SD Panel Narrows Focus On Open Government Ideas

A task force seeking ways to make South Dakota government more open has narrowed its focus to some proposals for opening some records and making sure board and commission meetings are conducted in public.

The task force was formed by Gov. Dennis Daugaard and Attorney General Marty Jackley to recommend changes in state law dealing with open meetings and the availability of government records.

Task force chairman Tony Venhuizen, the governor's communications director, says the group will meet Oct. 10 to decide which proposals to recommend to Daugaard and Jackley.

The panel is studying whether police mug shots and logs should be made public. Another suggestion would require closed board and commission meetings to be recorded so tapes could be reviewed if someone complains a meeting was improperly closed.