Representative Charles Booker explains his "no" vote on the $8.5 million C3 contract last week. He expresses the mistrust with government shared by many and a very real concern for the lack of transparency then asks the critical question: How can we be sure the money goes where it is supposed go?

The clip ends with a Cabinet official offering assurances that transparency is a priority, but in comments to the press that followed the 7-1 vote approving the contract, Cabinet officials indicated that C3's compliance with the open records and meetings law is only voluntary.

This is *deeply* troubling coming from officials of an agency that was clearly the moving force behind failed efforts in the 2019 legislative session to expand existing exemptions in, and add multiple new exemptions to, the open records law.

Those exemptions were aimed at preventing the public from accessing public records relating to "economic development" that are currently accessible to the public on the pretext of enhancing Kentucky's ability to compete.

https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/19rs/hb387.html

It is widely believed that this bill—or a version of it—will be re-filed in 2020.

It is the same agency that in June 2019 sought Supreme Court review of a Court of Appeals' ruling affirming the public's right of access to records relating to Braidy Industries.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.courier-journal.com/amp/3704779002

https://appellate.kycourts.net/CA/COADockets/CaseDetails.aspx?cn=2018CA…

In his first term as a lawmaker, Booker understands what his more "experienced" colleagues do not understand (or may fully understand but choose to ignore): If it looks too good to be true, it is too good to be true.

Time will tell.