Open Meetings

Open meetings laws give the public the right to watch government bodies make decisions rather than learning about them after the fact. City councils, school boards, zoning commissions, and countless other public bodies are generally required to conduct their business in view of the people they serve, with public notice of when and where they meet.

What counts as open, and what doesn’t. Most laws draw a line between the regular business a body must conduct publicly and a narrow set of topics, like personnel matters or pending legal disputes, that can be discussed privately in executive session. Understanding where that line falls, and what a public body is and isn’t allowed to decide behind closed doors, is central to holding these bodies accountable. Your Right to Watch Government at Work: Open Meetings vs. Executive Sessions lays out how that distinction works.

Having a say versus having a seat. Being allowed to observe a meeting is different from being allowed to speak at one, and the rules governing each form of participation vary. Public Comment Periods vs. Public Hearings: Your Voice in Government explains how these formats differ and what to expect from each.

A broader tradition of open proceedings. The idea that government business belongs in public view extends beyond legislative and administrative meetings into the courts, where open proceedings serve a similar purpose of keeping power visible and accountable.