News media coverage of the legislative session is a vital link between state government and the Kansas public. The ability of news reporters to ask questions and share information with the residents of the state is a key component of open and responsive government.

Charging reporters a fee to carry out that job flies in the face of our democratic principles. Yet, that’s exactly what Kansas reporters trying to cover the state Legislature were asked to do at the beginning of the current legislative session.

To get onto the floor of the House and Senate, where they would have access to legislators during important debates, reporters were ordered to obtain a special Statehouse media pass. A photo ID badge issued by their newspaper or broadcast station wasn’t enough.

Reporters and photographers were instructed to follow a three-step process. They needed to present written authorization from their employer on company letterhead along with a photo ID to someone in the office of the House speaker or the Senate president. Then it was off to the Legislative Administrative Services office to fill out an application for a media pass. The last stop on the journey was the Landon State Office Building where their media passes were photographed, printed and, oh yes, paid for.

Not only were qualified news media members told to jump through multiple hoops to duplicate a press ID most of them already had, they were being required to pay an $11 fee for the privilege of observing state government in action. The amount wasn’t large, but the precedent was huge.

The new policy was justified by state officials as an attempt “to increase security features of the Legislature.” Considering that most people who enter the Capitol aren’t even asked to show an ID, the new requirements for news media seem out of line. If the state sees a need to provide additional IDs as a security measure, that is a cost of business that should be borne by the state, not passed on to Kansans who simply want to observe the work of their government.

In response to an outcry from the state’s news media and the Kansas Press Assn., the fee eventually was waived. Hopefully a message also was conveyed about the importance of providing the public and the media free access to their state government.