CL – Open Meetings bill dies at Miss. Capitol

Open Meetings bill dies at Miss. Capitol

A House chairman has killed a bill that was designed to strengthen Mississippi’s Open Meetings laws, saying a change to the bill amounted to an end-run around his authority.

The bill passed the House last week but died Thursday when Judiciary A Committee Chairman Ed Blackmon chose not to remove a hold on it before a deadline.

Blackmon, D-Canton, said he was unhappy that the bill was amended on the House floor March 4. He said the change should have been made in his committee rather than on the floor.

“I don’t expect you to be out here throwing amendments in when you haven’t brought the amendments up in committee,” Blackmon told The Associated Press.

Clarion Ledger
3.11.10