Open Meeting Law Determinations Online -- in MA

From the Franklin, MA School Committee Blog:
Posted by Jeffrey Roy on September 28, 2011

The Office of the Attorney General launched a new OML Determination Lookup website. Now members of the public, press, municipal officials, and public bodies may access its determinations by searching for key terms or phrases or by actions ordered. You can access the site by clicking here.

Effective July 1, 2010, responsibility for the state-wide enforcement of the Open Meeting Laws, relative to local, county, regional, and state public bodies has been centralized in the office of the Attorney General.

The Open Meeting Law supports the principle that the democratic process depends on the public having knowledge about the considerations underlying governmental action. It requires that most meetings of governmental bodies to be held in public. There are some exceptions, which are designed to ensure that, public officials are not “unduly hampered” by having every discussion among public officials open to the public. As a result, the Open Meeting Law provides for particular circumstances under which a meeting may be held in executive, or closed, session.

The determinations, catalogued by the Attorney General’s office, provide a glimpse into how that office determines whether a violation has occurred. More information on the Open Meeting Law can be found by clicking here.

Thanks again to the Sunlight Foundation for this link.