Brown administration ordered to release 250 proposed bills

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – A judge has ruled that Gov. Kate Brown’s administration has until 5 p.m. Friday to release about 250 bill proposals for 2019.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports Marion County Circuit Court Judge Audrey Broyles ruled Wednesday, saying there’s a significant public interest in the documents being disclosed.

The case centers on whether Brown and state agencies she oversees can keep bill proposals confidential while legislative lawyers are drafting legislation.

With Brown in a close re-election race against Republican Knute Buehler, she has avoided the topic of how she would pay for several of her policy proposals and whether she wants to raise taxes in 2019.

The bill requests could shed light on that.

Officials say the state plans to ask the Oregon Court of Appeals to halt the records release.

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Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com