When legislators return to the Statehouse in January, they can expect
renewed calls for changes in the state's open meetings laws and efforts to
restrict copy costs. At the same time, results of a statewide survey point
to the need for more training on existing laws.
Problem: In a statewide survey of school board and county council
members, a quarter of the officials who responded said they had been in
executive sessions where they did not stick to the subject they had told
the public they would discuss before moving behind closed doors.
Possible changes:
--More training by county and school board associations, both of which
already hold training seminars.
--Greater public vigilance. Citizens can become more involved and
familiarize themselves with the law. They can challenge public officials
to do better and publicly question efforts to go into executive session
without describing issues that will be discussed.
--Legislators can expect proposals to change the executive session law.
Three of four public officials in the survey said they would be willing to
sign sworn statements that they only discussed topics they told the public
they would before going into executive session. That will fuel a proposal
to require the affidavits, something already on Georgia's law books.
Problem: A statewide review of access to crime incident reports showed
people couldn't review those reports at a quarter of the law enforcement
agencies visited around the state although the law requires that they be
made available for two weeks. When the reports - usually a couple of pages
- were provided, they cost nearly $3 on average, far exceeding the minimum
cost the law requires.
Possible changes:
--More training by law enforcement organizations, which already do this
work.
--Greater public understanding that the law requires crime reports to
be made available and that copies should be provided at a low cost - about
the same as you would pay at a copy shop. State Attorney General Henry
McMaster says they should be "free or either rock-bottom low."
--Legislators likely will see proposals to limit copying
costs.