Meetings of the Legislature.

(1) Existing provisions of the California Constitution require meetings of each house and committee of the Legislature to be open to the public, except that closed meetings may be held to consider specified matters, including employment and personnel, security, advice from counsel, and caucus meetings. The Ralph M. Brown Act requires that any meeting of a legislative body of a local agency be open and public and that all persons be permitted to attend. The act also requires the legislative body comply with certain open meeting requirements. This bill would require that all meetings of the Legislature be open to the public and comply with the open meeting requirements of the Ralph M. Brown Act, except as specified. The bill would define "meeting," for its purposes, as a gathering of two or more members of the Legislature in one place for the purposes of discussing matters, including budget-related matters, within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Legislature. The bill would make conforming changes to existing law. (2) The California Constitution authorizes the Governor to declare a fiscal emergency and to call the Legislature into special session for that purpose. The Governor issued a proclamation declaring a fiscal emergency, and calling a special session for this purpose, on December 19, 2008. This bill would state that it addresses the fiscal emergency declared by the Governor by proclamation issued on December 19, 2008, pursuant to the California Constitution.