LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — Michigan’s public boards are one vote closer to doing more of the public’s business out of public view.

None of our business?

On June 25, Michigan’s Democratic-led Senate approved a bill that would expand the kinds of conversations school boards, commissions, and local governments can hold in private. The 22–14 vote advances changes to the state’s Open Meetings Act, which currently limits private sessions to a narrow set of legal scenarios, such as active litigation or attorney-client discussions. 

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The new bill would broaden those exceptions to include “notices of potential litigation,” reviews of legal advice without a lawyer present, and criminal investigations involving board members or staff, according to The Detroit News.

Sen. Veronica Klinefelt (D-Eastpointe), the bill’s sponsor, said the changes codify what many boards already do in practice.

 “There’s nothing nefarious in this from our perspective,” she said.

Judy Allen of the Michigan Townships Association, which requested some of the bill’s language, said the goal was practical: allow boards to review legal opinions without incurring extra costs by requiring lawyers to attend in person.

“They do not have to have the attorney present,” Allen said during a June 3 committee hearing. 

Sorry, we’re closed.

However, critics are not convinced. 

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“This bill would let the government shut the doors on almost any controversial issue,” Steve Delie of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy said. “The public plays a vital role in shaping how elected officials respond to controversy and deserves transparency.”

All 19 Senate Democrats voted in favor of the bill, along with three Republicans: Mark Huizenga (Walker), Ed McBroom (Vulcan), and Mike Webber (Rochester Hills).

The bill is now in the GOP-controlled House’s hands.