U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, Chancellor of the Smithsonian’s Board
Billed as its first public meeting, the Smithsonian Institution’s Board of Regents’ question-and-answer session yesterday with Smithsonian-ologists may have been therapeutic but it wasn’t a sufficient step towards greater transparency: It didn’t reveal to the public what goes on at the closed-door meetings where the Smithsonian’s business really gets done.
The public Q&A’s unasked question that needs an answer is this:
Since the Smithsonian is a quasi-federal agency, created by Congress, subject to Congressional oversight and primarily funded from federal tax dollars, why aren’t those business meetings required to be open under federal open-meeting laws?
Some matters, such as personnel issues or litigation-related discussions, would have to go into executive session. But why the secrecy surrounding discussion about such matters as “Gift and Endowment Actions” and “Deaccession of the National Air and Space Museum’s B‐17G Aircraft”?
Here‘s the complete agenda for yesterday’s closed business session (which included the above items). You tell me why these discussions should be entirely concealed from public view.
If the Smithsonian is truly serious about improved transparency, its own board meetings are the place to start.