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(Lincoln, NE) Gov. Dave Heineman held a ceremonial bill signing for LB 898, a bill introduced by Sen. Don Preister of Bellevue. The new law amends the Nebraska Open Meetings Act by outlining several new steps for public entities to ensure that their public meetings are more accessible to the citizens.
"This bill is at the very heart of everything we do in government," Gov. Heineman said. "As the inscription on the State Capitol suggests, 'The salvation of the state is watchfulness in the citizen,' and it is important that the people of our state have an opportunity to be part of the business conducted on their behalf."
LB 898 makes changes to ensure that the language of the state's Open Meetings Act reflects the intent of the law and the declared policy of the state. The formation of public policy is public business and may not be conducted in secret. Every meeting of a public body shall be open to the public in order that the citizens have the opportunity to exercise their right to attend and speak at meetings.
The bill offers several specific changes to more accurately reflect the spirit of the law. Meeting agendas are now required to more descriptive, so the public can more easily decide whether to participate. A copy of the Open Meetings Act will now be posted and accessible at all public meeting locations.
Citizens can also now object after a meeting is held to protest whether it should have been a public meeting and seek a legal remedy. And if a public entity attempts to enter a closed session, it will have to state on-the-record, the intent of that closed session discussion.
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