Jacobs, 110276 MSAGO, 1976-0009

• Case Date: November 02, 1976
• Court: Mississippi

Honorable Charles C. Jacobs, Jr. No. 1976-0009 Mississippi Attorney General Opinions November 2, 1976          Honorable Charles C. Jacobs, Jr.          Chairman, Law Committee          Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning          3825 Ridgewood Road          Jackson, Mississippi 39211          Dear Mr. Jacobs:          Attorney General Summer has received your request of October 21, 1976, and has assigned it to the undersigned for research and reply.          In your inquiry on behalf of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, the following questions are presented:

1. “Is the Board of Trustees required by the above statutes [ Section 25-41-1 through 25-41-15, Miss.Code of 1972] to hold open committee meetings pursuant to the statute?” 2. “May the Board of Trustees, in the imposition of reasonable rules pertaining to such open meetings prohibit or restrict the use of TV cameras in such meetings?”

         The legislation you refer to is commonly known as the “Open Meetings” law of the State of Mississippi, Chapter 41, § 25-41-1, et seq., Miss.Code of 1972, which was passed during the regular session of the legislature in 1975 and became effective from and after January 1, 1976. The first section, 25-41-1, declares it to be the policy of this State that the formation and determination of public business should be conducted in open meetings except where otherwise provided.          Section 25-41-3 defines those agencies of this State which come within the ambit of this statute. That segment of the law states in pertinent part:

“(a) ‘Public body’ shall mean: (i) any executive or administrative board, commission, authority, council, department, agency, bureau, or any other policy making entity, or committee thereof, of the State of Mississippi, ... “(b) ‘Meeting’ shall mean an assemblage of members of a public body at which official acts may be taken upon a matter over which the public body has supervision, control jurisdiction, or advisory power.”

         The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning is a constitutional body of the State of Mississippi, § 213A, Mississippi Constitution of 1890. This Board has the...