Brownback’s Office Says He Warned Legislators About Open Meetings Law

Wed, February 01, 2012

Click Image to Enlarge

AP / Fletcher Powell

Gov. Sam Brownback’s staff says he warned lawmakers not to violate the state’s open meetings law while attending dinners at Cedar Crest mansion.

Caleb Stegall, the governor’s counsel, said in a statement Tuesday that none of the private dinners attended by Republicans from 13 legislative committees violated the law. He said Brownback was careful to warn those attending the dinners that they could not discuss legislative business.

The open meetings law prohibits a voting majority of any government group from discussing business without giving the public notice and access to the meeting. Stegall says once lawmakers were warned, the dinners become informational presentations, which don’t violate the law.

However, some legislators who attended the dinners haven’t mentioned being warned about following the law.