To remove from the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law, MGL c. 30 A, section 18, in the definition of the phrase "public body," the language "provided, further, that "public body" shall not include the general court or the committees or recess commissions thereof..."
Why is this important?
Inasmuch as all local, municipal, and county bodies are subject to the Open Meeting law in order to promote transparency in government, the state legislature should be subject to those same terms and conditions intended to promote transparency and accountability to the citizens. There is no basis for the Legislature to have the advantage of holding closed door meetings while doing the People's business.
