Editorial

(Courtesy of the Kentucky Press Association) The Kentucky House of Representatives has before it House Bill 368 that could change the process of notifying the public what its local city government is doing. HB 368 is sponsored by Rep. Jennifer Decker, R-Shelbyville, and if approved by the General Assembly, would mean all cities in the state could put public notices on their own government-owned website. Co-sponsors include Rep. Callaway, Bullitt, Jefferson; Rep. Freeland, Lyon, Marshall, McCracken; Rep. Gooch, Crittenden, McLean, Union, Webster; Rep. Imes, Calloway, Trigg; Rep. DJ Johnson, Daviess; Rep. King, Jessamine, Mercer, Washington; Rep. Lehman, Campbell; Rep. Lockett, Fayette, Jessamine. Public Notices in local newspapers are vital to the proper...

In 1974, one of the public’s greatest tools for holding public agencies in Kentucky accountable was passed by the General Assembly.  The Kentucky Open Meetings Law gives the public the right to attend the meetings of public agencies. With a few exceptions, the public has the right to know and see how decisions are made and who is making the decisions.  While many public meetings do not see a large numbers of attendees, it is important for public agencies to host meetings in accordance with the law for several reasons: 1) It is the law.  2) We live in a democratic republic not an oligarchy. 3) People have the right to know how decisions...