Perdue: Open state's umbrella

Submitted by ryanteaguebeckwith on April 20, 2009 - 3:29pm.
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Gov. Beverly Perdue has sent a letter to her appointees on state boards and commissions reminding them that they must comply with the Open Meetings law.

The letter was sent just days after news stories concerning whether the Wildlife Resources Commission is obligated to hold its meetings in public, Rob Christensen reports.

Perdue writes that she has promised to operate her administration "under the umbrella of openness."

"I expect every state board and commission to set the same standard of openness and transparency and to fully comply with North Carolina's Open Meetings Act," Perdue said in a letter dated April 16th.

Included with the letter is a question and answer sheet on the Open Meetings Law prepared by the office of Attorney General Roy Cooper.

Perdue issued the letter just days after the N.C. Bowhunters Association complained about its lack of access to meetings of the wildlife commission, which governs hunting and fishing in the state.

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3 more reasons why you might be on the Wildlife Commission

Submitted by willscarlet on April 21, 2009 - 9:43am.

You might be a wildlife commissioner if:
1. You call it an "open" meeting when someone remembers to bring a corkscrew.
2. Your pickup truck is a bmw parked outside the General Assembly building.
3. Your bid to become a wildlife commission was based on a talent for putting on puppet shows.

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Perdue gently admonishes the Wildlife Commission

Submitted by Isaac136 on April 20, 2009 - 5:28pm.

I applaud Governor Perdue's gentle reminder to state boards and commissions that they are obligated to follow the law, no matter how big their checks to her campaign might have been.

What has been effectively hushed up, however, is the disgraceful behavior of commissioners threatening constituents by mentioning their cushy political connections. I'm not sure why the statements of three witnesses to this behavior by Chairman Seegars and David Hoyle (Jr.)of the WRC would not merit a mention by the media, but there's little question that if these witnesses are telling the truth, Seegars and Hoyle need some schooling in the finer arts of political maneuvering.

But there they sit, still, on a commission that has significant influence over how our wildlife resources are managed. The credibility of that commission to perform its mission -- which includes a lot of input into environmental issues -- is seriously compromised when its members are given a pass for abusive behavior.

If readers think that the only interested parties are a bunch of hunters whose interests are easily brushed aside or even scorned, it might be helpful for those readers to bone up on what the preservation of our wildlife habitat really means for those of us who care about clean air and water and land.

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