To the editor:

Despite the political machinations at the Rhode Island State House that have left the budget and other important legislation unresolved, the General Assembly did pass some beneficial new measures before the House and Senate recessed at the end of June.

On Thursday, July 19, Governor Gina Raimondo signed into law a bill, H-6323, which amends the Open Meetings Act (OMA) in two modest but important ways. Both new provisions, which take effect on January 1, 2018, will boost the cause of transparent government, without placing any significant burden on public boards and officials subject to the OMA.

The first newly enacted provision excludes weekends and state holidays from the current 48-hour minimum notice for the posting of written public notice of state and local government bodies. In the past, whether by intention or not, some boards and committees have posted meeting agendas on weekends, leaving the public with little opportunity to learn of or attend such public meetings on short notice. Exclusion of weekends and holidays from the 48-hour notice count will provide citizens some additional warning for certain public meetings.

The second new provision will require all local public bodies to post their meeting minutes in timely manner on the Public Meetings website maintained by the RI Secretary of State (SOS). At present, all public bodies, state and local, must post their agendas on the SOS site. But the current law requires only state boards and agencies, as well as local firefighting organizations, to post their minutes electronically on the SOS site. Municipal boards and committee have until now been exempt from this requirement. Otherwise, such local public bodies have only been required to make their minutes available at their public offices.

The new requirement to file minutes electronically at the SOS site will be a substantial boon to many citizens. Until now, such civic-minded individuals have sometimes faced the challenge of locating physical minutes, a process that can be problematic for working people and other citizens who cannot easily get to such public offices during business hours or due to transportation or mobility constraints.

Common Cause and the ACLU both supported this valuable bill, which received almost unanimous support in both the House and the Senate. Senator Lou DiPalma and Representative Dennis Canario took an early interest in promoting this legislation during the current legislative session.

Enactment of this amendment of the Open Meetings Act will provide meaningful benefits to citizens who seek to be informed about the actions of the public bodies that serve their interests.

Larry Anderson

Little Compton