S.D. governor opposes new open-records legislation

South Dakota legislation that would presume all records are open unless they are specifically closed or exempted by law has support from top-ranking Democrats and Republicans in each chamber. Gov. Mike Rounds, however, could veto the bill, which he said could lead to the disclosure of personal information about private citizens that had been gathered by an official.

A coalition of Republicans and Democrats began a drive Thursday to strengthen South Dakota's laws on open government records and to require more information about state government contracts and finances be available on the Internet.

The open-records legislation is patterned on Nebraska law and would presume that records are open unless they are specifically closed or exempted by law. South Dakota law currently says public records are only those that state law requires a government to keep.

Gov. Mike Rounds told South Dakota Newspaper Association members Thursday, however, that he prefers keeping the current approach.

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