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Attorney warns Jonesboro commissioners about tightened Freedom of Information Act limits on private communications
Summary
An attorney told the Jonesboro Metropolitan Area Planning Commission on Oct. 14 that recent changes to the Freedom of Information Act bar commissioners from privately discussing matters that are reasonably likely to come before the body, and create a new private right to seek judicial invalidation of votes.
John Baker, an attorney with the Mitchell Williams law firm, told the Jonesboro Metropolitan Area Planning Commission on Oct. 14 that recent changes to the Freedom of Information Act enacted in August significantly restrict how members of governing bodies may communicate about prospective agenda matters.
Baker said the law now prohibits members of a governing body from communicating with one another "about any matter that is likely to come before your body in the future" outside a convened meeting. He said the statute includes new enforcement tools that allow an affected party to sue to invalidate a decision if members improperly discussed a…
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