Fresno City Councilman Nick Richardson had to miss the last two council meetings because he was out of the country for military service and California’s marquee open meetings law bars him from participating remotely.
However, California state law could be amended to allow members of the military to still participate in the meetings remotely when they are deployed.
Driving the news: Richardson missed the meetings on April 24 and May 1 because he was training in Africa as part of his position as a Marine Corps reservist.
- Current California law has allowed Fresno City Councilmembers to participate remotely on zoom in certain circumstances, such as emergency situations or for official travel.
- But state law does not account for military service, meaning Richardson was barred from the last two meetings.
The big picture: According to a report from GV Wire, Asm. Blanca Rubio (D–Baldwin Park) is open to amending the Brown Act to allow members of the military to fully participate in their elected positions while deployed.
- Rubio authored a bill in 2022 that amended the Brown Act to allow remote participation without identifying each teleconference location in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- She has another bill currently being considered in the Legislature to extend the remote participation rules to Jan. 1, 2030. Those rules are currently scheduled to expire at the start of next year.
What they’re saying: Rubio’s office told GV Wire that she will explore options to amend the Brown Act to allow elected officials such as Richardson to not be excluded from meetings when they are deployed.
- “The Assemblywoman is sensitive to military issues, especially as the spouse of a veteran,” Rubio’s office said. “We will certainly be looking into it.”
