MEDIA ADVISORY: MARYLAND OPEN MEETINGS ACT MANUAL UPDATED

Maryland Attorney General J. Joseph Curran Jr. would like to inform you that the Maryland Open Meetings Act Manual has been updated, and is available at his website www.oag.state.md.us, under the link titled "Open Government." The manual contains a description of the Act, its full text, and index of opinions about it, and other aids to understanding the law and complying with it.

The public’s right to information about government activities lies at the heart of a democratic government. Subject to limited exceptions under which meetings may be lawfully closed, the Open Meetings Act requires public bodies, both state and local government, to meet in open sessions where the public and news media may observe their deliberations and decision-making process. The Open Meetings Act ensures the accountability of government to the citizens of the state.

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