HILO, Hawaii — A state judge says members of the Hawaii County Council violated the state’s open-government law by privately discussing a council reorganization plan.

Circuit Judge Ronald Ibarra on Thursday issued a temporary restraining order, forbidding the council from doing business. But he delayed the start of the TRO until Aug. 5 to give the council time to rectify the situation.
The council has scheduled a special meeting for Aug. 4 to cancel the reorganization. It also plans to rehear all measures it considered after the June 16 changes went into effect.
Ibarra’s decision stemmed from a lawsuit filed July 10 by West Hawaii Today. The newspaper alleges the private discussions constituted a violation of the Sunshine Law.
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Information from: West Hawaii Today, www.westhawaiitoday.com