From DelawareOnline.com: A group created by Gov. Jack Markell violated the state’s open meetings law last year when it did not keep minutes or open its meetings to the public, an Attorney General’s opinion released Tuesday said.
[…]
“Delaware citizens have important rights – rights protected in [The Freedom of Information Act’s] open meeting provisions – to observe the performance of public officials and to monitor the decisions that are made by such officials in formulating and executing public policy,” the AG's opinion said. “Those rights were frustrated with respect to the activities of the Working Group.”
[…]
John Flaherty, president of the Delaware Coalition for Open Government, sought the opinion. He said he’s glad to see the AG’s office sticking up for transparency, noting that rendering opinions on the governor’s office is a “tough situation politically.”
“The chief officer of this state should be setting the example for all the other bodies. That’s why we were very disappointed in the actions the Governor’s staff took in this case,” Flaherty said. “I think the important point here is that this working group has been found guilty in the court of public opinion, and I hope this sets a precedent moving forward.”
Visit DelawareOnline.com for more.
The Delaware Coalition for Open Government is a member of NFOIC. –eds
======