It was disappointing that Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor decided not to pursue any action against state lawmakers for violating the Kansas Open Meetings Act when majorities of committees met privately at the governor’s mansion earlier this year. But his recommendation that they receive training on the open-meetings law was certainly justified. Transcripts of interviews with lawmakers showed that many had never read the law and didn’t understand it. The response of Rep. Joe Scapa, R-Wichita, was particularly embarrassing. When asked by investigators why he believed he didn’t violate the open-meetings law, Scapa said, “I don’t know how to explain it to you, but that’s what I know.”
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