84-1408. Declaration of intent; meetings open to public.

273 words·~1 min read·/ne/chapter-84/84-1408

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

It is hereby declared to be the policy of this state that the formation of public policy is public business and may not be conducted in secret.

Every meeting of a public body shall be open to the public in order that citizens may exercise their democratic privilege of attending and speaking at meetings of public bodies, except as otherwise provided by the Constitution of Nebraska, federal statutes, and the Open Meetings Act.

Nebraska's public meetings laws do not apply to school board deliberations pertaining solely to disputed adjudicative facts. McQuinn v. Douglas Cty. Sch. Dist. No. 66, 259 Neb. 720, 612 N.W.2d 198 (2000).

The primary purpose of the public meetings law is to ensure that public policy is formulated at open meetings. Marks v. Judicial Nominating Comm., 236 Neb. 429, 461 N.W.2d 551 (1990).

The public meetings law is broadly interpreted and liberally construed to obtain the objective of openness in favor of the public, and provisions permitting closed sessions must be narrowly and strictly construed. Grein v. Board of Education of Fremont, 216 Neb. 158, 343 N.W.2d 718 (1984).

Although a committee was a subcommittee of a natural resources district board, it was not subject to the Open Meetings Act because there was never a quorum of board members in attendance and the committee did not hold hearings, make policy, or take formal action on behalf of the board. Koch v. Lower Loup NRD, 27 Neb. App. 301, 931 N.W.2d 160 (2019).

A county board of equalization is a public body whose meetings shall be open to the public. Wolf v. Grubbs, 17 Neb. App. 292, 759 N.W.2d 499 (2009).