Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
The Division of Open Government has adopted a new process for posting frequently asked questions on various topics related to the state’s open meeting law.
Prior to drafting an FAQ, the division will post a request for public comment for a period generally lasting for 30 days.
On June 28, the division issued two requests for comment relative to draft FAQs. One deals with a public body’s discussion of tax abatement applications, and the second deals with calculating a quorum and a majority.
For more information on the new procedure or to provide public comment on these two draft FAQs, visit www.mass.gov/ago/openmeeting.
On July 17, the MMA provided comments on a proposed amendment to open meeting law regulations defining an “intentional violation.”
The proposed definition follows up on the definition last fall of “knowing” and “knowingly.”
The division states that the amendment to the regulations would “clarify the standard for a finding by the Attorney General of an intentional violation of the Open Meeting Law.”
The MMA supports adding this definition to further differentiate between intentional and unintentional violations.