Record Sealing Bill - Editorial and Comments

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Bad legislation doesn't smell any better the second time around.

Such is the case with House Bill 1082, sponsored by state Sen. Bob Bacon.

The bill seeks to allow those with criminal convictions to have them sealed from public purview after 10 years of clean living. Bacon, a Fort Collins Democrat, believes that those records are making it difficult for those seeking a second chance to find employment. And he's probably correct on that point. Yet, that isn't a strong enough reason to override the public's access to such relevant information.

The public welfare has to be given more consideration. Barring public access to such documents is a slippery slope. The bill does acknowledge that certain types of records will remain open, including those involving sexual offenses, criminally negligent homicide, crimes against pregnant women, harassment, child abuse and domestic violence, among others. That leaves out what some might call a wide swath of "white-collar" crime, making this bill curious in its content and in its exceptions.

The Coloradoan