ACLU-D.C. Responds to D.C. Council’s Vote to Meet Behind Closed Doors

WASHINGTON – Today, the D.C. Council voted 10-2 to pass the Open Meetings Clarification Act of 2026, on the first vote needed to pass the permanent legislation. The legislation would allow Councilmembers to meet behind closed doors as long as no action is taken in the meeting.

In response, Alicia Yass, policy advocacy director at ACLU-D.C. said:

“Public access to government meetings is a cornerstone of our democracy. Our elected leaders should not discuss policies that affect our lives behind closed doors. We are grateful to Councilmember Charles Allen for his post hoc notice requirement amendment and to Councilmembers Janeese Lewis George and Allen for voting no. For the Council’s second vote, we encourage Councilmembers to keep the door open to democracy in D.C.

Knowledge and transparency are at the very core of American democracy. Political science scholars report that it is critical for citizens to be informed in order to prevent democracy from backsliding.

While there may be limited needs for the Council to have closed door meetings, these exceptions should be few and far between. Any legislation on closing meetings to the public needs to be narrowly tailored to allow the public to access as much information as possible. Today, several Councilmembers expressed concerns that this legislation could be abused by future Councils, and that possibility must be considered further before this legislation is given a final reading.”