Cybersecurity and Public Records

By Rebecca Gladstone

Numerous promising bills mentioned in hearings will probably pop up for first public hearings shortly. Watch the legislative calendar for bill processing deadlines. Reporting will continue for bills with our filed testimony. I’ll add other bills and also testify to amendments as they warrant further attention. Some 28 bills referred here for relevant League testimony will probably fail to move this session.

HB 2049: The League supports this cybersecurity omnibus committee bill, returning from last session. Governments seeking help, the private sector offering it, and academia, K-20 to work, are together here. This bill can modernize our IT, boost our current and long-term workforce, and improve public awareness. A fourth informational hearing was held for invited speakers, adding time for public testimony. This bill’s concept passed unanimously out of committee last session and no testimony in opposition has been filed yet this session. See our testimony and the collaborative support letter LWVOR endorsed.

SB 417: Senate Judiciary Chair, Sen. Lieber, agreed to our request for a Task Force to work on this public records fee bill. It has been held for input and we will meet on Feb. 27 to work on it.

Rights of Incarcerated People

By Marge Easley

The bill that gives adults in custody the right to vote appears to be on the move. A work session on SB 579 has been scheduled for March 2 in Senate Judiciary. We will keep you updated on its progress.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED. Worthy causes go unaddressed for lack of League volunteers. If you see a need and can offer your expertise, please contact our staff at lwvor@lwvor.org.