Although Tuesday’s snowstorm may suggest otherwise, this week marks “Sunshine Week” — a yearly initiative devoted to informing the public about transparency in government.
As part of the occasion, state Attorney General Maura Healey has announced new Open Meeting Law resources and a forthcoming review of the law.
The Open Meeting Law ensures that when governmental bodies meet to discuss and make policy, those meetings should in most cases be open to the public.
The new resources are available on the attorney general’s office website and are meant to help citizens and public bodies alike understand and comply with the law. They include a list of frequently asked questions on everything from electronic communications to “quasi-judicial public bodies,” and a checklist to help search committees know when they can enter a public body’s executive session.
Healey also announced that her office is accepting public input by an April 28 deadline on current open meeting law regulations with suggestions for additions or potential changes. Then, later in the year, her office will conduct a review and draft proposed amendments to the law, which will also be open to public comment.
“The Open Meeting Law helps ensure transparency and accountability for public bodies in Massachusetts,” Healey said in a statement. “Sunshine Week highlights the importance of public decision-making and the resources available to help public bodies follow the law.”
In 2016 alone, the attorney general’s Division of Open Government issued 176 letters resolving Open Meeting Law complaints, according to Healey’s office. Among some of the most frequent complaints were inadequately detailed meeting notices and minutes, not following proper rules for entering into executive session and deliberations outside of a posted meeting, including deliberation by email.
Healey’s office plans to hold free Open Meeting Law trainings throughout the state this spring, including one at the Holyoke Senior Center on May 30 at 6 p.m. The educational sessions are open to the public.
Dusty Christensen can be reached at dchristensen@gazettenet.com.