New York is looking at a new measure that aims to increase transparency in the state government. The bill will require the Assembly to make meeting materials available to the public online either before or at the start of meetings.
The bill is sponsored by Assemblywoman Amy Paulin who has a background in citizen activism through The League of Women Voters. She is sponsoring the bill out of frustration with the state’s lack of transparency in it’s public meetings.
Without the materials provided to public officials, Paulin said in a piece in WNED news. “It was very difficult to be an effective participant and I thought that was very unfair.”
The new law applies to all records, proposed resolutions, rules, policies and amendments discussed in public session. The bill pushes for agendas to be published in advanced but allows for them to be published as the meeting starts.
Paulin is a stonch transparency advocate and hopes that the bill will transform sunshine laws in New York.
Does this include meeting minutes? I’ve been a board member of a non-profit corporation, and there was a lot of material that should not be made public, such as personnel information. I do think it’s appropriate to have an edited version of the meeting minutes, maybe by somebody who isn’t a decision-maker and therefore is (theoretically) non-partisan after discussion on what should be included.