SALT LAKE CITY -- The Utah Legislature voted in a special session Friday to repeal House Bill 477, the bill that redefined and narrowed Utah's open records law.
The final vote to repeal came after the two houses sent the bill back and forth to each other several times to consider changes.
The House originally voted 60-3, with 12 absent, to pass HB1001, which repeals HB477. The Senate then made two amendments, voting 19-5, with five absent, to approve HB1001. It was sent back to the House for approval of the amendments.
But the House rejected the amendments.
One of the amendments set a deadline of June 24 for the governor to call another special session for lawmakers to meet to discuss and pass any proposed legislation to change the Government Records Access Management Act.
The second amendment required public hearings for any new proposed open records legislation.
The Senate, after meeting in closed caucus, voted 19-5 to approve the bill -- without the amendments.
Layton resident Lorna Rosenstein with Waterwatch Utah spent the day at the Legislature and said she hopes lawmakers heard their constituents.
This "is not a shell game."
She said without the media bringing the bill to the public's attention, private citizens would not have known the open records law had been changed.
The Legislature has appointed a work group, consisting of lawmakers, media and the community, to discuss the open records law and whether it needs changes because of advances in technology.
The group will meet each Wednesday for the next four to six weeks.
Sen. Peter Knudson, R-Brigham City, said he had planned not to vote for a repeal, but the discussions on the Senate floor "gives me some comfort that the issues that led to HB477 will be addressed."
Knudson, who voted for the repeal, said if those issues are not addressed, other bills will appear in future sessions that will address the state's open records law.
House Majority Leader Rep. Brad Dee, R-Washington Terrace, said lawmakers will have time to work on a new bill. Lawmakers have taken a lot of criticism in the past several weeks over HB477, he said.
"I feel good about the process, and we're listening."
Sen. Stuart Reid, R-Ogden, was one of the five senators who voted against repealing HB477.
He spoke about why he is against repealing HB477.
"I wish it were true, with the repeal of this bill, we will address the issues that initiated HB477. I do not have that confidence," Reid said.
"I do not believe, with the pressure of the media and their perspective about this, that we will fairly address the concerns and issues (of) legislators and others who are communicating with them, believing those communications are private and personal. I don't believe their interests will be protected at all."
Reid also said he has no confidence after watching "those who opposed the bill, particularly the media, that they will be fair and participate in a process that will address those issues."
He said the media had "been over the top" in its coverage of HB477 and did not show the intent of legislators.
Legislators have said they wanted to protect private communications, such as emails and text messages, that constituents might send to lawmakers.
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