By Matt Sepic, KWMU
St. Louis – Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon says the state's open meetings law needs to reflect advances in computer technology.
The sunshine law prohibits bodies like city councils and school boards from meeting in private.
In St. Louis Tuesday Nixon joined with several state lawmakers who plan to introduce sunshine law changes during the next legislative session. He says the proposal is not the result of any specific malfeasance.
"We thought it was time to act and go to the legislature this year to try to make sure that we have a sunshine law that provides exactly the same rights to our citizens if government communications are existing in cyberspace, as they do if they're over the phone or in person," Nixon said.
Among other things, the proposed changes would require public notice if governmental bodies hold internet meetings.
It would also require officials to make public some internal e-mail correspondence.