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The more rhetoric I hear about “transparency” in state government during the current special Session, the more hypocrisy I see.

Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-New Orleans, introduced House Resolution No. 20 which would prohibit members of the general public from entering into to the House’s “private dining facility” without being accompanied by a member of the House. The House Order of the Day (agenda) shows that the resolution is “subject to call for final passage” on the House Floor today.

There is something fundamentally wrong with prohibiting public access in a public building (State Capitol). One can understand the need to restrict access to certain areas for security reasons, but a “dining facility” in the “people’s building” is not one.

This situation becomes even more of a hypocrisy when one listens to the debate on the House Floor about limiting how much lobbyists can spend on meals for leges because of the need to access the leges during mealtimes.

Eliminate the problem

Seems to me that the public would be better served by the transparency of leges eating in commercial restaurants.

Rather than a rule to prohibit public access in a public building or to limit the amount lobbyist can spend to wine and dine a lege, perhaps it is time to eliminate the House’s “private (soon to be exclusive) dining facility” in OUR building.

Of course, my suggestion assumes that the governor and leges are really serious about transparency” in state government.

C.B.