Two proposals at the California State Capitol this year could shield some information from the public about a massive project they’re paying for: the high-speed rail. AB 1608 would allow the project’s independent Inspector General to withhold records from the public that could “reveal weaknesses that could be exploited by individuals attempting to harm the interests of the state or inappropriately benefit from the project.” The bill would also allow the Office of the Inspector General to keep confidential “personal papers and correspondence of any person providing assistance to the Inspector General when that person has requested in writing that their papers and correspondence be kept private and confidential.” Gov. Gavin Newsom was in Kern County Tuesday, celebrating the completion of the Southern Railhead of the project. When asked about the proposal, the governor said he didn’t know anything about it. The governor’s administration has filed nearly identical legislation. The legislation says weaknesses could include information security, physical security, fraud-detection controls and pending litigation. The California Department of Finance on Tuesday confirmed the Office of the Inspector General requested the proposal be put into legislation, known as a budget trailer bill. Budget trailer bills are ways in which the administration can tuck changes to state law into the state spending plan. The proposals typically get very little public review and go into effect when the budget takes effect in July. In an email, Department of Finance spokesman H.D. Palmer said, “the trailer bill would require the to produce publicly available reports of its reviews and investigations, subject only to limited exceptions. In instances where OIG-HSR—as an independent entity that is separate from the High-Speed Rail Authority and the California State Transportation Agency—needs to communicate sensitive findings to external bodies in position take corrective action, the ability to do so securely is critical to protecting the interests of the State.” Palmer also said it would also “create a clear statutory framework” for the retention and protection of workpapers and other communications, which he said the Office of the Inspector General says is standard to other IG offices but absent from the enabling statutes for the one related to the high-speed rail. Meanwhile, the other version of the proposal AB 1608 could have its first hearing on February 20. KCRA 3 Political Director Ashley Zavala reports in-depth coverage of top California politics and policy issues. She is also the host of “California Politics 360.” Get informed each Sunday at 8:30 a.m. on KCRA 3.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Two proposals at the California State Capitol this year could shield some information from the public about a massive project they’re paying for: the high-speed rail.
AB 1608 would allow the project’s independent Inspector General to withhold records from the public that could “reveal weaknesses that could be exploited by individuals attempting to harm the interests of the state or inappropriately benefit from the project.”
The bill would also allow the Office of the Inspector General to keep confidential “personal papers and correspondence of any person providing assistance to the Inspector General when that person has requested in writing that their papers and correspondence be kept private and confidential.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom was in Kern County Tuesday, celebrating the completion of the Southern Railhead of the project. When asked about the proposal, the governor said he didn’t know anything about it.
The governor’s administration has filed nearly identical legislation. The legislation says weaknesses could include information security, physical security, fraud-detection controls and pending litigation.
The California Department of Finance on Tuesday confirmed the Office of the Inspector General requested the proposal be put into legislation, known as a budget trailer bill. Budget trailer bills are ways in which the administration can tuck changes to state law into the state spending plan. The proposals typically get very little public review and go into effect when the budget takes effect in July.
In an email, Department of Finance spokesman H.D. Palmer said, “the trailer bill would require the [Office of the Inspector General] to produce publicly available reports of its reviews and investigations, subject only to limited exceptions. In instances where OIG-HSR—as an independent entity that is separate from the High-Speed Rail Authority and the California State Transportation Agency—needs to communicate sensitive findings to external bodies in position take corrective action, the ability to do so securely is critical to protecting the interests of the State.”
Palmer also said it would also “create a clear statutory framework” for the retention and protection of workpapers and other communications, which he said the Office of the Inspector General says is standard to other IG offices but absent from the enabling statutes for the one related to the high-speed rail.
Meanwhile, the other version of the proposal AB 1608 could have its first hearing on February 20.
KCRA 3 Political Director Ashley Zavala reports in-depth coverage of top California politics and policy issues. She is also the host of “California Politics 360.” Get informed each Sunday at 8:30 a.m. on KCRA 3.