Louisiana advanced legislation to broaden public records exemptions for state universities, including withholding application materials for executive-level appointments until finalists are named. The Louisiana Senate voted 36–2 to advance Senate Bill 289, which now moves to the House. Supporters say the bill protects prospective applicants for top roles such as presidents, chancellors, senior vice chancellors and athletic coaches by keeping records confidential until the finalist stage. The bill would also exempt records that could identify private donors or prospective donors without written consent, while leaving the amount of donations subject to public records rules. Critics argued the measure is too broad and reduces the public’s right to know. The bill also includes exemptions tied to proprietary research, unpublished grant information, and intellectual property—information that becomes public under certain conditions such as publication or the end of a grant period.