Senators favor public hearings over NDAs as developers offer confidential cost estimates

Legislative Digest reporter Tim Bridal asked why developer cost estimates (variously transcribed as Glenfarn/Glenfarms) had been offered only under confidentiality and whether the Legislature could accept that information in an executive session.

Multiple senators pushed back on the use of NDAs or secret sessions for core legislative work. Senator Wilikowski said public access to information is important so ‘‘decision makers are aware, and they make their decisions based on that’’; he and others said recent consultant briefings and Department of Revenue information have provided helpful public transparency. Senator Giesel noted the LBNA (Legislative Budget and Audit) committee is a smaller, bicameral panel and stressed the public’s expectation of open hearings.

Senators said they prefer to keep committee work public where possible and that a small group receiving confidential information would not allow the full Legislature to weigh evidence in open session.

What happens next: committee chairs said they will continue to try to secure public information from developers and rely on consultants and the Department of Revenue where possible; the decision whether to accept confidential materials in a closed session remains unresolved.