Utah keeps former governor's morning meetings public

Utah state archivist Patricia Smith-Mansfield served the public well by standing up to pressure from former Gov. Mike Leavitt to pull from the public archives transcripts of "Early Morning Seminary" meetings involving the governor and his staff.

As The Salt Lake Tribune originally reported last month, Leavitt and senior staffers held morning meetings that incorporated Mormon stories and principles into his governing strategies. 

After The Tribune’s inquiries, Leavitt, who now heads the Department of Health and Human Services, asked for a review of the transcripts’ status as open records available from the state archives.  

Regardless of your views on the appropriate balance of church and state, Smith-Mansfield’s decision to keep these clearly public records open is a win for everyone.