The Open Meeting Law (OML) requires that meetings of governmental bodies, including committees and subcommittees, generally be open to the public. The law contains certain exceptions.

The OML applies to both state and local government. However, by its nature, the OML applies only to multi-member bodies. Decisions made by a single agency commissioner are not made at a "meeting," and thus are not subject to the open meeting law. Because most major state agencies are headed by a single commissioner, the OML has limited applicability to state government.

See table for general rules: http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hrd/issinfo/lgomdp.htm

For a publication by the State of Mn on the Open meeting laws
http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hrd/pubs/openmtg.pdf

The Government Data Practices Act creates a presumption that all government data is public, but contains numerous exceptions to this presumption. Minnesota Statutes, chapter 13.

The act contains a number of exceptions to the presumption that government data is public. Each statutory exception states that data is private, nonpublic, confidential, or protected nonpublic.

Date Practices Resources
Minnesota Government Data Practices Act: A 12-page publication providing an overview of the data practices act, highlighting its most significant procedural features, rights, and remedies (PDF). http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hrd/pubs/dataprac.pdf