Mississippi county bans recording of executive sessions

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) - A county board of supervisors in Mississippi has prohibited recording devices during executive sessions.

WDAM-TV reports the Forrest County Board of Supervisors adopted the ordinance during a meeting on Tuesday. It says the publication or distribution of any recording is now also prohibited.

The ordinance says the penalty for recording or sharing one from executive sessions can result in a maximum $500 fine and up to a $1,000 fine on any second or subsequent offences. It was passed after someone recorded an executive session without the board’s consent on April 24.

Board attorney David Miller says the ordinance was from an attorney general’s opinion on a question several years ago. He says the attorney general said there shouldn’t be any recordings as that basically defeats purpose of the statute.

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Information from: WDAM-TV, https://www.wdam.com