New Nebraska Public Meetings Limited Waiver

On December 1, 2020, Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts signed Executive Order No. 20-36 waiving certain requirements of the Nebraska Open Meetings Act for all “meetings” held by specified “public bodies” defined in the Open Meetings Act. The waiver would apply for the months of December 2020 and January 2021. The Executive Order permits these public bodies to meet by video, telephonic, or other electronic means, so long as access to such meetings is made available to the public and the media.

Public bodies can begin taking advantage of this waiver. However, each should be aware of the waiver’s limitations. The Executive Order explicitly states that advance notice and agenda requirements, as well as the other provisions of the Open Meetings Act, continue to apply.