Editorial: Balancing act over homeland security

Friday, Jan. 24, 2003 | 9:06 a.m.

Nevada's 17 counties are in some stage of formalizing homeland security committees. A sticking point is whether the committees should be subject to the state open meeting law. The 2003 Legislature will likely consider a homeland security bill and a major question will be secrecy versus openness.

Our view is that Nevadans have a right to know the bottom-line budgets of the committees, the names and positions of the people serving on the committees and the general scope of the committees' responsibility. There is no need, however, for public disclosure of intelligence findings or specific strategies and purchases. Common sense should be the guide here. It would be a good idea, however, for the Legislature to allow for an oversight panel. The panel could protect against any abuses that might occur in an environment of total secrecy.

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