NC Open Government

From the Lincoln Tribune (9/1/10): Yadkin County commissioners took the first steps Monday toward a possible investigation of the county Health Department, whose director recently announced he will retire. But the commission's initial moves were not posted on a public agenda beforehand, a potential violation of the state's Open Meetings Act. Moreover, the board's attorney was not present at the meeting.

From the Greenville Daily Reflector (9/2/10): The Pitt County Board of Commissioners may well be within its legal right to hold pre-agenda meetings to discuss items set for discussion at an ensuing "official" session. The gatherings are meant to be informal and are open to the public, so they are likely to meet the letter of North Carolina's open meetings statute.

I am excited about the next two years. Leading the North Carolina Open Government Coalition will be a rewarding challenge for me and, I hope, the people of our state. I have several goals for my tenure I wanted to share in my first column.

The North Carolina Open Government Coalition will welcome three new board members to its ranks this fall who have backgrounds in media organizations and public office. They will work with the coalition to advance the mission of promoting openness and transparency in local government.

From the Raleigh News and Observer (8/3/10): With two suspensions for inappropriate contact with a student, Jessica Wishnask quietly left the New Hanover school district two years ago to go work for another. She did not have to disclose her misconduct, and her prior employer did not report the suspensions.

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (8/22/10): A report revealing State Bureau of Investigation agents overstated blood evidence in dozens of cases could force North Carolina to close its crime lab and change the agency's secretive policies, defense attorneys and a former prosecutor said.

From the Raleigh News and Observer (8/21/10): Our recent series on the State Bureau of Investigation, which showed agents cutting corners and twisting reports to win convictions, exposed outrageous and unprofessional conduct.

The StarNews has been granted access to day two of the Wilmington Housing Authority’s training session.The WHA started an eight-and-a-half hour, two-day training session Tuesday by telling the only news media representative in the room that the session wasn't a public meeting and to leave.

From the Southern Pines Pilot (8/6/10): Neighborhood Youth Leadership operating as Sandhills Theatre Arts Renaissance School, along with others, filed a lawsuit against five STARS board members today.

From BlueNC.com (7/31/10): On the heels of last week's reflections on the psychological impact of transparency in government, an exploration of the natural and legal challenges associated with opening up government is in order.