Kansas Gov. Brownback’s dinners may have violated open meetings act, press organization says
TOPEKA -- The Kansas Press Association says some dinners that Gov. Sam Brownback hosted this month with legislative leaders may have violated the Kansas Open Meetings Act.
It depends on who attended the dinner and what was discussed, the group says.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reported Friday that dinners generally are restricted to Republicans. Two members of the House Appropriations Committee who attended a Cedar Crest dinner on Tuesday said a majority of that committee was present, and topics of discussion included taxes and the state budget.
Brownbacks spokeswoman, Sherriene Jones-Sontag, said dinners are not an open meetings violation.
Social dinners hosted at Cedar Crest give the governor and legislators an opportunity to get to know one another away from the Statehouse, she said in an emailed statement. All 165 legislators and their spouses, regardless of their political affiliation, have been invited to join the governor and first lady for dinner last year and this year.
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