Maine has several protections allowing the public access to government proceedings, such as meetings of town officials and regulatory agencies, along with their rules and documents.
The Maine Freedom of Information Coalition is a private non-profit advocating to insure that Maine state and local government agencies adhere to their own obligations to the public. According to their web site: https://mfoic.org/ :
“MFOIC’s goal is to educate all Mainers, from individual citizens to educators, students, the media, legal professionals, public and business officials, about their rights and responsibilities as citizens in our democracy.”
“We aim to broaden knowledge and awareness of the First Amendment and state laws aimed at assuring public access to government proceedings and government records.”
Specifically:
For meetings of town select boards meeting in person, the public must be notified of the time and place. If the meeting is broadcast, the public still must be notified. The board may not mute portions of the broadcast while the members are discussing their business.
The same rules apply to city council meetings and their committees. Certain meetings of State departments and committees must follow essentially the same rules, except if exempt by law when discussing certain private matters.
Documents generated by the State and local officials must be open to public inspection unless exempted by law.
The public’s right to information about government activities lies at the heart of a democratic government. The Maine Freedom of Access Act (“FOAA”) grants the people of this state a broad right of access to public records while protecting legitimate governmental interests and the privacy rights of individual citizens. The act also ensures the accountability of the government to the citizens of the state by requiring public access to the meetings of public bodies. Transparency and open decision-making are fundamental principles of the Maine Freedom of Access Act.
On the FOAA, web site you will find general information about the Freedom of Access Act, including information on how to make a FOAA request, answers to frequently asked questions, and regular updates on other important freedom of access issues. Providing universal access to resources that will inform and educate state employees and the public on the Freedom of Access Act is not just an aim but a priority for the state.
Open government is good government and the state is committed to ensuring and protecting your “right to know.”