Brother Love’s Travelling Salvation Show Day 2

    Another day, another call, another reason for you to be at the meeting Thursday of the Missouri Sunshine Coalition.

    This city’s city council finally released closed session meeting minutes for the past year.  Minutes of ten closed meetings, all allegedly related to the “real estate” exception, Section 610.021 (2).  But were they discussing “leasing,” “purchasing,” or “sale” of real estate in those ten closed meetings?

    No, of course not.  They were discussing the right to serve rural water customers, both present and future.  That was deemed of such controversy that this city council decided they didn’t have the nerve to discuss those issues in open session.  So they broke the sunshine law in order to avoid going public with this discussion.

    We need some enforcement of this law now.  We need strict liability for violations of the law.  State municipal organizations that oppose strict enforcement are working to keep activities like this happening in your state.  They’re working to allow city officials to continue to hold closed meetings illegally and they are using YOUR tax dollars to lobby against sunshine and House Bill 316 in Jefferson City.

    We need citizen support for this bill moving out of the Rules Committee and onto the floor.  We need Rep. Michael Parson and Speaker of the House Ron Richard behind it.  We need for the state to quit ignoring city and county officials who refuse to follow state law because they would rather avoid having to discuss public business in public.

    See you Thursday!