The South Carolina Supreme Court recently issued an opinion in Lambries v Saluda County Council.
The high court ruled that nothing in the Freedom of Information Act prohibits a public body from adding an agenda item(s) without advance notice. What’s more, the justices ruled that agendas are not even required for an open meeting in the first place.
State Senator Larry Martin, who is Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, told The Greenville News this past Friday that he wants to take a look at the ruling with an eye toward revising the law “and come down on the side of this with as much openness as we can.” Read more from “Lawmaker seeks review of agendas ruling.”
This Supreme Court decision and any attempt to revise the FOIA law by the Legislature next Session would impact public bodies such as a city, county, public hospital, or special purpose district, or businesses and individuals that deal with a public bodies.