HRS §92-1
Open government meetings policy
This section states Hawaii's policy that government meetings and decisions should be open to the public. It says the law protecting the public's right to know should be read broadly, while exceptions allowing closed meetings should be read narrowly.
everyone
The statute, as written — Declaration of policy and intent
In a democracy, the people are vested with the ultimate decision-making power. Governmental agencies exist to aid the people in the formation and conduct of public policy. Opening up the governmental processes to public scrutiny and participation is the only viable and reasonable method of protecting the public's interest. Therefore, the legislature declares that it is the policy of this State that the formation and conduct of public policy - the discussions, deliberations, decisions, and action of governmental agencies - shall be conducted as openly as possible. To implement this policy the legislature declares that: (1) It is the intent of this part to protect the people's right to know; (2) The provisions requiring open meetings shall be liberally construed; and (3) The provisions providing for exceptions to the open meeting requirements shall be strictly construed against closed meetings.
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