Government officials across Oregon could get a clearer idea of when they can meet behind closed doors in 2016, when the Oregon Government Ethics Commission plans to begin a process to clarify state law on executive sessions.
The Legislature passed a law earlier this year to give the ethics commission authority to write administrative rules that will spell out how the state should apply the law on executive sessions. Continue…
[…]
A special prosecutor has been assigned to determine whether behind-the-scenes negotiations could void a last-minute deal struck by Montgomery County commissioners to get a scaled-back $270 million road bond package on the upcoming November ballot.
[…]
Read More… from Ballot’s $270M road bond package possibly void in Texas
An Idaho transportation committee may have been breaking open meeting laws for the past 25 years, the Twin Falls prosecuting attorney’s office says.
The Greater Twin Falls Area Transportation Committee hasn’t posted an agenda or meeting notice as long as it has existed but will from now on, Chairman Gary Young said. Continue…
[…]
Read More… from Idaho transportation group broke open meeting laws for 25 years
As the Garden City Board of Trustees continues to negotiate for a settlement with purchasers of a disputed parcel of land at Franklin Court, the New York State Committee on Open Government issued an advisory opinion this week that said the Board may have violated the law in how it discussed various aspects of the sale.
[…]
Read More… from State says BOT may have violated Open Meetings Law
A panel of experts assembled to offer advice on transparency issues is not subject to the state's open meetings law. At least that's the opinion of Ann Butterworth, who heads the Comptroller's Office of Open Records Counsel.
She made the finding in response to an email activist Ken Jakes requested for more information about a recent teleconference held by the 14-member Advisory Committee on Open Government.
[…]
Read More… from Open meetings laws don’t apply to TN transparency panel
A panel of experts assembled to offer advice on transparency issues is not subject to the state’s open meetings law. At least that’s the opinion of Ann Butterworth, who heads the Comptroller’s Office of Open Records Counsel.
She made the finding in response to an email activist Ken Jakes’ request for more information about a recent teleconference held by the 14-member Advisory Committee on Open Government.
[…]
Read More… from Open meetings laws don’t apply Tenn. transparency panel
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.
[…]
[…]
Read More… from Biden’s office says charter study group broke open-meeting laws
From Houston Chronicle: MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The state Supreme Court on Friday ordered a judge to dismiss an open-meetings lawsuit filed by two Alabama Public Television executives fired last year in a flap that preceded a wave of resignations from the network.
The justices ruled against Allan Pizzato and Pauline Howland in a decision their lawyer and a dissenting justice said would weaken the state’s law requiring public bodies to meet in the open.
[…]
Read More… from Alaska Supreme Court rules against fired public TV execs
Opinion from Elko Daily Free Press:
The Nevada Legislature this session has an opportunity to make some welcome and substantial improvements to open government in this state, and there’s a good chance it will.
At the same time, I’m calling on two other important components of open government — the press and the public — to do their part to step up the quality of discourse on legislation and policy.
[…]
