Portantino Bill Ensuring Los Angeles Neighborhood Councils Can Meet Online Passes Assembly Floor
For Immediate Release: August 24, 2023
Contact: Lerna Shirinian, (818) 409-0400
Portantino Bill Ensuring Los Angeles Neighborhood Councils Can Meet Online Passes Assembly Floor
Sacramento, California – Senate Bill 411, authored by Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D – Burbank), passed the Assembly Floor today. The bill ensures that neighborhood councils in the City of Los Angeles can continue serving their constituents by meeting online.
“Virtual meetings have made it easier for folks with travel and daycare difficulties to participate and for councils to more easily have quorums,” stated Senator Portantino. “Additionally, public participation is vital to vibrant discourse and is best served when more people participate in the process. That’s why I’m determined to help them continue to meet in accordance with modern needs and technology.”
During the pandemic, virtual public meetings via teleconference were allowed by Executive Order of the Governor to help neighborhood councils remain operational. While it was clear that online meetings attracted more public participation, it is also clear that ending them will have drastic negative consequences for public discourse. Considering that California is the tech leader in the nation and the world, it is appropriate to have laws in place that encourage governments to modernize and serve more people.
“SB 411 is a key bill that will make the Neighborhood Council system of Los Angeles more democratic and accessible to all. We are looking forward to having the Governor sign this measure and for Neighborhood Councils to be able to meet virtually again, should they choose,” said Michael Schneider, CEO of Streets For All.
SB 411 will allow neighborhood councils in the City of Los Angeles to use teleconferencing as an alternative for in person meetings and require that one in person meeting be held per year. The measure requires that the City Council approve the virtual meeting option before neighborhood councils can move forward and requires a two-thirds vote from each neighborhood council in order to make the meeting remote. SB 411 has a sunset date of 2026.
“We are looking forward to being more inclusive to our community families, disabled, seniors and others who are not able to participate with us do to their inability to attend our meetings in person,” said Lydia Grant, President of the Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council.
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