(AP) - A bill to strengthen Nevada's Open Meeting Law by allowing civil penalties for violations and give the attorney general's office subpoena powers to investigation complaints drew mixed reactions during a hearing before an Assembly panel.
The biggest concern raised about AB59 during an Assembly Government Affairs Committee hearing Tuesday was a potential $500 civil fine. The bill as written said the levy could be imposed "regardless of knowledge of the violation."
Representatives of the attorney general's office said that was an error during drafting of the bill, though it wasn't mentioned until the end of the hearing and after several people testified against it.
Amendments would allow fines if members of a public body "had knowledge" of a violation.
