The segments below provide a brief overview of MACo’s work on public information and ethics policies in the 2025 General Assembly session.  County governments gather and maintain public information as part of their various functions. Compliance with federal and state public information mandates and guidelines is paramount. This responsibility and others are maintained with a standard of ethics in all government practices and priorities throughout Maryland’s county governments’ administrative agencies and legislative bodies. Through its…

On February 11, Executive Director Michael Sanderson testified before the Health and Government Operations Committee in support of HB 821 – Public Information Act – Denials – Pending Litigation.  This bill provides reasonable standards for a local custodian of records to deny inspection of documents when a Public Information Act request is for materials that could be consequential to current or reasonably pending legislation. Representatives of the Office of the Attorney General suggested bill amendments…

On January 22, Director of Intergovernmental Relations Dominic Butchko testified before the Judiciary Committee in support of HB 74 - Legal Advertisement or Legal Notice - Publication in Newspaper or Newspaper in General Circulation - Digital Newspapers. This bill authorizes a county that does not have a qualifying newspaper for certain legal advertisements or notices, to publish the required information in a comparable digital format to maintain compliance with state law. MACo supports the reasonable…