Local governments may face stricter open record law
Kelsey Landhuis
Issue date: 1/29/09 Section: News
The sun will shine a little brighter on Missouri's government bodies if House Bill 316 passes.
The bill proposes several changes to Missouri's Open Meetings and Records Law, commonly known as the Sunshine Law. It focuses on clarifying when government meetings should be open to the public and increasing the notification period for public meetings concerning certain issues.
The bill's sponsor is State Rep. Tim Jones, R-Eureka, who said the bill's intent is to make government proceedings more transparent to the public.
"What we're looking to do is make sure that all levels of government from the smallest municipality up to the state levels of government are properly accountable to the people and that the people have access to what government is doing at all those different levels," Jones said.
He said it is important for government bodies at the city and county level to be as open as the government at the state level.
"I used to serve on a city council, and there's a lot of differences between serving on a city council and serving in the state," Jones said. "At the state government level there's definitely a lot of public input and a lot of public scrutiny, and everything we do is out in the open. I don't know that we really have closed meetings. Everything is in a hearing format. I think that … all levels of government should operate that way."
One of the bill's provisions increases the notification period from 24 hours to five days for public meetings regarding fee or tax increases, eminent domain, zoning, transportation development districts or tax increment financing.
Jones said the change was proposed because taxes, zoning laws and other "hot-button issues" have a large effect on the public.
The bill also would change the policy regarding who is allowed to attend closed meetings, permitting only members of the governmental body, their attorneys and assistants and any necessary witnesses to participate in closed sessions.
The bill proposes several changes to Missouri's Open Meetings and Records Law, commonly known as the Sunshine Law. It focuses on clarifying when government meetings should be open to the public and increasing the notification period for public meetings concerning certain issues.
The bill's sponsor is State Rep. Tim Jones, R-Eureka, who said the bill's intent is to make government proceedings more transparent to the public.
"What we're looking to do is make sure that all levels of government from the smallest municipality up to the state levels of government are properly accountable to the people and that the people have access to what government is doing at all those different levels," Jones said.
He said it is important for government bodies at the city and county level to be as open as the government at the state level.
"I used to serve on a city council, and there's a lot of differences between serving on a city council and serving in the state," Jones said. "At the state government level there's definitely a lot of public input and a lot of public scrutiny, and everything we do is out in the open. I don't know that we really have closed meetings. Everything is in a hearing format. I think that … all levels of government should operate that way."
One of the bill's provisions increases the notification period from 24 hours to five days for public meetings regarding fee or tax increases, eminent domain, zoning, transportation development districts or tax increment financing.
Jones said the change was proposed because taxes, zoning laws and other "hot-button issues" have a large effect on the public.
The bill also would change the policy regarding who is allowed to attend closed meetings, permitting only members of the governmental body, their attorneys and assistants and any necessary witnesses to participate in closed sessions.
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