The Maryland Association of County Civil Attorneys (a MACo affiliate) received updates and discussed legal issues with Attorney General Brian Frosh and others at their 2016 conference on 2016-10-25. The annual conference is a free one-day event hosted by MACo and is open to county attorneys and legal staff.

Frosh was joined several other members of his office: Chief Counsel Adam Snyder, Public Access Ombudsman Lisa Kershner, Public Information Act (PIA) Compliance Board Counsel Karen Federman Henry, and Open Meetings Compliance Board Counsel Ann MacNeille. Frosh highlighted recent legal issues and activities of the Attorney General’s Office, including the Maryland False Claims Act, the backlog of untested rape kits, bail reform, and the authority of the Governor to set a statewide opening school date. Snyder highlighted recent and pending attorney general opinions of county interest and his work on a PIA survey that will culminate in a major report to the General Assembly in 2017.

Kershner and Federman Henry  discussed the recent and numerous changes to the PIA and how the new position of Public Access Ombudsman was working. MacNeille described recent changes to the Open Meetings Act and decisions by the Open Meetings Compliance Board.

MACo Legal and Policy Counsel Les Knapp and Maryland Municipal League Governmental Relations and Research Associate Bill Jorch also discussed their organizations’ legislative initiatives and other pending legal issues for the 2017 Session.