Topeka ? A legislative committee Friday recommended approval of bills to withhold information from the public about security measures taken by governmental agencies.

The bills were sought by officials with cities and counties who said they needed to keep secret their security measures formed to respond to terrorism threats.

“Since the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, these security issues have come to the forefront and make it essential for this legislation to be in place for the protection of our local communities,” said Judy Moler, general counsel for the Kansas Association of Counties.

But media representatives said the proposed exemptions to the Kansas Open Meetings Act and Kansas Open Records Act were too broad.

“The people of America believe that even in times of turmoil, what their government does and how it responds is important for them to know,” said Doug Anstaett, executive director of the Kansas Press Assn.

After 9-11, the Legislature passed laws allowing governmental agencies to make terrorism security plans in secret. The revisions under consideration now would broaden those laws, allowing governments to keep secret “responses to actual events” under an amendment by state Rep. Carl Krehbiel, R-Moundridge.

Anstaett said if that proposal had been law during the 9-11 attacks, the American public wouldn’t have been allowed to know about law enforcement’s response.

“Our concern is that the language is so broad and vague, it could be used to close off all information when there was a security problem,” he said.

The bills — HB 2489 and HB 2490 — were approved by the Special Committee on Kansas Security and now will go to the full House for consideration.