Shawn Landres The Ralph M. Brown Act represented major progress for transparency in California government when it was enacted in 1953. The law has ensured that generations of Californians have access to their local officials, that the publicâs business be conducted in public and that decision-makers hear from their constituents before they take action. After nearly 70 years, the Brown Act is showing its age. Not only has the internet transformed access to public information as well as public expression and debate, but it also has transformed officialsâ capacity to interact with one another and the residents they serve. Given the brewing legal uncertainty around emergency executive orders and the increasing likelihood that Californians will not return to in-person public meetings before 2022, we must bring the Brown Act â and the Greene Act, for school district advisory committees â into the post-pandemic 21st century. We can enhance transparency and public access, increase the number and type of meetings subject to open meetings rules, and even fight climate change.