Ethics Commission dismisses complaint against Lowndes
The Mississippi Ethics Commission has dismissed an open meetings complaint filed against Lowndes County.
Supreme Court grants Dispatch’s substitute motion in open meetings case
The Mississippi Supreme Court has granted The Dispatch’s motion of substitution in an ongoing open meetings complaint case against the city of Columbus.
Columbus drops $16K on complaint defenses
The city of Columbus has spent more than $16,000 defending itself against a pair of open meetings complaints filed with the Mississippi Ethics Commission.
Our View: The high cost of chutzpah
For more than two years now, Columbus officials have been fighting to overturn two rulings involving cases where the mayor and city council were found to have violated the state’s open meeting laws by conducting the public’s business privately.
Our View: The openness of government is at question
Over the past two years the media and members of the public have multiple times filed open meetings complaints against public bodies in this state.
Judge: Closed council gatherings in Columbus broke Open Meetings Act
A judge says the city of Columbus can’t hold split meetings of its city council to avoid open meetings requirements.
Miss. Justice Institute to represent newspaper in Open Meetings case
The Dispatch is seeking to take the place of former reporter Nathan Gregory in an ongoing civil case involving the city of Columbus and a violation of the state’s Open Meetings Act.
Our View: When becoming a part of the story is an obligation
As a rule, the media rarely seeks to become part of the stories they report. It is a long-established tenet of the profession that the media works best when it is an impartial observer.
Judge denies Ethics Commission motion
A chancery court judge has denied the state Ethics Commission’s motion to intervene in a city of Columbus appeal of a 2014 decision.
Ethics case hearing goes before judge
The city of Columbus and the Mississippi Ethics Commission are awaiting a ruling from Chancery Judge Kenneth Burns after a preliminary hearing for the city’s appeal against a state Ethics Commission finding.
Our View: Rarely glamorous, coverage of local government is crucial
Each year, the Mississippi Press Association conducts its Better Newspaper Contest to recognize outstanding work by state newspaper staffs.
Analysis: Opening meetings, College Board ruling turns 30
The Mississippi Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on open meetings and the state College Board is 30 years old this year.
FOI head: City violated ‘Open Meetings’ law
The president of the Mississippi Center for Freedom of Information is crying foul after he says Columbus officials endorsed an action without public discussion or a public vote.
Our View: City’s refusal to follow law cannot be tolerated
On April 28, Columbus Mayor Robert Smith sent a letter to Lowndes County Board of Supervisors President Harry Sanders, informing him the city wanted to operate and manage the new small arms firing range, which was funded by both the county and city.
Our View: Time to set the Legislature straight on open meetings
Here is the logic of the Mississippi legislature:
Tuesday, the House Public Health Committee admitted that county-owned hospitals should be held to the same open meeting laws that govern other taxpayer-funded entities.
“This is wrong!” the committee said.
Bill targeting open meetings has Columbus roots
Mississippi legislators are considering whether to redefine what a “public meeting” is and Columbus is at the center of the debate.
Open Meetings Act violation claim expected against Starkville
Starkville’s former Chief Administrative Officer Lynn Spruill confirmed Wednesday she is in the process of filing an Open Meetings Act violation against the city.
Our View: Turnage leads assault on public’s right to open government
The idea that public business should be conducted in public is an easy concept to grasp and should be an even easier concept to embrace.
City appeals Ethics Commission final order
The city of Columbus has filed an appeal of the Mississippi Ethics Commission’s final order that states the mayor and council violated parts of the state’s Open Meetings Act earlier this year.
Ethics Commission upholds newspaper’s position on complaint
The Mississippi Ethics Commission issued a final order Friday stating that meetings the Columbus mayor and city council held earlier this year violated three sections of the state’s Open Meetings Act.