Open Meeting Law is there for a reason

Nevada has an Open Meeting Law for a reason — to make office holders conduct decisions in the public eye.

That didn’t happen this week in Reno when with the school year about to start, the Washoe County School District board suddenly fired its superintendent — no warning, no nothing.

You can read the details in this compelling editorial from the Reno Gazette-Journal.

There are two take-a-ways:

1) The Washoe school board deserves all the criticism it gets for this bonehead move. Obviously, something’s going on between the superintendent and the board, but this is not how to conduct the public’s business.

2) When the Nevada Legislature meets next year, some group will ask to water down the open meeting law and other laws enacted to make government transparent to the public — public notices, tax rolls etc come to mind. Legislators should point them to these sorry set of events and tell them not only “no” but “hell no”.