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proponents have finished their report.

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THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Willoner.

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DELEGATE WILLONER: I yield 3 minutes to

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Delegate Mitchell.

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DELEGATE' MITCHELL: Mr. Chairman and fellow

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delegates: I think that an editorial which appeared in

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the Washington Post best expresses my position. In that

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editorial it discussed the proposal which at that time

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had come before our committee and we had had open hearings

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on the right to know, the right of the people to know, and

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the Post went on to say that our proposal would allow the

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legislature to create exceptions to the policy, the general

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policy that the meetings and records of all governmental

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bodies will be open to the public, and those exceptions

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would protect such matters as individual tax returns,

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welfare rolls, and all of those dealing with personnel

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which should be closed to the public, and any other matter

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which in the general public interest should have privacy.

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But there is an inherent right of all citizens

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to know what their government is doing, and sometimes

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governmental officials in the conduct of their offices act