I saw a news report out of Twin Falls last month that got me thinking a bit more about the current state of public employee union negotiations. Thanks to the education reforms passed by the Legislature last winter, labor negotiations between the teachers' union and school boards must be conducted in an open meetings. Until now, the teachers' union and school boards in most school districts have ducked behind closed doors to hash out their multimillion dollar deals under the cover of secrecy. Now, the two sides must meet publicly. That led the Times-News to report in May that for the first time ever, "members of the public watched as district officials and local teachers union representatives started bargaining." What a concept, and what an improvement over the old, secretive backroom dealing method the taxpayers had been stuck with before/Wayne Hoffman, Idaho Freedom Foundation. More here.

Question: Hoffman goes on to say that labor negotiations between cities and unions for police and fire personnel should be open, too. Do you agree?