AG rulings favor open meetings

From Rapid City Journal:

Chadron’s efforts to hire a city manager have extended well in to 2012 after former city manager Sandra Powell resigned in October 2011. At the most recent city council meeting, the local news media was accused of interfering in the process. It’s not the first time the issue has been brought forth.

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State: District 833 School Board violated Minnesota’s Open Meeting Law

From Woodbury Bulletin:

The South Washington County School Board violated state law in its handling of Superintendent Mark Porter’s final performance evaluation, according to a state opinion.

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Appeals Court To Hold Hearing On Open Meetings Act

From WLNS.com:

The Michigan Court of Appeals is hearing arguments in cases related to troubled city finances in Detroit and Flint. The issue is whether the state review teams that looked at the books in both cities should have met in public.

Lower court judges ruled that they must meet the requirements of the Open Meetings Act. The court will hear arguments Thursday. A decision will be released at a later date.

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Lawyers debate application of Open Meetings Act in appeal arguments

From Detroit News:

Lansing—The state Court of Appeals on Thursday heard oral arguments in four cases in which lower courts ruled financial review teams appointed under Public Act 4 violated the Open Meetings Act.

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SC House approves strengthening open records law

From Aiken Standard:

COLUMBIA, S.C.—The South Carolina House approved a bill Thursday strengthening the state's open records law.

The bill approved 101-1 a bill barring public agencies, governments and school districts from charging excessive fees for public records and requiring them to respond more quickly. It also removes legislators' exemption from the law.

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Governor launches a program to push staff emails online

From Miami Herald:

Gov. Rick Scott launched a new open records program Thursday dubbed "Project Sunburst," designed to give the public — and the media — access to the emails to and from the governor and 11 top staff within seven days of writing them.

At a news conference at the Capitol, the governor touted the effort as a great leap forward.

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New open records law brings confusion, changes

From Dalton Daily Citizen:

For almost eight years, the Whitfield County Board of Commissioners has assigned liaisons to most county departments to help manage the departments and keep the rest of the board members up to date on county projects. But Board of Commissioners Chairman Mike Babb says changes in the state’s open records law may lead the board to abolish any formal liaisons.

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Attorney General’s Office Talks Open Records; Low Attendance from School Board

From 41NBC.com:

MACON—Today, the Bibb County community and the school board got a first hand lesson about Georgia's Open Records and Open Meetings Laws.

Senior Assistant Attorney General Stefan Ritter came down to educate the school board.

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Open records advocates fear information roadblocks

From Honolulu Star-Advertiser:

The state Office of Information Practices hopes a bill that would grant government agencies a new right to appeal open records decisions in court would give its orders more legal clout, yet open government advocates warn that it would delay public access to information.

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Branstad Expected to Sign Open Records Law Thursday

From KCRG-TV9:

DES MOINES—Gov. Terry Branstad says he will sign a bill into law, changing the state's open meetings and records laws and creating a nine-member Iowa Public Information Board.

Branstad scheduled a signing ceremony for Thursday afternoon.

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