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A bill introduced by Alabama District 90 House Representative Chris Sells would require local governing bodies and local boards of education to record each open and public meeting and make the recordings available online within 24 hours after adjournment. 

The bill, HB362, aims to increase government transparency by mandating that counties, municipalities and local school boards not only record meetings but also provide clear instructions on their websites for accessing the recordings. 

“In this technological world, there are a lot of governing bodies that are already doing this, it just makes sense,” Sells said. “All it requires is a cell phone and a YouTube channel, maybe a Bluetooth microphone.”

Some municipal leaders express concerns over confusion which could arise from access to records which provide only a small segment of what is often an ongoing discussion over community concerns.

“What happens when there is an irate individual who has caused a major disturbance,” said Gordonville Mayor Orbuty Ozier. “Sometimes it is just not good for outrage to go forward. Sometimes it can cause a lot of damage. When someone is not there within the room, and when someone taps in [online] and they have not followed the issue it could confuse the general public.”

Sells acknowledged concerns he has received from municipalities, and said he is working on amendments to the bill. 

“There’s an amendment that would extend the timeline requirement to post from 24 to 48 hours [after the meeting], and we’re working on another amendment to exclude towns with small populations,” Sells said. “It may not be necessary in really small towns, where most people already know everything that’s going on. All this does is give people the opportunity to be better informed.”

Butler County Superintendent Joe Eiland expressed confidence in the school system’s readiness to comply with the legislation, once it is passed. 

“We already post the minutes from our board meetings; however, if the bill passes, which I feel certain it will, we are prepared with the necessary video and audio equipment to record the board meetings in an effort to provide total transparency,” Eiland said.

However, not all local officials are on board. Luverne Mayor Ed Beasley, said he is a supporter of Chris Sells but still voiced concerns over the financial burden the bill could impose on small municipalities.

“If that law is passed, we’re going to have to hire someone else that we just can’t afford,” Beasley said. “We have three people to cover something like 1,870 accounts, not to mention we do water and sewage as well, and we still use pen and paper.”

Beasley was supportive of a population exemption for smaller towns. 

“I would think it should be something like below 10,000 people,” Beasley said. “If we were to grow and have that kind of population, there would be more revenue to foot the bill. We’ve already got minutes and open records that anyone can come see at any time.”

The bill, if passed, would take effect on Oct. 1. The amendments, if approved, aim to ease the burden on small towns while maintaining transparency in local governance.