From the Des Moines Register today: The governor should release the list of budget cuts suggested by the leaders of state agencies, Republican legislative leaders said Monday.

“Absolutely,” Senate Minority Leader Paul McKinley said in a meeting with Register reporters and editors.

Gov. Chet Culver has so far has declined to publicly share the full list of department heads’ recommendations for cutting about $40 million from the state’s $6.1 billion budget before June 30.

“The governor has a right to get some counsel that would be private, but when decisions are being made about taxpayer dollars, and decisions are being made about the policies that those departments are putting in place, I believe Iowans have a right to that information,” said House Minority Leader Kraig Paulsen.

Culver’s claim of “executive privilege” doesn’t conform with state law, Paulsen said. The law was written so that the governor’s office is not excluded from the open records law, he said.

McKinley said he’s been trying for more than a month to get certain records from the Department of Natural Resources and for more than three months for information from the Iowa Finance Authority.

“It is like pulling teeth to get that information sometimes,” McKinley said.

Both Paulsen and McKinley supported a “sunshine” bill that would have strengthened Iowa’s open government laws, but it failed last session. Both leaders said they’re interested in a version this session, which begins Monday.

“I’m definitely in favor of more open government and more access, and I think the press has a responsibility to press for that type of information,” McKinley said. “I would like to see a more aggressive press when it comes to meetings and what’s going on with regard to information on a variety of topics.”

Source: Des Moines Register

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