Governor signs changes to Open Meeting Act

Today Governor Stitt signed Senate Bill 1031, which amends the state’s Open Meeting Act to allow for virtual meetings through at least February 15, 2022. In response, FOI Oklahoma issues the following statement:

FOI Oklahoma appreciates the time and attention given to this issue by the legislature and Governor. The passage of SB1031 means our government and many publicly-funded organizations are able to function safely, efficiently, and effectively while also ensuring that the public can maintain access and oversight of activities. In short, this was the right thing to do, and we hope the legislature will thoughtfully consider making more enduring updates to the Open Meeting Act to enable public entities to continue to be innovative and responsive in how they conduct business in a rapidly changing world.

When the legislature first amended the Open Meeting Act last spring using SB661, Attorney General Mike Hunter issued two sets of Frequently Asked Questions (Statement 1, Statement 2) to clarify what the changes meant and how public entities should conduct business in accordance therewith. We have not yet heard if the AG will be releasing any additional FAQs in response to the passage of SB1031.

For more coverage of SB1031 please, see this article by Carmen Forman at The Oklahoman.