Under a policy set by Gov. Mike Easley, state workers can trash their own e-mail.

The policy allows users to determine themselves if an e-mail has "no administrative value." Easley's legal counsel, Andrew Vanore Jr., said this week that an e-mail's value may expire immediately if the message's sender or recipient determines it is no longer needed.

Amanda Martin, an attorney for the N.C. Press Association, challenged that claim.

"I do not believe that this policy gives public employees unfettered discretion to destroy documents at their personal whim," she said. 

State Transportation Secretary Lyndo Tippett sent an e-mail to about 9,500 DOT employees this week restating the policy and telling them they can delete e-mail when they want.

A review of e-mail retained by DOT spokesman Ernie Seneca showed that he has been routinely deleting messages that would be of public interest, including weekly status reports from top officials and schedules of whom he has spoken with on recent issues. (N&O)

A spokesman for the state Department of Transportation says it was a misunderstanding that led security officers to temporarily deny entry this morning to a News & Observer reporter seeking to attend Board of Transportation meetings.

"That's been cleared up," said Ernie Seneca.

Seneca said the department's policy is to let his office know when reporters show up for the meetings.

Why?

"Well, you know, sometimes we like to know if the media are attending an event," Seneca said. "They may want to interview a member or staff. It's a good idea to know who's covering a particular meeting, what (media) outlets are being represented. And that's all that was intended."

A News & Observer reporter was temporarily denied entry today to public meetings of the state Board of Transportation after two security officers said they were told the department's public information office had to be notified before any reporters could enter.

"Anything that has to do with the newspapers, TV, media we have to call (the office) before we can let you go back there," one of the security officers said.

The state's public meetings laws state that "each official meeting of a public body shall be open to the public, and any person is entitled to attend such a meeting."

There is nothing in the law that allows public agencies to delay someone's attendance until public information officers are notified.

Ernie Seneca, the department's chief public information officer, said the policy was not intended to bar or intimidate reporters trying to cover public meetings. He said the intent was for security officers to give his office a "heads up" when reporters enter the building.