FREEDOM CF INFORMATION IK THE STATE AM LOCAL GOVERNMENTS OF KANSAS HDWAIlD D. REIGHEf R B. S. , Kansas State College of Agriculture and Applied Science, 1948 A THESIS submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree .lAiT^X OF SCMCE Department of History, Gcvernoent, and Philosophy KANSAS- STATE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND APPLIED SCIENCE 1954 PocJJy* tA~ TAB1£ OP CONTENTS iajjfc. IOTRODUCTr R 1 lurpoae and Methods 3 Definitions 4 FREEDOM OF DIFORMATr.H OH THE BATIDtiAi SCENE 5 Freedom Cha. lenged 6 The Crusoe of Abase 8 Freedom of Information in the national Government 9 Freedom f Information in the State Governments.... 12 Freedom cf Information in the Courts 15 Summary of National Conditions 16 FREEDOM OF INFORMATION AND Ttt LAW.. 17 !"!*• Constitutional Base 17 Statutory and Common Lav Doctrines 22 Kansas Statutes 30 Tl£ STATUS OF FOI IS KAiiSAS U At the State Level 44 At the County Level 51 At the City level 56 At the School System Level 64 Sasanry of Status 70 CONCENSUS ON NEW K)I LEoISLsTiDN 72 Access to Meetings 73 Broadcasting/Telecasting of meetings... 74 Notice of Meetings 75 Hi Contents cost. - Acmes V? Records 7© 78 fau aery of Oplnlran ............•••• AHGffiUn RR AK AGAIWT IECISLaTI M 79 fMorlng Legislation 79 Against legislation 87 106 Analysis 106 eee&SBMidatioM.. •«..«. «....«...«. ••••••••••••••• ••••••••• HI llaltetions sad Sagfsstln* for »irthsr ttudy U3 115 116 AJFIsDII 1M A. Constitutional and Statutory Provisions 119 B, Questionnaire Tabulations ond Information HI I In 1787 the United Stater mutational Convention net behind cloaed IB rhlladelnbla. Mhen the Constitution cane up for retlfiefctton la the Ateeobly of the State of Virginia, the atrlot Fatrick Henry releed Me voioe to denounce Utterly the eecreey In vhleh the iM— had been written. "•Look at us — hear our tranaecUone J '"be abouted. "If ti-.la had bees the language of the Federal Convention,' there weld bate bees no Con- a stitution. ," "... to cover vitb the v 11 of aecroey toe eoaaoa routine of buaineee, la an ahealnetion In the eye* of awry into ligent man and every friend of hi* «—.»»- * Fran that day to the present the clamor to open the donre of ocn inued, eoaatlnea loudly and vigorously, sometimes with little acre a wbie; cr. In 195* the demand had beoone arUcularly strong in nany yert* of the United States, a movement, sponsored by a variety of neve ssdla oi lsetloas, bad covered the nation and reached into Xane&e vitb the slogan, "The Ieople'e Right to Snow". Dr. Harold Cbroso, author of Jjjt ^eoclafa gLffefc fn, {flex, dcelaredl "Tublio buainaaa la the publleU business, the people have the right to know, freedom of information la their Juat baritoge. Without that the eitteeM of a denoarscy have tat changed their kinge."3 *"*-•' ^faert J. Beve-ridgr, Bjo. U&. s£ ante i- tol I, p. 409. 2 , £lllot e Debates, Vol. 3, p. 170j quoted by Harold i, Cross, fi S> Mpi-.t to Ibow. p. 129. 3«arold U Cross, a* ] «i Ig^a filgtl la Hflb 1 • **"•. Delta Chl'e freedoa of Information Co.aittee stated in its 1 final rerort of 1953t K«*i struggle for hla right to know eb.ut hit pwnwt ha* been sjaoca/aous with is struggls for ftwiw. Actually, the tao grant principles ere nearly syncngnaou* with tbeasel v a. And they ore ao interlocking that . os oannet haw one without the other, Freedom depends absolutely upon the —rilss of public cpinicc upon the people's gov« repent. It ia iaj-oeeible for i ublic opinion to be exercised un- less the people have all the fasta at the tine end not after the feet, vbea it ia toe lata. 2 But with the cry to bare the eouneila to the jTiblio view, ease those veto felt that there say be reasons for keeping the doom at least partly closed. Jobs 0. Stats, Executive Director of the league of Kansas Municipalities, expressed suet en opinion in an article pre; ered for the laBtfift ScXEOMBi swWBaV "* "**&* Itoreetrieted public attendance at the conduct of ; ublic affaire can destroy our rer resettatlve government Just as unreetricted public attendenee at the conduct of our ; rivets affaire would destroy our ! rivets lives. Our constitutions, lava and custems indicate that public att endance at the conduct of oerVin public affairs is good and useful, likewise our lavs sad euatarcs indicate that public attendance at the conduct of certain other public affaire should be United to that.vhleh is In the best interests of effective re> ressr.tctlve gov The subject faced Jensens on many aides, national Inaaaa nevsnen to join the figbt to expose government secrets. Bence, edi- torials vers written to gain the sup; ort of the people ia Kansee, and s ^igaa Delta Ohi«c freedom of tafcimatiua Ocnaittee made three reports during 1953* "en Interla Her ort," undated] "A Second Interim Ileport," August 15, 19531 end "A Final Report, " Hovember 1, 1953. 