Secrecy: Update laws on openness保密：更新法律公開性
“It being essential to the fundamental philosophy of the American constitutional form of representative government and to the maintenance of a democratic society that public business be performed in an open and public manner, and that citizens be advised of and be aware of the performance of public officials and the deliberations and decisions that go into the making of public policy, it is hereby declared to be the policy of the State of Mississippi that the formation and determination of public policy is public business and shall be conducted at open meetings except as otherwise provided herein.” "它正在必不可少的基本哲學美國憲法形式的代議政府，並維護一個民主社會的公共商務演出，是一個開放和公開的方式，並表示，公民被告知，並應了解履行公職官員和商議，並決定進入決策的公共政策，現被宣布為國家的政策密西西比即形成和確定的公共政策是公共業務，並應進行公開會議，除本條例另有規定此處" 。
- Open Meetings Act, 1975 -公開會議法， 1 975
The legislative declaration at the beginning of Mississippi’s Open Meetings Act is a practical statement for the need for open government.立法宣言在年初密西西比州的公開會議上的行為，是一種實用的報表為依據，為有需要的，開放的政府。
It is “essential” to the operation of our government that citizens be aware of the actions of public officials in determining the policies that affect their lives.它是"必要"的運作，我們的政府，公民知曉這一行動的公職人員，在決定政策，影響他們的生活。 While this idea is generally accepted, it is not always practiced.而這一想法是被普遍接受，但它並不總是練。
Public officials, facing controversial decisions, or even worse, taking action they intentionally want to hide, shut the public out.公職人員，面對具爭議性的決定，或者甚至更糟的是，採取行動，是有意要隱瞞，關閉了市民。 Documents that detail the actions of government, often involving the use of taxpayer money, are hidden from public view.文件詳細的行動，政府，而且往往涉及使用納稅人的錢，都是隱藏的公眾視野之外。
Mississippi’s Open Meetings Act and the Open Records Act state the intention of openness, but do not adequately provide the practical requirements under law to ensure it.密西西比州的公開會議上的行為，並公開記錄法，國家的意圖公開，但不充分，提供的實際要求，根據國際法，以確保它。
The Open Meetings Act has a list of exceptions.公開會議法有一個名單例外的情況。 While some are valid, including sensitive personnel issues and proprietary matters such as the purchase of land, the exemptions are too many and too broad.雖然有些是正當的，其中包括敏感的人事問題和所有權問題，例如購買土地，豁免註冊的太多，太廣。
Worse, exemptions and procedures that were intended for specific valid purposes are interpreted so broadly as to make the law useless.更糟的是，豁免及程序，意在為特定目的而有效的解釋，以便廣泛，以使法律形同虛設。 One example is that some law enforcement agencies close their records under the guise of protecting investigative material.其中一個例子是，一些執法機構密切，他們記錄的幌子下，保護調查材料。 Basic incident reports on crimes - information that involves public safety - are often hidden.基本事件報告罪-信息，涉及公眾安全-往往隱藏。
Agencies close meetings based on broad definitions of “personnel matters,” or possible “litigation.” Too often, the law is only as valid as the good intentions of the public officials.機構密切會議，以廣泛的定義， "人事事項" ，或者有可能的"訴訟" 。太多的時候，法律只是作為合法的，因為良好的意圖，對公職人員的行為。
Often, seeking enforcement of the laws requires expensive litigation, which puts a chilling effect on private citizens seeking open government.很多時候，尋求執行法律規定，昂貴的訴訟，這使寒蟬效應對私人公民尋求更開放的政府。
Open government is promoted by the media, but it is not a media issue - it is a public issue.開放的政府是提倡的媒體，但它並不是一個媒體問題-它是一個公共的問題。 Any citizen should be able to observe the action of government officials or have access to public records.任何公民，應能觀察行動的政府官員或查閱公共記錄。 It’s that simple.它的那麼簡單。
Today begins a series of reports on Mississippi’s problems with secrecy.今天開始的系列報導，對密西西比州的問題，保密的問題。 There are various improvements that should be made to the state’s open meetings and records laws.有各種改善建議提出，要國家的公開會議和記錄的法律。 Exemptions should be tightened and procedures improved to aid citizens seeking to know how their tax money is used, what their government is doing and how their lives are impacted.豁免應收緊和程序改進，以幫助市民想要知道如何報稅的錢是用來，其政府的做法，以及如何，他們的生活影響。
Openness is “essential” to good government.開放性是"必不可少" ，以良好的政府。 The doors should open on Mississippi’s secrecy.門窗應開放對密西西比州的秘密。
Law 法 Section has more related reports 科更多相關報導 Help keep RINF going..有利於保持rinf去..Comment on 'Secrecy: Update laws on openness' : 評論保密：更新法律，公開' ：
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