State and local officials are opting to keep the public away from public meetings amid the coronavirus outbreak. The policy shifts come during SunshineWeek, which is meant to highlight the importance of open government.
FILE - In this Wednesday, March 18, 2020 file photo, the House chamber at the state Capitol is empty in St. Paul, Minn., with some desks marked with an "A" - those desks may be occupied when lawmakers return to maintain "social distancing" because of the COVID-19 coronavirus.
“Public participation in our democracy is really fundamental to the health of our democracy,” said David Snyder, executive director of the First Amendment Coalition, a California-based nonprofit that promotes government transparency. All U.S. states require open government meetings. Some mandate that a majority of government officials be physically present to meet. Others already allow officials to meet by video or phone, with accommodations for the public to watch or listen from a designated room.
Legislators in Maine and Tennessee also excluded the public from their buildings. South Carolina lawmakers asked lobbyists and visitors to stay away. In Rhode Island, technical glitches frustrated some people trying to watch the first significant state meeting to be live-streamed after Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo loosened the state’s public meetings law. Those following the Board of Elections via the agency’s Facebook page complained that the feed froze.
Brasil Últimas Notícias, Brasil Manchetes
Similar News:Você também pode ler notícias semelhantes a esta que coletamos de outras fontes de notícias.
AP PHOTOS: Public places stand abandoned in time of virusAP PHOTOS: New York’s Grand Central Terminal dotted with scattered commuters. The Eiffel Tower in Paris, abandoned. Earth’s human-built and natural landmarks reveal their less frequently shared secrets as places stand abandoned because of the coronavirus.
Consulte Mais informação »
Coronavirus Deaths Spike Abroad As New York City Becomes U.S. Virus EpicenterThe global death toll from COVID-19 reached 11,000 Saturday as New York City reported thousands of new cases over the last week. Cases in that city now make up almost half of all cases in the U.S.
Consulte Mais informação »
SF and Austin struggled with conferences as virus fears grew - Business Insider'We must set an example to prevent fear' – how San Francisco and Austin's giant tech conferences became the front lines that kicked off a frenetic fight against the coronavirus
Consulte Mais informação »
AP FACT CHECK: Trump falsely claims drug approval for virusPresident Donald Trump misstated the facts Thursday when he asserted that the Food and Drug Administration had just approved a decades-old malaria drug to treat patients infected by the coronavirus. After his FDA chief clarified that the drug still needs testing, Trump also overstated the drug&39;s
Consulte Mais informação »
Daniel Dae Kim Has The Coronavirus, And Wants People To Stop Calling It The 'China Virus''Despite what certain political leaders want to call it, I don’t consider the place where it is from as important as the people who are sick and dying.'
Consulte Mais informação »