Idaho Bill Increasing Opening Meeting Fines Might Make it to Governor

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A bill that would increase fines for violating Idaho's open meeting laws has passed the Senate.

The Senate voted 33-2 on Tuesday to hike the penalties, which haven't changed since the Idaho Legislature originally passed the law in 1974. The fine for a basic violation of the open meeting law would increase from $50 to $250. However, the fine goes up to $2,500 for knowingly violating the law.

The bill also says that local governments can close their meetings from the public if officials are talking about labor contract negotiations or specific employees. The proposal had already passed the House, but it must pass the chamber one more time after being tweaked in the Senate.