CA State legislature under pressure over secrecy

[The Straight Story]

SACRAMENTO, CA (AP) - Their decisions affect every Californian, from how much money the neighborhood public school receives to whether their taxes will go up.

But California lawmakers have operated under a shield of secrecy since 1975 because of a law that allows them to avoid releasing basic information -- from how much they spend on office staff and where they fly at taxpayers' expense.

Now that shield is showing signs of cracking.

An internal political feud between the powerful Assembly speaker and a fellow Democrat has erupted into a public debate on the Legislature's disclosure rules.

http://www.news10.net/news/article/152131/2/State-legislature-under-pressure-over-secrecy