Maine’s open government law often expanded, restricted

From Maine Sun Journal:

A legislative committee’s vote Wednesday in favor of making the identifying information of concealed handgun permit holders confidential moves the Legislature closer to adding to a list of exceptions in Maine’s public records law that has grown over time to nearly 500.
 
Those exceptions bar records ranging from state park camper reservations to prison floor plans from coming into public view.
 
[…]
 
And they prevent businesses’ trade secrets from falling into the hands of competitors when they submit information to government agencies to comply with regulations or apply for tax benefits.
 
“You go through so many parts of the law, and you have to weigh what’s in the public interest versus the private interest,” said Mal Leary, president of the Maine Freedom of Information Coalition and managing editor of Maine Public Broadcasting Network’s Capitol Connection service.

Maine Freedom of Information Coalition is a member of NFOIC.–eds.