open meetings – Page 4 – National Freedom of Information Coalition

Montana: Agencies say they’ll be ready to meet transparency laws

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HELENA, Mont. – Directors at six state agencies say they'll be ready to record their meetings when new transparency laws requiring them to do so take effect this year.

Five agencies must make video or audio recordings of their meetings available online or on television within one working day beginning July 1. They include the Board of Public Education, Board of Investments, teachers' and public employees' retirement boards and the Board of Regents.

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Alabama: Lawmakers seek to strengthen open meetings law

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MONTGOMERY – The Alabama House on Tuesday passed legislation to tighten the state law requiring city councils, county commissions and other governing bodies to meet in public.

The bill, which passed 91-4, would prohibit boards and committees from holding a series of meetings of a few members behind closed doors.

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Judge rules town of Waverly (VA) violated FOIA

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At a Wednesday afternoon hearing, Sussex County Circuit Court Chief Judge W. Allan Sharrett found that Waverly’s mayor and town clerk had knowingly violated the state’s Freedom of Information Act and failed to comply with a provision of the state’s open meetings law.

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With Illinois FOIA and Open Meetings Act, it’s McHenry County residents’ right to know

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Five years ago, the Northwest Herald began an ongoing series called “No More Excuses” to badger and shame local governments into compliance with new and much stronger open-government laws.

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Editorial:Public must stand up for sunshine

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Sunshine Sunday kicks off Sunshine Week in the Sunshine State. That should produce enough glare to require sunglasses as politicians boast about their open meetings, accessible records and public debates. Then why so many dark clouds on the horizon?

The concept of government in the sunshine is straightforward. Every public agency has to open nearly all of its meetings, allow relevant documents to be examined and copied, and let citizens hear the debate that informs important decisions, especially when tax dollars are at stake.

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Editorial: Bills are an assault on Iowa’s public records law

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Almost seven weeks into the legislative session, no fewer than 25 bills have been introduced that would affect open meetings, open records or public notice advertising in Iowa.

The bill that has received the most attention is one being fast-tracked that would seal data on Iowa's concealed weapons permit holders. But other bills are lurking in the wings that also would erode openness in our state's government.

Among them:

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Prime Prep Academy ordered to release documents to The News

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The Texas attorney general’s office has intervened to force Prime Prep Academy to release public documents it has withheld from The Dallas Morning News for months.

The troubled charter school had 10 business days to provide all the documents to the attorney general, but it appears Prime Prep will miss that Friday deadline. Edwin Flores, the school’s attorney in this matter, said he forwarded all documents he’s received, but some still haven’t been produced by administrators.

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Open government advocate: Hold meetings when more residents are able to attend

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Of the 28 official Danville boards and commissions listed on the city’s website, about half of them hold meetings during work-day hours — while open to the public, most people with daytime jobs would find them difficult to attend.
Megan Rhyne, executive director of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government, said while her organization does not have a “best practices” stance on what time government bodies should hold their meetings at the most convenient times possible for the largest number of people.

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School Board must discuss its own performance in open meeting

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Caroline County's school board members went into a closed session last week to discuss, among other matters, their own performance. It's probably not a bad idea to evaluate themselves occasionally, but they shouldn't keep it secret from county residents.

In fact, using a closed meeting under the personnel exemption to talk about themselves is not permitted under state law. Virginia's Freedom of Information Act permits closed meetings to discuss ìspecific' people they have the authority to hire, fire, discipline or evaluate.

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Tacoma Port commission approves open meetings defense costs

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The Port of Tacoma could pay up to $50,000 to defend its commission members against a lawsuit alleging they violated the state's Open Meetings Act by holding confidential meetings with the Port of Seattle commissioners over a planned operations alliance.

The commission unanimously approved last week an authorization for the port to pay legal fees of up to $50,000 to defend commission members in a lawsuit brought by Olympia open government advocate Arthur West. Any costs beyond $50,000 will be paid by the port's legal liability insurance carrier.

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