Maine AG wants hospitals to allow public into meetings

The past two Legislatures have reviewed—and defeated—proposals to make the board meetings of the state's hospitals subject to Maine's right-to-know law. This year the state's top lawyer is upping the ante with a bill that would require some hospitals that receive public funding to hold public meetings. Attorney General Janet Mills said Monday that she's drafting legislation that would affect hospitals that receive 50 percent or more of their operating revenues from state and federal funding. The measure would allow the public to attend board deliberations at those hospitals on issues such as capital expansion projects and purchases that could affect host communities and taxpayers.