State Auditor Claire McCaskill is again pushing for a tougher open meetings/open records law before a senate committee. McCaskill tells senators a performance audit conducted by her office disclosed many public bodies in the state didn’t comply with a non-threatening request for public records. She says the burden of proof in the current law is too light, comparing it to a speeder trying to wiggle out of a ticket by telling the police officer he didn’t know the speed limit. The Missouri Municipal League favors the proposed changes, but worries about its increase in fines from the current $500 to $5,000. It says that could discourage volunteers from taking positions on public bodies.
