Key legislators and the Governor intend to meet behind closed doors on Monday to talk about tax reform. The meeting’s drawing fire from advocates of open government because the meeting will be closed to the public. Critics say the legislature, particularly the Senate, has taken steps to craft more public policy in secret. Senate leaders have appointed Senators to a series of “working groups” to meet in private to develop legislation. And last year the landmark bill rewriting Iowa’s livestock regulations was crafted by a group of 12 legislators who met behind closed doors for weeks before releasing details of their plan to the public. Iowa has one of the strongest laws requiring public officials to conduct most of the public’s business in public, and critics say these incidents show lawmakers are trying to skirt the law.
