By: JONATHAN ELLIS

A bill that would open many government records to the public cleared its first hurdle Friday by passing in a Senate committee. Senate Bill 147 creates a presumption that government records are public. South Dakota is one of the only states in the nation without such a law.

Sen. Dave Knudson, R-Sioux Falls, the bill's sponsor, acknowledged that some issues need to be addressed as the bill works its way through the legislative process. The bill is modeled after Nebraska's public records law, and it includes specific exemptions for materials that aren't public, such as medical records, trade secrets and personnel issues.

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