Insider Intelligence

Legislation requiring certain public bodies to create and maintain audio recordings of their meetings was signed into law this week. The bill, signed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer, requires state licensing boards, state commission panels, and state rule-making boards to record public meetings to allow for the capture of sound, such as an audio-only recording, a […]

The authority for public bodies to hold virtual meetings, without reason, is set to expire next week, on March 31. The allowance to hold virtual meetings came in response to the pandemic and was passed by the legislature and signed into law last December. Under Michigan’s Open Meetings Act, public bodies must operate in a […]

Representative Martin Howrylak (R-Troy) introduced legislation creating additional Open Meetings Act parameters. The bill provides for injunctive relief if a public body is not in compliance with the Open Meetings Act. Under the proposal, an individual who brings forth a civil action due to an alleged lack of compliance would be awarded court costs and […]

This week, Representative Martin Howrylak (R- Troy) testified in the House Law and Justice Committee in support of his legislation increasing government transparency and enforcing the Open Meetings Act (OMA).  If enacted, his bill would clarify that OMA violations can be in the past or ongoing when a citizen files a civil action against a […]