Open Meeting Law Overview
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What is the purpose of the open meeting law?
The answer to this question lies within the Montana Constitution itself. Article II, Part II – the declaration of rights sets forth what Montanans can expect. Section 9 covers the right to know. It says,
“No person shall be deprived of the right to examine documents or to observe the deliberations of all public bodies or agencies of state government and its subdivisions, except in cases in which the demand of individual privacy clearly exceeds the merits of public disclosure.”
Montana had a history of corruption when a few people held so much power during the days when copper was king. Due to this history the people who created the Montana Constitution wanted to ensure that the public had the right to listen to the government entities making decisions that impact their lives.
