NC Lawmakers Exempted From Public Records Requests

Courthouse News reports:

North Carolina lawmakers have been exempted from public records requests, through an item in the North Carolina budget which took effect Monday at midnight and was three months late.

Buried in the 625-page document allocating $30 billion in funding are provisions that shield legislators from public records requests, even once they’ve left office.

Section 27.7 of the 2023 Appropriations Act (HB 259) categorizes documents prepared by legislative employees as confidential, rather than public records, and their existence “may not be revealed” without the consent of the legislator.

Read the full article. Republicans hold majorities in both North Carolina chambers.