The proposed changes to Georgia’s Open Records Act were tacked onto another bill, Senate Bill 12, late in the day Wednesday in the gatekeeping House Rules Committee, bypassing the usual legislative committee process and shortcutting public debate on the measure.

Under the new proposal, police departments would be able to shield almost all information about officers’ stops, arrests and incident responses, says Sarah Brewerton-Palmer, president of the Georgia First Amendment Foundation.

Additionally, the bill would create broad new exemptions to prevent public disclosure of the General Assembly’s activities, including communication with other parts of state government, she said.