Privacy, Technology, Security and Secrecy: GRAMA & HB477

Again, we are faced with the question: what are the limits and bounds of privacy where it meets with technology? This time voices sing for transparency when applied to government... and issues of land and resource management in Utah tie in as well...

HB477 prohibits the disclosure of e-mail, text and instant messages when a GRAMA request (for government record) is made. It's a plain step away from transparency in governance. HB477 also shifts disclosure such that government records are NOT presumed to be public and the burden would now rest on the public to prove why any information should be made public. Previously the burden was for our Government to prove why any information should NOT be disclosed.

As Governor Herbert has signed the Bill and placed this burden on our voices, hundreds have gathered in the Utah State Capitol to sing and drum for transparency and disclosure and a movement has begun to repeal HB477 and restore GRAMA.

House Bill 477 is meant to diminish and deafen GRAMA, Utah's Government Records Accountability and Management Act. A GRAMA request is made in order for any group or citizen to obtain copies of government records. This includes hearing transcripts, correspondence and conversations held by elected officials and public servants in relation to public policies. Private conversations on personal time are not subject to GRAMA requests.

GRAMA is a tool that helps keep Utah's citizens in the discussion regarding development and management of our environment (although, GRAMA is not exclusive to environmental issues). To see how GRAMA requests affect the management policies of our air, water, environmental remediation, radiation, hazardous waste management and so on search * GRAMA + Utah *. You'll find several State sites with information on how you can file GRAMA request and obtain copies of government records.

GRAMA requests should be fully realized when it comes to discourse and conversation about hazardous waste management in Utah. We should have full transparency regarding the sales, leasing, trading and management of all public lands (BLM and SITLA). Whether the conversation is about oil and gas development or permanent wilderness designation, it's a public lands discussion and should remain available and transparent.

We are active participants in defining the limits of our freedom, this includes defining the boundaries of privacy in regards to government records.