LINCOLN- State Senator Steve Erdman is launching another effort to bar reporters from covering discussions and actions taken during executive sessions of Nebraska legislative committees. Under current legislative rules, reporters are allowed to attend the closed-door executive sessions of committees so they “may report on action taken and on all discussions in executive session.” In these sessions, lawmakers debate whether or not bills will advance to a full debate on the floor.

A similar proposal was made two years ago but failed to make it to the governor's desk. Senator Erdman cited county and school boards that do not allow media in their executive sessions as a reason for its transition into the legislature. Senator Erdman said the media has an advantage over the public when they are allowed into these sessions.

A Nebraska media representative said executive sessions at the Unicameral are much different from those for local governing boards, where closed-door sessions are allowed only for delicate subjects, such as labor negotiations or firing an employee. Rose Ann Shannon, president of Media of Nebraska, said barring news media from reporting on routine actions within exec sessions is the wrong move at a time when distrust in institutions is on the increase.

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