Two articles from yesterday highlight problems with open records and open meetings in Kansas:

Open Records.  Bob Weeks from the Voice for Liberty in Wichita is being stonewalled in his open record requests by the Wichita Downtown Development Corporation (WDDC).   The WDDC’s only source of money is from City of Wichita tax dollars, yet the WDDC is hiding behind their “non profit” status. 

Bob has many questions that would provide better government transparency and accountability in Wichita, but is being blocked by WDDC’s refusal to comply with the Kansas Open Records Act (KORA). 

Read Bob’s posting about this matter.

Open Meetings.  Yesterday Jim Sullinger on the Kansas City Star‘s Prime Buzz blog mentioned the Kansas Press Association has questions about Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe’s opinion in a Kansas Open Meetings Act (KOMA) matter that former JCCC trustee Ben Hodge had raised. 

The Star reported:

“The opinion of the Kansas Attorney General appears to be in conflict with your ruling on the JCCC open meetings complaint,” the association letter to Howe stated.