Sunday,  Feb. 09, 2014 • Vol. 16--No. 208 • 4 of 36

Rapid City Mayor reflects on open meetings irony
By Sam Kooiker
Mayor, Rapid City

• I noticed the following headline in the February 4 edition of the Pierre Capital Journal, while I was in Pierre for a gathering of the South Dakota Municipal League: "SDHSAA Board Closes Meeting to Talk about Open Meetings."
• The headline was followed by this opening paragraph:
• "Nearly all of the Republican leaders in the Legislature want to require the South Dakota High School Activities Association to comply with state laws on open meetings and public records. The association's board of directors responded Tuesday by meeting for 90 minutes behind closed doors to discuss the situation."
• I reflected on this double irony until I needed ibuprofen. So what's more ironic - the SDHSAA holding a closed meeting to discuss opening the meetings, or the Legislature being appalled with SDSHSAA secrecy when a majority of both houses of the Legislature gathers behind closed doors continually during session to discuss the business of our entire state?

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