AUGUSTA -- A Web site launched last year that posts the names of state workers and their salaries is coming under fire from legislators who want to protect the privacy of public employees.

Assistant Senate Majority Leader Lisa Marrache, D-Waterville, and five other central Maine lawmakers are supporting a bill that disallows the release of salary information as it pertains to "an individual state, county, municipal, school, University of Maine System, Maine Community College System or Maine Maritime Academy employee."

Instead, salary information would be released by position, not by name.

Marrache said she understands the importance of keeping state government information available to the public by honoring "sunshine laws."

"Open sunshine is all well and good, but putting people's names out there is not helpful," Marrache said. "You don't have to be putting people's names on a Web site."

Marrache said she's heard complaints from several state employees since the launch of MaineOpenGov.org, a Web site launched by the Maine Heritage Policy Center in Portland last fall. The site allows users to search the state budget by category or by employee.

Martin Sheehan, spokesman for the policy center, said Marrache's bill runs counter to government transparency.

"It would dilute it so much as to make it unusable," he said. "That's the problem with it."

Sheehan said it's important to have names on the site for many reasons.

For example, it allows a user to see if the same person retired and then came back to state service, or whether a state employee is directing contract work to a relative.

"Are people doing business with relatives or hiring their kids?" he said. "It's important for true transparency."

In March, the Web site was recognized by the Maine Freedom of Information Coalition, which promotes open government.

Coalition President Mal Leary said the bill would be "a step backward" and would make it more difficult to determine how much government workers are paid.

"It strikes us as going in the wrong direction, especially when President (Barack) Obama is calling for more disclosure on government spending," he said.

For example, Leary said, in the university system, there are many vice presidents in charge of various areas. It would be impossible for the public to be able to compare the salaries without knowing which position is which, he said.

Tim Belcher, executive director of the Maine State Employees Association, said there should be a balance between public information and the right of privacy for state workers.

"There are privacy issues involved for rank-and-file employees whose names and individual financial information is not of public interest," he said.

For example, there's a difference between the level of accountability for a department head and someone who cleans the office building, Belcher said.

"A lot of members and members of the public were offended by the publication of the names and the salary information," he said.

"For some people, it's a gross invasion of privacy. This is trying to rebalance those two interests."

On the other side, Sheehan said it's all part of the territory for state workers.

"Your boss is the taxpayer and your boss needs to know what you make," he said.

The bill, L.D. 1353 (http://janus.state.me.us/legis/LawMakerWeb/summary.asp?ID=280032492) will get a public hearing in the coming weeks.

Susan Cover -- 620-7015

scover@centralmaine.com