This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Alliance for Unity, a group of Utah business, civic and religious leaders, is calling on the Legislature to repeal HB477, the new law that would change state records laws.
In a statement released Wednesday, the Alliance said while there may be merit in modifying some out-of-date aspects of the law, that work should be done in public.
"Attempts to deny the public's access to open records are not in the public's interest regardless of one's political beliefs," said the Alliance in the statement. "Furthermore, such attempts are not in the interest of freedom."
Alliance members include: Robert "Archie" Archuleta, community activist; Pamela J. Atkinson, community activist; Elder M. Russell Ballard, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Ralph Becker, Salt Lake City mayor; Cynthia Buckingham, executive director, Utah Humanities Council; Rev. France A. Davis, Calvary Baptist Church; Spencer F. Eccles, chairman emeritus, Wells Fargo Bank; Jon M. Huntsman, chairman, Huntsman Corp.; Norma Matheson, former First Lady of Utah; Alexander B. Morrison, executive director of the Alliance; Dinesh Patel, managing director, vSpring Capital; Harris H. Simmons, president, Zions Bancorporation; Dean Singleton, publisher, The Salt Lake Tribune; The Most Reverend John C. Wester, Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City; Michael K. Young, president, University of Utah.