Sunshine Week. Open meetings. We’re all very familiar with these terms — but how much emphasis do we really place on the significance they have in our government?
Last week, March 16-22, was observed as Sunshine Week and, as we in the newspaper industry often say, shines a light on how important it is that our elected officials conduct themselves in being transparent in their roles.
We can’t take open meetings laws for granted. They were established with a goal in mind: To keep us, the people officeholders serve, informed.
Behind closed door shenanigans are nothing new in the political arena. But the laws governing open meetings ensure that those who serve are responsible and truly open.
The concept behind an open meeting is simple: Legislation was passed to direct how public meetings are conducted. Continue>>>
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