Budget Boot

A News & Observer reporter was barred Thursday from entering a meeting between House and Senate budget negotiators. Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand, D-Cumberland, could not cite a reason under the public meetings law why a reporter would be excluded. But he said the meeting had nothing to do with the budget. "Because we were just hearing a report from staff," Rand said. "It had nothing to do with negotiations." He said the report was an "economic briefing," adding that it was "just a staff thing." Budget negotiators were the only lawmakers attending. A glimpse into the meeting showed Dan Gerlach, senior budget adviser to Gov. Mike Easley, and legislative fiscal workers addressing the lawmakers. Gerlach left several minutes later. When asked what the meeting was about, he replied, "Talking about the budget."
After the meeting broke up, Rep. Mickey Michaux, D-Durham and the House's chief budget writer, said his team had nothing to do with the decision to close the meeting. "They ran you out of there," he said of the Senate budget negotiators. "That was their meeting. It wasn't mine." Republicans, who are in the minority, and advocates of open government have been critical of the budget-writing process, saying the spending plan is being put together behind closed doors. (Dan Kane, THE NEWS & OBSERVER, 6/27/08).