It’s time to repeal California’s Brown Act

I have a big problem with the Brown Act. Let’s say you are a Democrat, and you are successful at electing like-minded people to … let’s say the county supervisory board. The Brown Act provides for anyone to speak at any supervisor meeting; usually this amounts to minutes per person to get in all who want to speak.

Problem: A loud and rude Republican minority who did not vote for your elected official hijack the meeting — not just one meeting but all meetings — filibustering, and forcing a vote out to the next meeting, and the next, thus rendering the will of the people to the back-burner.

This is what we Republicans have to deal with in San Luis Obispo County. In my opinion, the officials elected by the people represent the people, and the citizens who come to meetings should be allowed to ask questions, but not be allowed to steal a meeting of duly elected officials who represent the majority.

Repeal the Brown Act!

This story was originally published June 13, 2017 at 8:42 PM with the headline "It’s time to repeal California’s Brown Act."