Tuesday, September 07, 2010

New Open Meeting Commission Sets First Meeting

The first meeting of Massachusetts' new Open Meeting Law Advisory Commission will be held this Friday, Sept. 10, at 10 a.m., at the Attorney General's office in Boston. The AG's office posted the meeting notice and agenda today. (I am a member of this commission as the designee of the Massachusetts Newspaper Publishers Association.)

The commission was created as part of the new open meeting law that took effect July 1. Section 19(c) of the law says:
There shall be an open meeting law advisory commission. The commission shall consist of 5 members, 2 of whom shall be the chairmen of the joint committee on state administration and regulatory oversight, 1 of whom shall be the president of the Massachusetts Municipal Association or his designee, 1 of whom shall be the president of the Massachusetts Newspaper Publishers Association or his designee, and 1 of whom shall be the attorney general or his designee.
The commission shall review issues relative to the open meeting law and shall submit to the attorney general recommendations for changes to the regulations, trainings, and educational initiatives relative to the open meeting law as it deems necessary and appropriate.
The law also provides that the AG is to report to the commission annually on the enforcement of the open meeting law.

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