Or whether the Board of Supervisors can close portions of its meetings to the public. Sometimes, the questions are more personal, such as how to find out if a neighbor is getting food stamps. I try to steer them in the right direction and share my rudimentary knowledge of Virginia s Freedom of Information Act. File a lawsuit. That s not what anyone wants to hear.
Lawsuits are costly.
The results are uncertain. Most significant cases are on appeal for so long that the issue is moot before a decision is final. That may change in the next year if a proposal now before a Virginia legislative panel eventually becomes law. The proposal would establish a small state agency, possibly called the Virginia Commission on Open Government. The agency would provide education for public officials who must deal with open-government issues.