DE Under 3: Behind the Scenes of EEOC’s Full Commission Hearing
Government in the Virtual World: A Look at Public Meetings and Hearings
Ethics Laws and the Importance of Transparency for Public Officials
The Illinois Public Access Counselor (PAC) issued a binding opinion, finding a school board violated the Open Meetings Act (OMA) when it improperly discussed school curriculum during closed session....more
Early this year, the Illinois Appellate Court issued an opinion responding to challenges asserted under the Open Meetings Act (OMA) and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The Appellate Court held that the Village of Oak...more
In a recent binding opinion, the PAC found a public body in violation of the Open Meetings Act (OMA) for restricting the content of public comment where a member of the public attempted to discuss the District’s hiring...more
Governor Pritzker recently signed into law Public Act 103-0311 (previously HB 2447), which amends two key provisions in the Open Meetings Act (“OMA”) effective as of July 28, 2023....more
In its recent decision, Hindelang v. City of Grosse Pointe, the Michigan Court of Appeals (“Court”) has offered clarification and some helpful reminders for compliance with the Open Meetings Act (“OMA”). In a case involving...more
Recently, the Public Access Counselor (PAC) issued a new binding opinion concerning the Open Meetings Act (OMA). In the opinion, the PAC determined that three city council members did not violate the OMA when they exchanged...more
In today's world of technology and communications, communities are increasingly reaching their residents and marketing their services through social media. It has become common for cities, villages, and nearly all forms of...more
The Open Meetings Act (“OMA”) requires Ohio’s public entities to conduct all deliberations and make all decisions in meetings that are open to the public. However, a public body can meet in executive session to discuss...more
In late April, the Ohio Supreme Court heard oral arguments in State of Ohio ex rel. Christopher Hicks v. Clermont County Board of Commissioners, a largely contentious Open Meetings Act (OMA) appeal that may intensify public...more
Governor Inslee’s March 24, 2022 signing of House Bill 1329 marks the introduction of changes to the Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA), the focus of which concerns public meetings’ accessibility and participation in the same....more
New York State public bodies subject to the Open Meetings Law must now post on their website, or provide upon request, “at least 24 hours” prior to any public meetings, any documents that will be discussed or considered...more
New Law Permits Local Governments to Continue to Meet Remotely Until 2024 - California’s historic open meeting law, the Ralph M. Brown Act, requires that local governments conduct their business in public meetings and...more
On September 2, 2021, Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation (S.50001/A.40001), which includes a number of statutory protections and other emergency public health measures adopted in response to the recent increase in the...more
With the effective date of recent amendments to Pennsylvania’s open meetings law, commonly known as the Sunshine Act, rapidly approaching on August 29, 2021, Pennsylvania public agencies, including but not limited to School...more
At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, on March 16, 2020, at the Attorney General’s request, Governor Greg Abbott utilized Section 418.016 of the Government Code to suspend certain requirements of the Texas Open Meetings Act...more
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rhode Island public bodies have been authorized to meet remotely pursuant to Executive Orders issued by the Rhode Island Governor’s Office...more
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the work of public entities had to continue. Amended Substitute House Bill 197 made that possible, by modifying the requirements of R.C. 121.22 to permit public bodies to meet by...more
Unbelievably, it was March 17, 2020, when Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-29-20 (amending Executive Order N-25-20 in part), which allows local or state legislative bodies to hold meetings via teleconference and...more
Plaintiff’s Brown Act claims were barred because unreasonable delay in prosecuting the lawsuit substantially prejudiced parties and the general public. Julian Volunteer Fire Company Association v. Julian-Cuyamaca Fire...more
The Illinois Appellate Court recently issued an opinion providing additional guidance about the “probable or imminent” litigation exception to the Open Meetings Act (OMA) open meeting requirement....more
In a recent decision, the Public Access Counselor (PAC)—the division of the Attorney General that reviews appeals regarding the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Open Meetings Act (OMA)—found that a city...more
On March 30, 2021, the authority for Michigan public bodies to hold electronic "virtual" meetings for any reason under the Michigan Open Meetings Act ("OMA") expired. Thus, starting on March 31, 2021, and continuing until...more
Michigan’s Open Meetings Act (OMA) has been amended a number of times since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to address and allow electronic meetings under certain circumstances. The current state of the law is that...more
In October 2020, and then again in December 2020, the Michigan Legislature amended the Open Meetings Act to expressly permit remote meetings of public bodies while the COVID-19 pandemic continued. The initial amendment became...more