If the measure passed, she said, the amount of information commissioners would gather before making a decision would not be different. Current and former coastal commissioners also question the value of ex parte communications and whether extra staff would be necessary if they were banned. She said that she remains optimistic, in part because of growing public concern about perceived lack of transparency at the Coastal Commission. The analysis by the Natural Resources Agency supported the argument by some commissioners: that ex parte communications are a valuable source of information for commissioners and provide the public access to them. The Coastal Commission and the Senate Appropriations Committee both studied Jackson’s bill and saw no major costs — and in some cases found there could be savings.

Source: Los Angeles Times August 02, 2016 01:43 UTC