BOSTON (AP) — A special commission examining whether the Legislature should continue to enjoy an exemption from the state’s open records law is about to meet publicly for the first time.
The review was required under a 2017 bill that modernized the public records law.
The panel chaired by Democratic Sen. Walter Timilty of Milton and Democratic Rep. Jennifer Benson of Lunenburg will meet at the Statehouse on Tuesday.
The law was overhauled to improve citizens’ access to public records and make it harder for governmental bodies to shield document they do not wish to share.
Lawmakers retained their own exemption from the law, but agreed to study the issue.
The commission was originally supposed to issue a report by the end of 2017, but was granted an extension until Dec. 1, 2018. Read more…