Think twice before sending that e-mail

If you are an elected official, e-mails can be a violation of the Sunshine Law. If a quorum, or majority, of board members are discussing an issue, it must be done publicly, with the exception of a few issues. That can be a problem when board members start e-mailing each other and copying the rest of the board those e-mails, says Ken Baker, a solicitor for several area districts. He said it's OK to send facts to other board members or to suggest a question for the board meeting. But he says it's best for the e-mails to stop there. Other attorneys, both at the local and state level, agree with his advice.