The Shawnee County district attorney needs to get to the bottom of the closed meetings Gov. Sam Brownback held at his Cedar Crest residence with GOP members of legislative committees. The governor’s office initially claimed these were merely social gatherings that didn’t fall under the Kansas Open Meetings Act. But after several lawmakers said legislative issues were discussed, the office said it was OK for a quorum of a committee to listen to presentations “so long as they do not privately discuss the business or affairs of the body amongst themselves.” It said lawmakers were warned not to discuss issues (though they reportedly did). Wichita attorney Lyndon Vix of Fleeson Gooing, which represents The Eagle, said it was a “stretch” to claim the meetings could be closed if the governor was the only one who talked about issues within the committee’s purview. “But if any discussion took place at all, then there would be violation,” Vix said. “At the very least, it’s a gimmicky attempt to push the limits of KOMA in a manner that is inconsistent with its spirit.”
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