough to get over-burdened county prosecutors to tackle open records and meetings issues, especially involving their government colleagues. And taking it to district court yourself can be a very long and very costly process. That's why it's usually left to media organizations to wage these fights. But not every illegality gets media attention, and news orgs aren't exactly rolling in dough these days.

An enforcement board would be a place any average Joe and Jane citizen could turn to if they think sneaky local elected officials are breaking the law. It's amazing something so simple and fundamental has been so hard to pass.

But the bill hasn't made it to the governor yet.

It could still run into trouble in the House. Several groups representing local governments are registered in opposition and have done a good job in past years scuttling the measure. Can I just say again that I'm so glad my tax dollars help pay membership dues to these organizations.

Opponents include the Iowa Association of School Boards, which is now the subject of a fraud investigation. So that makes sense.

Last year's bill abandoned the idea of a strong enforcement board in favor of a wishy-washy "advisory panel." A Senate amendment approved this week put the teeth back in.

Let's hope the House has the guts to pass it.