Originally published: . Volume 10, No. 7. Source pages: 8.
Senator Riser's SB 66 was signed into law by the Governor and will strengthen regulations for open meetings.
Any member of a public body who knowingly and wilfully participates in a meeting conducted in violation open meetings laws, shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed one five hundred dollars per violation. The member shall be personally liable for the payment of such penalty. This is an increase from one hundred dollars.
The prior law allows the party to bring an enforcement proceeding and to be awarded reasonable attorney fees and other costs of litigation. If such person party prevails in part, it is an appropriate portion. If the court finds that the proceeding was of a frivolous nature and was brought with no substantial justification, it may award reasonable attorney fees to the prevailing party.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.