(Columbia-AP) Feb. 26, 2003 - The Society of Professional Journalists has criticized Governor Mark Sanford for holding his cabinet meetings behind closed doors.

A spokeswoman for the organization wrote a letter to Sanford asking how citizens can stay informed when they are excluded from the meetings. Sanford says the media adds little value to cabinet meetings. Sanford says he has a fiduciary duty to taxpayers to produce good sausage and the media does not help the sausage-making process.

Sanford says he has spoken with a number of governors and has not found one who opens cabinet meetings, but the Council of State Governments says cabinet meeting are open in at least nine states across the country.

Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell says Sanford's proposal to give the executive branch more power could face opposition if he continues to close cabinet meetings to the public.

McConnell says the few reasons cabinet meetings should be closed include legal advice, security issues and contract negotiations.

House Speaker David Wilkins says he thinks the governor should be able to decide whether to open cabinet meetings.

The first meeting of Sanford's 13-member cabinet was February 12th, and, for the most part, it was meeting behind closed doors. Sanford spokesman Chris Drummond said at the time the cabinet would meet in private, because "it's not a public body."

At a January briefing, Sanford said public officials needed to work out deals in private so they could speak freely, something he says the media could prevent happening.

Columbia media attorney Jay Bender said the state Freedom of Information Act requires such meetings to be held in the open, especially when the cabinet discusses the state budget crisis.

Sanford says he plans to hold monthly cabinet meetings, though he says he's not sure whether the meetings will be open to the public.

posted 8:56am by Chris Rees