News-Record.com

As I've said before, if elected leaders want to give out money and goodies to attract a business to locate somewhere, so be it. That's a policy decision and I take no position. However, one might think that public money should be handled, well, in public.

But in many cases, governments promise not to say anything about their agreements or about certain details of those agreements with companies. Typically, by the time a deal is public knowledge, it's all but sealed.

Rep. Paul Luebke, a Durham Democrat, ran a bill today meant to shed a little sunshine on that process. HB 1663 would have voided confidentiality agreements elected official sign with regards to economic development.

In other words, someone in elected office would have the option of keeping a secret, but wouldn't have to and couldn't be sued if they decided the folks who elected him and pay taxes to the government about what was coming down the pike. (City managers and other professionals would still be clammed up, but legislators, city councilmen and the like could blab.)

Cut to debate late Thursday afternoon. This bill is one of the last to be heard in House before crossover and Luebke makes his pitch.

"Sunshine is important in government," Luebke said. Click here to listen to the full initial pitch.

So, pitch made, the bill comes under fire from several in the room, including Pryor Gibson, an Anson Democrat, Rep. Bill Owens, of Pasquotank and others who say that it would doom economic development projects.

In fact, Luebke's best allies on this bill were conservative Republicans like Rep. Paul Stam of Wake County and Rep. John Blust of Guilford County.

After watching the Commerce Department's General Counsel, Don Hobart, whip up opposition to the bill and getting savaged mainly by senior members of his own party, Luebke sounds upset.

Finally, Owens moves to send the bill back to committee. And that sets things off.

"I just get real tired of Commerce running over here and saying the sky is falling, the sky is falling. And the people of this state, county by county, city by city, are undermined when public officials are under pressure - under pressure - to sign confidentiality agreements," Luebke said.

Shortly, he added, "I say to you it is a big problem, it's a national problem. State by state people realized how they're being blackmailed and coerced by the big corporations that come in. And members, just have the guts for once to vote for the people in your district and not for the Department of Commerce that preaches that the sky is falling."

The vote was 77-38 to refer the bill back to committee, probably killing it for the session.

Update: Votes of local note include:

Vote to re-refer: Adams, Holliman, Jones, Wiley
No votes: Blust, Brubaker, Harrison, Jeffus
Click here for the full vote.

Now, I really didn't do justice to the last almost eight minutes of debate here, so you can click here to listen for yourself.