{"id":5946,"date":"2022-01-27T12:59:43","date_gmt":"2022-01-27T17:59:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/senatedems.com\/mccann\/?p=5946"},"modified":"2022-01-27T12:59:43","modified_gmt":"2022-01-27T17:59:43","slug":"mccann-introduces-bill-to-help-local-governments-meet-safely","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.senatedems.com\/mccann\/2022\/01\/27\/mccann-introduces-bill-to-help-local-governments-meet-safely\/","title":{"rendered":"McCann Introduces Bill to Help Local Governments Meet Safely"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Proposal would allow individual members of a public body to participate, vote remotely due to medical condition<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

LANSING, Mich. (Jan. 27, 2022) \u2014 Sen. Sean McCann<\/strong> (D-Kalamazoo) today introduced a bill to help local governments operate safely by allowing individual members of a public body in Michigan, who have a medical condition, to participate and vote remotely in public meetings.

Senate Bill 854 would amend the Open Meetings Act to add a medical condition including injury, disability, or other health-related condition to circumstances requiring accommodation for remote participation.

\u201cI have heard from local government representatives in Kalamazoo County who are concerned that state law compelling in-person meetings has put members of public bodies and the general public into unsafe positions, or in some cases has prevented important business from being conducted effectively,\u201d Sen. McCann<\/strong> said. \u201cMy bill says that if a local elected official or member of a citizen board has a health condition or disability that prevents them from attending a business meeting in person, but they are otherwise able to participate and vote, they should not be prevented from doing so. We have figured out how to do this remotely, we have the technology, and we know it can work.\u201d

Public Act 228 of 2020<\/a> amended the Open Meetings Act to stipulate that public bodies would be able to conduct electronic meetings under the following conditions:
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