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GLP-3. Open Meetings (B) <br />The League recomneads that the Open Meetinq Law be <br />City officials strongly support the basic premise of the Open. Meeting <br />Law --to assure the publics right to be informed about the conduct of <br />Public business. Experience with this law since 1974, however, <br />indicates clearly that there are areas where the legislatic should <br />be amended in the public interest. The League believes the most <br />important instance where the public interest would iie better served <br />by permitting a local governing body to meet in executive or closed <br />session, is when information classified by the state data practices <br />act must be discussed. <br />These in_ta.^.cr-G in <br />clude certain discussions relating to employees <br />"hiring" interviews, annual reviews, and discipline or discharge <br />discussions. These situations under current law often require the <br />cou-:cil to choose between violating either the open Meeting Law or <br />the Data Practices Act. A specific exception to the open meeting law <br />should be provided for discussions of protcctcd drta. <br />Additionally, -he League opposes any legislative attempt to alter the <br />recent court ruling that the Open Meeting Law applies only to <br />meetings where a quorum of the governing body or its established <br />committees iF present. The ruling clirificd the law which was often <br />viewed as applying to any meeting between two office holders. <br />Limiting the applycation of the law to gatherings of a quorum or more <br />is a common sense approach to implementing the statute and should not <br />be altered. <br />GLP-4. Tort Liability and Insurance (B) <br />while many debate whether there has been an "explosion," it is fairly <br />well established that the growth of tort litigation over the past <br />several years has resulted in increasing liability for governmental <br />entities, private businesses, and individual citizens. Additionally, <br />business practices of insurance companies have played a significant <br />role in insurance pricing. The League supports reasonable reforms <br />addressing both sides of the liability insurance issue. <br />The Municipal Tort Liability Act was enacted in 1963 to protect the <br />public treasury, while giving citizens relief from the arbitrary, <br />confusing, and administratively expensive prior doctr:ie of sovereign <br />immunity with its inconsistent and irrational distinctions between <br />governmental and proprietary activities. The Act has served that <br />-23- <br />