Governor Peter Shumlin and Attorney General Bill Sorrell appear to be at odds over the governor’s proposal to grant more public access to police records.
Shumlin says access to records of police investigations is too restricted under current law. He wants Vermont to adopt the federal standards of access to police records. The rules used by the federal government say records are presumed open, except when a private citizen’s privacy might be invaded or police investigative techniques might be compromised.
On Thursday, Sorrell told the Senate’s Judiciary Committee he doesn’t see a need for change in the current state law, which he sees as superior to the federal government’s.
Committee chairman Sen. Dick Sears says he’s leaning toward Shumlin’s position, but would like to study rules used by other states.