Sometimes there can be confusion with governmental officials about what exactly constitutes an “open” meeting.

That’s why the Kansas City Press Club will host a special event focusing on the “Open Meetings Act” this Saturday (Nov. 10) at 10:30 a.m. at the Cedar Roe Library’s meeting room, 5120 Cedar St., in Roeland Park.

The meeting is free and open to the public.

Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe, who has been at the forefront of a charge to bring more transparency to government business, will be the featured speaker. He recently led a training session that included more than 80 elected and unelected officials.

In 2008 Howe successfully ran for and was elected Johnson County District Attorney. He brought to the position 18 years of experience as a prosecutor, scores of prosecutions and over 90 jury trials.

He will discuss the Open Meetings Act, why it’s sometimes difficult for officials to follow, and what it means for the public and the press. The belief is that when government bodies in Kansas know more about the law then the public can know more about the government.

Confusion among government officials about what constitutes an open meeting has been pervasive in Kansas this year.

It began with a series of dinners Gov. Sam Brownback hosted for Republican state legislators. Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor noted violations did occur, though they were not “significant,” and Brownback and the legislators were not officially cited for any wrongdoing.

In 2012, local governments in Mission and Gardner have been cited for violating the state’s Open Meetings Act, and Shawnee is under investigation for barring the public from open meetings.

A native Kansan, growing up in Salina. Howe graduated in 1985 from Washburn University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in both Criminal Justice and Political Science. Shortly after graduation he entered Washburn Law School and received his law degree in 1988.