WINONA, Minn. – Under pressure from the Winona Post for government transparency, Winona County Attorney Karin Sonneman reversed herself and said that the county Economic Development Authority must conduct its meetings publicly. Sonneman’s reversal followed a ruling by the state Data Practices Office that there was no statutory authority to close the meetings. In short, the press has a right on behalf of the public to monitor government decision-making. Sonneman originally had argued that financial information in loan applications from private businesses should be shielded from the public. Nope, said the Taya Moxley-Goldsmith, director of the state Data Practices Office. There can be no secrets when public money is involved, she said. The Post had objected to closed meetings when reporter Chris Rogers was barred from an Economic Development Authority meeting in 2018. On a related issue, in 2020, Taya Moxley-Goldsmith said that government bodies cannot conduct business by email, which she said violated the public openness requirements of the Data Practices Act. She pointed out that pointing out that that emails and letters constitute a “meeting” and violate openness requirements.
CHRIS ROGERS: Winona Post reporter
