Pressure exerted to close discussions on open meetings

Valerie Miller

Friday, Feb. 4, 2000 | 11:28 a.m.

For the attorney general's office, it was an open and shut case.

Invite everyone to a meeting about the open-meeting law, and shut out the press.

Reporters ultimately prevailed Thursday but only after enduring pressure from attorney general's staff members who used a tactic public officials have been known to use in justifying secret meetings. Reporters were told that those attending the meeting would be intimidated by the presence of media types.

The meeting was held at the Sawyer State Office Building to review with anyone interested the finer points of the state's open-meeting law. Open-meeting laws are on the books to ensure that the public may be present to see how government officials debate and decide public issues.

The Sun received a press release saying "anyone" would be welcome as long as they registered in advance, which the Sun did.

The Nevada Open Meeting Law, enacted in 1960, defines what a meeting is and sets forth the rules for when it must be open and when it may be closed. The law applies to public bodies -- such as city councils, county commissions, planning commissions and school boards -- or committees appointed by public bodies.

Thursday's meeting did not legally come under the provision of the ope-meeting law because it was an informative presentation by staff members at which no votes were to be taken regarding public matters.

Yet, notwithstanding the irony, the attitude shown by the attorney general's staff exemplified why such laws are on the books.

Not long after registering by phone, the Sun received a return call, inviting the reporter to meet privately with presenters beforehand so attendance at the actual meeting would not be necessary.

Steve George, with the attorney general's office, told the Sun Wednesday, "We want people to feel comfortable to speak freely." He said the presence of the media would hamper that goal.

Other participants in the meeting included government officials and attorneys.

George went on to suggest that the the Sun reporter and other members of the media should meet beforehand with Victoria Oldenburg, the deputy attorney general giving the presentation.

When the Sun reporter instead just showed up at the beginning of the meeting, she was told by Oldenburg that her presence "might intimidate some people" and that she wouldn't be allowed to tape record the presentation, because having the tape recorder going and taking notes might also "intimidate" some people.

Lisa Stiller, a reporter for the Henderson Home News covering the session for her paper, said that she also was contacted by George before the presentation.

"They said people might feel reluctant to talk if the media was present, so they suggested that I talk to her (Oldenburg) personally," Stiller said. "I feel that journalists really need to know this stuff and to exclude us is hampering the job that the public really wants us to do."

After the presentation, Oldenburg said no one intended for the press to be excluded.

"We are here to educate everyone about the open meeting law, including the media," she said. "We want to make sure everyone complies."

Kent Lauer, executive director of the Nevada Press Association, expressed dismay with the attorney general staffers' actions toward the reporters.

"Trying to bar the press from this presentation on the open meting law is extremely ironic and laughable in a sense, even though this presentation is not covered by the law," Lauer said. "But it's also pathetic and a public relations blunder. If the attorney general's office wants to educate people about the open-meeting law, you would think that it would encourage everyone, the press included, to attend.

"After all, the press performs a valuable service in educating people."

There is one sure place that people can go to learn of the open meeting law without being shut out or intimidated: www.state.nv.us/ag/.