Politics & Government

Sunshine Law Workshop to be Held in Eureka June 20

For all interested in transparency and fairness in government, this free event about how to apply the Missouri Sunshine Law might be a good investment of time Wednesday evening. It is the only St. Louis area session in the near future.

A free workshop to cover the will be held Wednesday, June 20, at 7:30 p.m. in the Eureka Municipal Court Room at the , 120 City Hall Dr.

Anyone may attend.

The one-hour class will be conducted by Tom Durkin, public education director for the Missouri Attorney General’s Office.

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Durkin said the workshop is part of an ongoing effort by Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster to provide government officials with support they need to be well informed in conducting their business in a way that brings transparency and fairness to all aspects of government.

Topics to be included in Durkin's presentation are:

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  • Who does the Sunshine Law apply to?
  • What is a public meeting?
  • What is a public record?
  • Liberal construction of the law;
  • Procedures and limitations for closing meetings and records;
  • Appointing a custodian of records; and
  • Fees for copying public records.

"In the past three years I have offered close to 300 Sunshine Law presentations across the state. Most of these presentations are initiated by a public governmental body—county commission, city council—or through an invitation offered by an organization, such as the Missouri Municipal League," Durkin told Patch.

Durkin said he does not have another Sunshine Law presentation scheduled in the St. Louis area in the near future, although he was likely to be invited back in sometime in the next year. Durkin just presented this session in Wentzville on June 6, and in Independence on June 13. He will present it in Crystal City on June 18, and after the Eureka session, will deliver it again in Kirksville on Aug. 29.

Attorney General's Office staffers also offer a free booklet containing a summary of the Sunshine Law, frequently asked questions, interpretations of the law and sample forms for public governmental bodies. To order publications, call 573-751-8844 or submit an online request at ago.mo.gov


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