We have had Internet connection difficulties for the last 24 hours but wanted readers to know that the California Fair Political Practices Commission has announced that it will investigate the Reed-Burnham conflict of interest matter.
Members of the CIRM Oversight Committee all have been invited to attend a dinner tonight in Los Angeles at the home of Jeannie Fontana, who serves as John Reed's alternate on the Oversight Committee. CIRM Chairman Robert Klein has let the members of the Oversight Committee know that he hopes to see them all at the dinner.
John M. Simpson, stem cell project director for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, queried CIRM about whether the dinner constitutes a "public meeting" under the terms of the state's open meeting law.
Here is the response from CIRM General Counsel Tamar Pachter:
"There is an exception in the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act for social
gatherings. See Government Code section 11122.5(c)(5). So long as the
members do not discuss business within the subject matter jurisdiction
of the agency, then it is not a public meeting and it does not need to
be noticed. The members will be advised that they must not discuss ICOC
business."
The biotech loan task force meets this afternoon and we will have information on that this evening, with additional updates as warranted before tomorrow's Oversight Committee meeting.
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