Recent Developments
Transparency in Government. Georgia's laws regarding the transparency of government meetings and records had become a jumble of statutes, court opinions and lore that were increasingly difficult to follow. Led by Attorney General Sam Olens, the General Assembly recently adopted comprehensive revisions to the state's Open Meeting and Open Records Acts, providing clarity on the responsibilities of state and local governments and assuring the fundamental rights of citizens to engage with their governmental representatives. At the same time as the laws were toughened through increasing penalties for noncompliance, however, the new legislation helps ensure that vital economic development efforts by the Georgia Department of Economic Development are exempt from these requirements until a binding commitment is obtained from the prospect. For a detailed, bullet-point presentation on the various changes to both the Open Meetings and Open Records Acts, see the King & Spalding Client Alert by clicking here. |
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