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House approves
Haler's government accountability bill
A bill that would require
violators of the Open
Public Meetings Act (OPMA) to pay a stiffer penalty passed off the House
floor yesterday 77-19.
House Bill 2567, sponsored
by Rep. Larry Haler, R-Richland, would increase the monetary penalty for
violating the act from $100 to a range between $250 to $1,000.
"I am pleased the
House realized the current penalty of one hundred dollars is not a meaningful deterrent for officials
who break the public's trust," said Haler. "This law is being
violated too often and elected officials need to be held accountable for
their actions."
The Legislature created
the OPMA in 1971, and it requires that all meetings of the governing
body of a public agency be open for anyone to attend or listen to.
During his floor speech
Haler noted that the penalty of $100 in 1971 is actually equal to over
$500 today because of inflation.
"One hundred dollars
was more money to people in 1971, and it makes sense to update the
penalty to reflect inflation," explained Haler. "The goal of the bill is
to get officials to comply with the law - a stiffer penalty is a move in
the right direction."
Under the bill, county
superior court judges would be responsible for determining the severity
of the fine.
House Bill 2567 now
goes to the Senate for consideration.
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For more information, contact:
Mike Deising, Public
Information Officer - (360) 786-7698
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