Texas appeals court strikes down provision of open meetings act News
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Texas appeals court strikes down provision of open meetings act

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Wednesday struck down a provision of the Texas Open Meetings Act as “unconstitutionally vague.”

The provision in question makes it a crime in Texas for public officials to meet in small group for the purpose of having secret deliberations.

A local judge Craig Doyal, the appellee in the case, was indicted under the law for conducting these types of secret meetings.

Seven judges joined the majority opinion, while two judges dissented. The majority ruling written by Presiding Judge Sharon Keller found that the statute was arbitrary, allowing for no narrowing construction of the law.

Many advocates for government transparency have warned that the ruling undermines the aims of the transparency law, pushing for the legislature to take up the issue following this decision.