KWOS Jefferson City News Authority
State Rep. Rudy Veit (R-Wardsville), the Missouri House Judiciary Committee vice chairman, admits there are collateral consequences to a bill Missouri lawmakers passed in 2023 involving court secrecy. The bill, which was sponsored by Representative Veit, required the removal of almost all personal identifiers. The Missouri Broadcasters Association and Gateway Journalism Review editor William Freivogel have filed a lawsuit in Cole County Circuit Court, saying the law violates the Missouri Constitution. Representative Veit joined us live this morning on 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Mid-Missouri”, telling listeners that he’s heard complaints from both reporters and judges about things being redacted in court documents like probable cause statements. He says there was bipartisan support to have a legislative fix this year, saying the bill died at the end of session in May due to unrelated Missouri Senate filibusters. Representative Veit tells listeners that while it will be up to the courts to determine if the bill is unconstitutional, the 2023 law needs fixing. But he also told listeners that before the bill was passed, people were using online court records to try to get personal information. 939 the Eagle’s Brian Hauswirth explained to Representative Veit how the court documents in Columbia’s White Castle murder case highlight an issue with the 2023 law:
