texas

Officials Ask State to Suspend Open Meeting Laws in Crises

Fort Bend County commissioners have joined a list of local officials asking Texas to suspend its Open Meetings Act during times of crisis after they say it caused issues in communication during the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey last year.

The Open Meetings Act requires public notice before a meeting of three or more elected officials. Fort Bend County commissioners will testify before the House Select Committee on Government Transparency and Operations with other city and county officials in Austin Tuesday in hopes of suspending the law during emergencies like Harvey.

Currently, the law allows for two hours of notice before a meeting in times of emergency. But Fort Bend County officials tell the Fort Bend Herald that when they are organizing a rapid response, two hours can be too long.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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