From The Durango Herald: Unless the discussion involves nuclear launch codes or some other sensitive element of national security, secrecy is the enemy of good government. That is true of the federal government, at the state level and most especially in local affairs. And there is no reason that principle should not also extend to schools.
Colorado voters will have a chance to reinforce that point this fall with a ballot measure that would require school board negotiations with teachers’ unions be conducted in open meetings. That public schools spending the public’s money should do business in public only makes sense.
Secretary of State Scott Gessler announced last week that random sampling showed that backers of Initiative 124 had gathered more than 110 percent of the signatures needed to be “deemed sufficient.” With that, it was certified to the 2014 general election ballot. Under Colorado’s naming convention, it then became Proposition 104.
Its purpose and meaning are simple and clear: School board negotiations relating to collective bargaining must be conducted in open meetings, not in executive session. It should be noted that this specifically applies to collective bargaining. Negotiations for individual employees’ contracts are not covered.
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