Lawmakers debate extending response window for alleged open-meeting violations in H.501

The House Government Operations & Military Affairs Committee on April 9 heard testimony and discussion on H.501, a short-form proposal prompted by local officials' concerns about the penalties and enforcement timelines in Vermont's Open Meeting Law.

Michael Booten, introduced the issue, saying school districts and small municipal bodies have experienced "weaponization" of the open meeting law when individuals repeatedly allege violations tied to the timing of posted minutes. Booten described a December incident in which a board member hand-delivered a written notice alleging a violation after minutes had not been posted to the public body's website; because the district did not have a regular meeting before the statute's response deadline, the district had to warn and hold a special meeting to respond.

Tucker Anderson,…