Attorney general to begin posting all open-meeting complaints

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http://www.wickedlocal.com/article/20160314/NEWS/160317794/0/breaking_ajax



Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey at a meeting with The Patriot Ledger's editorial board on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016.

Attorney general to begin posting all open-meeting complaints
By Neal Simpson
The Patriot Ledger
Posted Mar. 14, 2016 at 12:35 PM
Updated at 12:47 AM

BOSTON - Attorney General Maura Healey said Monday that her office will begin posting online all complaints it receives about possible violations of the state's open meeting law.

In a statement, Healey said the move was meant to provide greater transparency about how her office enforces the law, which covers government bodies ranging from state boards to local school committees. The attorney general's office also released a new training video for both members of covered boards and members of the public.

The attorney general’s office had previously posted information about open meeting complaints only after it had reached a decision about whether they pointed to a valid violation of the law. The office is now posting information about complaints before a decision is reached, including the complainant's first name, the date the complaint was filed and the public body against which it is was filed.

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As of Monday, the newly public database included 50 pending complaints dating back dating back to June 2015. It showed complaints against the Weymouth Town Council, Kingston Council on Aging and Hanson Capital Improvement Committee.