Missouri Sunshine Law Training Draws Large Crowds in Edina and Palmyra
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By Echo Menges
NEMOnews Media Group
Wednesday, January 29, was a great day for local government transparency in northeast Missouri, as two free Missouri Sunshine Law training programs were held in northeast Missouri. More than 125 local government officials, public board members, and members of the public attended one of the two training programs, which were held in Edina and Palmyra. The training opportunities proved welcome and needed by public officials throughout the region.
“This is great. I’ve been doing this job for about two years, and this is the largest number of people that we’ve ever had at a presentation. So, thank you all for coming out here today,” Jay Turner, director of Sunshine Law compliance at the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, said at the beginning of the training session held in Edina.
Turner and Brandon Roberts, director of Sunshine Law outreach at the attorney general’s office, traveled from northwest and central Missouri to conduct the two training sessions. The trainers extended their visit to deliver both sessions on the same day to two large crowds of eager-to-learn attendees.
Each training session lasted roughly 90 minutes and educated attendees about complying with the law.
“It was worth my time going,” said David Wiggins, Western District Scotland County commissioner since 2013. “I was really impressed with the number of people that were there, and I learned stuff about going into closed session.”
“It was worth my time. I learned about establishing a quorum before allowing other board members to call in,” said Lori Moots- Clair, local public health administrator at the Knox County Health Department.
Attendees learned how and where to post meeting agendas and what must be included, what must be recorded in meeting minutes, how to legally go into a closed session, the requirements for releasing public documents, fees that can be collected, and more.
In Edina, the morning training session was held at the Knox County Community Center and hosted roughly 75 attendees from nine counties, including Adair, Clark, Knox, Lewis, Randolph, Schuyler, Scotland, Shelby and Sullivan counties. Cinnamon rolls and blueberry muffins were provided by The Sugar Shop, based in Memphis, and Jared’s Jams, based in Edina, donated fresh coffee.
In Palmyra, the afternoon training session was held at Northeast Power and hosted roughly 50 attendees from seven counties, including Clark, Macon, Marion, Monroe, Pike, Ralls and Shelby counties. Northeast Power donated the meeting space and provided cookies, coffee, snack bars, cheeses and other refreshments.
The training sessions were a joint effort among the Missouri Sunshine Coalition, the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, and the NEMOnews Media Group. Community partners, such as the Knox County Chamber of Commerce, which bought lunch for the trainers, along with local public boards and media outlets, helped spread the word.
The last Sunshine Law training in the region was held in November 2022. Most of the attendees reported this was the first time they had the opportunity to attend this type of training locally. Several attendees reported traveling 140 miles round-trip to attend.
Videos of the training sessions were recorded and are available on The Edina Sentinel’s YouTube channel, @TheEdinaSentinel. Links to the training videos will also be shared on the NEMOnews Facebook page.
The Missouri Sunshine Law, Chapter 610 of the Missouri Revised Statutes, is a crucial piece of legislation that promotes transparency and accountability in government. Enacted in 1973, the law ensures that meetings, records, votes, and deliberations of public governmental bodies are open to the public unless otherwise exempted.
By granting citizens access to government documents and proceedings, the law fosters trust between the public and officials, allowing residents to stay informed about decisions that impact their communities.
The law also empowers citizens to participate more actively in their government. Whether attending a city council meeting, requesting public records, or reviewing official documents, residents can use the Sunshine
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