2"A Pinal Rerort of the Oomittee for Adveneesant of Freedom of Infor- aation cf Signs Delta Chi Frettmitgr," Hovrmber I, 1953, p. 1. Jjohn C. State, "lublic Attendance at the Conduct sf Fublic Ai fairs," nanuscript for publication in a future iasue of Jbe. fjnaes. OjujoUaWeSfc Journal, p. 17. rrojosal «u brcught before the Immi legislative Ooaneil to offer a bin to toe 1955 aeaeion of toe legialatsre opening ail or certain faaaaaaaaj, ant- inga to the j utile and the rreee. Furpoaa and Method* This rerort <u ; reraxed In order to eeteblleh whether legislation to •pea goveraaeiit aactlnge end records to the : reus end } ublie is neocssirj •a* to what decree it it euj :orVd by Kansas nan—an and fublio official*. The flret atop uas to find cut the statue of the law in the state. Trie re- quired e et..dy of eonstltutlnal interpret* tlona sad a thorough eaasnl nation of the "ffr"Tf ««»*«*— sC taiw 1142. «» Wtk SmslamA te 9mual 'ftfflsfl fif naTHfH VMfti «»1 the Kanass i'eaalon fynaj 30^. The nasi atop mm to detornine relative conditions la the state and local tpvming bodies. Oonditiona at the local 1< val ware irieetig&tod by naana of a questionnaire to nevamen and the aoveraini; officials. At the state level, the rracticea of atato dapertoeata, boards, and acanclea ware arrived at through rarllea froa thai query by Dr. r. H. Guild, Director of the fceseareh Derartoent, latin: Council.1 The final star In the study was to sound out a fairly reliable cone froa nevaaea and rublie offidala as to vhether auah legislation ia : and to what degree it «ndd be sur-ortod. This was accomplished through the i mentioned above and through correal ondenoe and interviews with •je B. Guild, letter to Kansas adoiniatrativr bodies, Oaoaaber 4, 1953. A endiz «B> under -State Anaay ^leationaalre." wrioua rubric cffielale. MMMh unifcra interpretr-tlcn of tntih i definition* are neoeaaaiy for A "goteranect neetlng* ie • neetlae or any gowrnln body in a legielatlve or q«««H»fi«l-'.tl«t ocvaeltyi & eon ©1 board, city ooondl or ooeatieai n, ai—tl oomieelon, etr.te eeency, « gielsture, legie- Uti« eoanlttee* or tot Halted Statee Congress or oougresalonel eomtitt ea, D-etlar to detexulaa tollcy. Certain ectainletratiTO ectlone nay alas be transacted la a govttienent sntlwg. ... ;, ..r . "rt-i ul;.r tg | rcv..rrt_uvi.t ;:e..-tirv Hg| | I Nattlef MpBafl% tsaaiared ty statute, rajjoX Uou, ordinanee or praetloa. SUSaaJl ataalBeV A "epeelel steetlng* la a unau— it —tine called for a r, eclal Turyose at a time other than a regular aeetl&g. ft'Mfff lalllllir * "r«biio Meeting" ia a ei?waait aactiag tf lob the jublic and irase are emitted to attend. fiirnr'fTl fiatllea* &» l«iM of Kanaaa Honiclralities, In its SUtr book fr City G»:.t rainy Body ,, defines the tent "to executive session la a secret eerslon of the governing body. Zta oej. at la to prevent pihlldty 1 of the notion taken.* Ala definition would tend to indleete that the I lag aonld not bo aalled an executive aesslon unlet* action of sens kind ' taken. However, ainoa aany f the -uotations uaed herein a; jrarently give a gal hM aTNsVafeafeag Pa Vra li:: I | gf| Hi aaaWl aTaTJlM af ate] Governing body, whether for lo£lelt»ti*fc eetlon, eutelniatratiw action, or 1 (v^-4*- l0B$Ss± jjat £iJa. Jcdifj, The Uacoe of Kanaaa HoBlcirelltlea Seatlon 15E. erely for dlecuar on. feUlBaV * "fesartaf" le a aeatlBe of any aptara—ntal body 1b rtatutory (Uaal-Ju ielai oaracity. Alao, a avatlnt of any goVMnawatal unit to deterain* facta uion a i articular laaue. HsBrlnfs are ;uhile or jriTOte, da; ending afon their ftirpoee* "* afi&UUl lMBCaV> I uolle record la one required to ba kept, or pmm eary to ba leapt, in tba diaobarga of a duty lajcaed 17 law, cr Jirected by law to serve aa a naaorlaj and erldacee of soaettilne written, oalo or &< n»| frtltilfffld 8M£Bn> **V public re* rd, vtiob by statute, regulation, ardlmnea, or oaanon law, la extluded fron —iMJiatl by tba public or 1 reaa la teraed "trirtieged". lotlfloatlos of teraoac concerned that be ring IsUaaV a or 1 Beeting la to ba bald la turned "notice", t"vi «'« fcrtlfj «otifi*iticB of tha general public end jre; a that a HHWWiaiil naatlns or teerlne ia to be bald la tamed "-.ublic notice*. iXfttaV B* **"• "rrees" inc udee representative of : radio etetlone, tt i«nriai..n static na, or any ether nava gntfccrlns Jjg, "raiisr of Inforantion le abtare*La',ed *KV, mate m of np)jw*Tr h oh toe iatzckl IMa netlon we not designed to cceer ooartletaly the field of ; of infomt tt n la tba United Stitee.