On March 31, Associate Policy Director Sarah Sample testified before the Government, Labor, and Elections Committee in support of SB 632 – State Government – State Elected Officials – Protection of Personal Information with amendments.
This bill strengthens privacy protections for state officials while maintaining transparency for ethics and other mandatory disclosures for individuals in these roles. These changes, to extend new safety measures for state elected officials, have the potential to deter harmful actions that both endanger public servants and discourage public participation in leadership roles.
In recent years, rising threats and acts of violence against public officials have underscored the growing risks associated with public service. Counties recognize both the urgent need to safeguard those who serve and the importance of maintaining transparent government.
With targeted amendments to expand protections to local elected officials and provide a more workable compliance timeline, counties view this legislation as a meaningful step toward ensuring that public service remains both safe and accessible.
While the bill places new responsibilities on local government custodians
and communications teams, the continued absence of the protections afforded in SB 632 can have a devastating impact on public participation, with some elected roles already seeing a decline in interested candidates. As such, counties are happy to support this bill but do, however, request an amendment to include local elected officials under these new privacy protections.
More on MACo’s Advocacy:
