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Warren council opposes state open‑meetings bills as written, offers amendments
Summary
After heated debate about costs and public access, the Warren Town Council voted to oppose two state bills on virtual participation in local meetings as written and transmitted a companion set of suggested amendments that would make virtual participation permissive and avoid forcing meetings to stop if livestreaming fails.
The Warren Town Council voted in May to oppose "house bill 76 76" and "senate bill 26 12" in their current forms while sending a separate set of suggested amendments to the General Assembly.
The measure, introduced for consideration at the meeting, drew sustained debate from council members who said the bills could impose unfunded operational costs and procedural burdens on small municipal boards. Councilor (speaker 13) Trombley urged an approach that would preserve online access for people with mobility or scheduling barriers but make participation optional for towns that lack the capacity to support live remote testimony. "I would like that to be amended," Trombley said, arguing the bill should permit rather than require virtual participation and avoid forcing a meeting to end if a livestream fails.
Councilor Cronin (speaker 11) said the resolution should send a clear signal to the legislature that Warren supports virtual access in principle but needs flexibility. "By opposing it as written and supporting it with these amendments, we are sending the clear message that we are permitted to do it, but we are not obligated to," she said.
Opponents on the council said the bill could create new liabilities and overwhelming procedural work for meeting chairs and clerks, including a requirement reported in the draft that a meeting stop if a livestream fails. The solicitor (Desisto, speaker 2) advised the council on possible legal and practical implications but cautioned that the state language remains a developing matter.
The council voted to oppose the bills as drafted and added a second paragraph to the town's letter that outlines the amendments the council would accept (making virtual participation permissive, allowing documents posted online to satisfy public‑access requirements and permitting meetings to continue if a livestream is interrupted). A roll indication recorded a closely divided vote during the floor division recorded in the meeting transcript.
