Open Public Meeting Act: Public must be the watchdog

The Open Public Meetings Act has been in the news locally. Roger Whitten of Oakesdale used it as part of his recent recall effort against two county commissioners. He accused them of violating the law.

That recall failed at the hearing level, and even though the open meetings act has been around since 1971, the judge misinterpreted elements of its requirements.

As important and as established as it is, the act is often misunderstood. More often it still is considered an intrusion on the workings of government by officials subject to it.

Despite the problems with its interpretation and implemen...