by Cobb & Counsel | Sep 5, 2022 | Texas Open Meetings Act
Members of the public (and members of the governmental body itself) sometimes raise an issue during a public meeting that was not included on the posted agenda for the meeting. When a non-agenda item is raised, the safest response is no response. If members of the...
by Cobb & Counsel | Aug 24, 2022 | Texas Open Meetings Act
A governmental body’s IT department plays an important role in a running a meeting where one or more members of the governmental body or staff are participating remotely by videoconference call. Governmental bodies should carefully plan ahead to ensure that a meeting...
by Cobb & Counsel | Jun 2, 2022 | Texas Open Meetings Act
The Texas Open Meetings Act doesn’t address whether a governmental body can require the public to provide identification in order to attend an open meeting or speak at the meeting, so it’s up to each governmental body to establish its own policies. A governmental body...
by Cobb & Counsel | Mar 1, 2022 | Texas Open Meetings Act
The Attorney General’s office has released an updated handbook on the Texas Open Meetings Act, including guidance on changes made by the 87th Texas Legislature. While the handbook is a helpful resource, TOMA is a complex statutory scheme that can be difficult to...
by Cobb & Counsel | Jul 27, 2021 | Texas Open Meetings Act
Governor Abbott temporarily suspended some requirements of the Texas Open Meetings Act due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But those suspensions end on September 1, 2021, and all governmental bodies must return to complying with the statute as written. That means the end of...
by Cobb & Counsel | Apr 21, 2021 | Texas Open Meetings Act
The Texas Open Meetings Act (TOMA) ensures that meetings of governmental bodies are open to the public. In limited circumstances, however, TOMA authorizes closed meetings, from which the public is excluded. Tex. Gov’t Code Ann. §§ 551.071-551.090. The Texas Attorney...
