Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer says the state’s government will be more transparent with the new rules for releasing information he signed into law Thursday.
The new rules will speed up disclosure of body cam footage of police shootings, and require the state’s child welfare agency to release more information when a child dies in state custody or following reports of abuse.
Gov. Colyer said that will help prevent future tragedies like those that have dogged the Department for Children and Families.
“These kids are so important and we want to make sure that we look after them, that people know what’s happening and that we learn,” Colyer said.
The signing of the transparency measures came a day after some lawmakers criticized Colyer’s administration for awarding an IT company a multi-million dollar contract without public scrutiny. Colyer said the secretary of revenue will release more details about the contract.
Stephen Koranda is Statehouse reporter for Kansas Public Radio, a partner in the Kansas News Service. Follow him on Twitter @kprkoranda. Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished at no cost with proper attribution and a link back to the original post.To contact KMUW News or to send in a news tip, reach us at news@kmuw.org.