On Monday, Governor Mike Pence of Indiana said his decision whether to veto a measure that would protect 10 Indiana colleges and police departments at Notre Dame from following the same crime reporting requirements as all other law enforcement departments weigh heavily in his strong bias for the "public's right to know."
A bill, known as HB1022, sponsored by state Representative B. Patrick Bauer, D-South Bend would exempt police departments at the University of Notre Dame and other private colleges from following the same reporting requirements. The bill was approved 49-1 by the Indiana Senate and passed in the House unanimously in January, reports South Bend Tribute.
Rep. Bauer filed a concurrence, which signals an agreement with a Senate amendment. The amendment indicates that any private college or university police officials will be granted the same immunity and protection for actions taken within the scope of their job as state police officers and that private academic institutions and their governing bodies would also have the same immunity granted to the state.
According to Wish TV, it is not yet a state law, but the bill which permits private university police departments to refuse to give away investigative records from the public is now on the desk of Gov. Mike Pence. The governor then underlined that they are examining the bill very carefully.
In 2015, Gov. Pence vetoed a legislation that would tack additional fees onto many public records requests. The Chicago Tribune reported that the governor also sponsored the "reporter shield protection" which protects journalists who are facing jail time for not exposing confidential sources under court.
The Indiana Court of Appeals ruled in favor of ESPN last week, which sought records from Notre Dame for crimes involving student athletes who may have received a favorable treatment. Republican Gov. Pence has until Thursday to decide on the measure, which was pressed by the state's private universities.
