Things that make you go hmmm 🤔
New York has a surprisingly troubled history with government transparency:
It was the last state in the nation to pass an open meetings law—waiting until 1976 to do so.
Municipalities weren’t required to post meeting documents online until 2010, and compliance remains spotty in many places even today.
The requirement to post meeting documents at least 24 hours before meetings didn’t become law until 2021—and even that is inadequate.
Many states require 72 hours’ notice, giving residents a realistic chance to review materials and participate meaningfully.
New York’s decades-long lag in public access to government proceedings is striking.
Even when reforms finally arrive, they often fall short of best practices elsewhere.
The current notice and posting rules are on our Open Meetings Law page.
