ATLANTA - Attorney General Thurbert Baker announced today that House Bill 1549, the third and final part of his legislative package for 1998 has been introduced in the Georgia House of Representatives. The bill seeks to strengthen enforcement of Georgia's Open Meetings and Open Records laws by providing authority for the Attorney General to bring enforcement actions for violations of the law. The bill is sponsored by Representatives Dubose Porter, Roy Barnes, Jim Martin, and Tom Bordeaux.

Baker expressed optimism for the bill's chances of passage. "I think the General Assembly recognizes that government is most effective when the public has confidence in it. The best way to instill confidence in government is for government to be open and accessible to the people," Baker said.