Waters takes parting shot at legislative leaders' failed bill for invesigative agency

With the Kentucky General Assembly in the last full week of its 2009 session, columnist Jim Waters took a parting shot at one of the session's most controversial bills, which would have set up a new legislative investigating agency immune from public scrutiny.

The legislation was sponsored by Republican Senate President David Williams and Democratic House Speaker Greg Stumbo, but didn't even come to a vote in committee.

"Yes, ensuring government operates more efficiently, effectively and fiscally is a good thing. But holding secret hearings and conducting secret audits is not," wrote Waters, of the Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions, a libertarian think tank based in Bowling Green.

"Creating another large, costly government agency to do audits – the elected state auditor’s job – is not. Exempting state politicians from all accountability and transparency – another end run past the state open meetings and records law – is not."

Waters added that without transparency, "No hope exists for restoring public trust in government, which is at an all-time low." For the full text of his weekly column, click here.