Watchdog Group Launches Petition to Protect Brown Act

A Sacramento-based organization launched an online petition drive Sunday to amend the California constitution to ensure that municipal meeting agendas continue to be offered to the public.

In June, the state Legislature gave California cities and counties the option of not posting meeting agendas and other reports to save money. This action suspended a key provision of the 1953 Brown Act, which requires California cities, counties, school boards and special districts to follow a range of provisions in conducting their meetings openly.

On Sunday, Californians Aware launched a petition drive to place a proposition on the statewide ballot.

"Even though the law might not hold public officials accountable for no longer posting agendas or providing adequate descriptions of items on them, angry voters would hold them accountable," stated Californians Aware on its website. "Political exposure has always been a far more powerful motivator of Brown Act compliance than legal exposure."

Locally, the Woodland Hills Warner Center Neighborhood Council makes the agenda for its meetings available on its website. To see the agenda for Wednesday's special full board meeting, for example, click on the "calendar" link at the top of the home page and then click on the meeting listed by date. A small window will open with a link to download the agenda.

A bill designed to preserve the Brown Act provisions is in limbo in the Assembly Appropriations Committee after the state Senate passed it.

Click here to read more about the online petition or to sign it.