Hats off to Lamar County Judge Brandon Bell for opening to the public a planned closed doors Commissionersâ Court meeting last week. That action led to todayâs story about a presentation the court received Tuesday regarding a proposal to revamp the heating/air conditioning systems at the courthouse and courthouse annex and to install energy efficient lighting and water-saving measures in all county buildings.
The meeting was posted as an executive session because of security reasons at the Lamar County Jail, but Bell said after he further reviewed what was to be discussed, he decided the agenda did not meet the requirements for a closed meeting as provided by the Texas Open Meetings Act. Perhaps Bell should have delayed the meeting until he could have posted the change, but no judicial decision or attorney general opinion states that a governmental body must indicate in an agenda notice whether a subject will be discussed in open or closed session, according to the Texas O
Editorial — The light of scrutiny: Sunshine Week lauds efforts to ensure government transparency nny360.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nny360.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Today kicks off Sunshine Week, an initiative that highlights the critical role of open government and freedom of information.
Every year, journalists and First Amendment advocates try to impress upon the public the urgency of protecting a free press. But as weâve noted before, itâs not easy to get people stirred up about public records requests and to explain why Sunshine Week and the concept behind it should matter to you.
That shouldnât be a problem this year, because last week saw the improbable, the incomprehensible: the trial of an American reporter arrested while covering the news.
Sunshine Week: Access to public meetings moved online in last year newarkadvocate.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from newarkadvocate.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.