Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Kilmartin will host the 13th annual Open Government Summit, Summer Session, to educate and inform public officials and the public about the state’s Access to Public Records Act (APRA) and Open Meetings Act (OMA). The Summit is scheduled for August 5, 2011, 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at Roger Williams University School of Law. For the first time, the Summit will also be streamed live on the Attorney General’s website at www.riag.ri.gov. The Summit is free of charge and open to the public.
The session will commence with remarks by Attorney General Kilmartin and will include an explanation of the statutory requirements of APRA and OMA, 2010/2011 case law and legislative update, and examples of frequent trouble areas. Also included is a presentation by the Rhode Island Ethics Commission to identify and avoid conflicts of interest under the Code of Ethics and a discussion of guidelines for filing financial disclosure forms. Alison Bologna, NBC news anchor, will give the media’s perspective of expectations for public bodies when requesting public information.
“Transparency, accountability and participation are the building blocks to open government. It is the mission of this Office to encourage open government by facilitating knowledgeable adherence to the OMA and the APRA,” said Attorney General Kilmartin. “The Open Government Summit has proved to be very popular with elected officials, government employees, and the general public. By streaming the Summit live, it is our hope it will encourage greater participation by anyone interested in government transparency and accountability.”
Individuals who would like to attend the Open Government Summit at Roger Williams University need to register with the Office of Attorney General. Registration for the event can be made calling 274-4400, ext. 2101, or by sending an email to agsummit@riag.ri.gov. Pre-registration is not required for those who intend to stream live. Individuals may submit questions in advance and will be answered during the Q&A portion of the Summit at agsummit@riag.ri.gov. Check-in takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
Streaming provided by ClerkBase of Cranston, RI.