The Mississippi Ethics Commission’s delay in issuing a final ruling on whether the state Legislature is a public body gave hope that the panel was reconsidering its initial decision.
No such luck.
On Wednesday, the commission stuck with its original 5-3 decision that the Legislature as a whole is not covered by the Open Meetings Law — a decision that flies in the face of the state constitution, the obvious intent of the law and simple logic. How could it be sensible that policymaking bodies in local government are covered by the Open Meetings Law but the state’s policy-making body is exempt?
Those who brought the case that prompted the decision say they will appeal the ruling to state court. But the Legislature can fix the matter itself by editing out any supposed ambiguity in the law and establishing clearly that it holds itself to the same standards of openness as it does the smallest town boards.
When the Open Meetings Law was adopted by the Legislature several decades ago, it stated that “the formation and determination of public policy is public business and shall be conducted at open meetings” with limited exceptions.
To give the Legislature such a sweeping exemption would reek of hypocrisy.
