Opinion

Why Civic Engagement is Essential to the Continued Evolution of the Environmental Movement

Why Civic Engagement is Essential to the Continued Evolution of the Environmental Movement

In April of 2020, due to COVID-19 lockdowns, many Sunshine Laws were indefinitely suspended throughout the country. Courtrooms began to hold virtual hearings and trials over telecommunication platforms like Zoom, Skype, and Teams. The Ohio Office of Attorney General announced, “… with the COVID-19 pandemic persisting, the General Assembly passed House Bill 197 and then H.B. 404, giving public bodies the ability to meet virtually instead of in person, as required by Ohio’s Open Meetings Act (R.C. 121.22).”  Public bodies were no longer required to hold in-person meetings, hearings, and trials; rather, many public meetings and hearings became virtual. While numerous states have reinstated their Open Meeting/Sunshine Laws, others have continued to utilize telecommunications and hold most of their meetings, trials, and hearings virtually.