The North Carolina House is committed to trying to work with the Senate to approve legislation that would make more work histories of government employees available to the public, Speaker Tim Moore said Thursday.

Senate Republicans have taken multiple paths to send legislation to the House that would make accessible to media and citizens short explanations of why a state or local government employee was transferred, demoted or suspended. It’s supported by the North Carolina Press Association.

The latest iteration reached the House on Wednesday after the Senate added the language to a bipartisan House bill related to electronic notarizations. The House, in turn, voted Thursday to refuse to accept the combination measure.

Moore said a key sponsor of the notary measure doesn’t want the two topics considered in the same bill. Moore pointed to a standalone public employee disclosure measure the Senate approved in June as the proper vehicle for negotiations.

The speaker said while there’s no pushback within his chamber about making government more transparent, he’s heard from colleagues concerned about unintended consequences with making more personnel information available. The State Employees Association of North Carolina, which opposes the measure, has said information released that’s misleading could unfairly damage workers’ careers.

 

Photo via the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.