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RALEIGH — Gov. Bev Perdue vetoed a bill Thursday that would have restricted public access to some records, perhaps scoring some political points in the process.

The bill, H104, specifies when lawmakers can hold certain items out of public view. It passed both the House and Senate unanimously in the waning days of this summer’s legislative session.

Perdue objected to language in the bill that would have required executive branch agencies to keep lawmakers’ secrets.

Under the proposed law, if the General Assembly asked for information from a state agency, that request would be confidential. Perdue said it was possible that documents provided to lawmakers under such a request could be taken out of public view. Divulging such a request, even accidentally or to seek counsel, could have subjected state workers to criminal penalties, Perdue said.

“I believe everything we can make public belongs to the people,” Perdue told reporters shortly after vetoing the bill Thursday afternoon. “It’s the public’s documents. And this bill just really goes in and erodes our commitment to transparency.”

Her move won credit from advocates for better transparency in government records, meetings and campaigns.

“It was, at best, a flawed bill,” said Jane Pinksy of the North Carolina Coalition for Lobbying and Government Reform. “At worst, it was a bill that increased secrecy.”

Pinksy said the measure would have made it hard for reporters, citizens and advocates to keep track of or fight potential government actions.

Lawmakers will have a chance to override Perdue’s veto at a special session on Sept. 18. However, members could sign a petition declining to return to Raleigh.

“We need to get our heads around it and what we want to do,” said Rep. Hugh Holliman, a Lexington Democrat and the House majority leader. He said House leaders had not decided whether they would return, adding, “I doubt we’d bring everybody back.”

A spokesman for Senate leader Marc Basnight, a Manteo Democrat, said his chamber would defer to the wishes of the House, where the measure was first drafted.

Perdue has signed every other bill that reached her desk this summer. This is her first veto and she took the action on the last possible day before the law would gone into effect without her signature.

Her predecessor, Gov. Mike Easley issued nine vetoes; legislators overrode one. Observers say that it could be politically difficult for lawmakers to justify returning to Raleigh in order to pass a bill that increases government secrecy.

The veto could help Perdue look more assertive and win over voters at a time when her approval ratings have been fairly low — less than 30 percent according two different polls.

“My sense is this is a cheap win for the governor,” said Andrew Taylor, a political science professor at N.C. State. “It allows her to quite visibly connect herself to this whole reform and transparency movement.”

Contact Mark Binker at (919) 832-5549 or mark.binker@news-record.com.