Charter schools are public schools and generally are subject to the same laws as other public schools, but a new California bill erases any doubt about whether charter schools must adhere to the state's open meeting, conflict of interest and financial disclosure laws.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill Tuesday, March 5. "It's common sense," Newsom said in a news release issued by his office. "Taxpayers, parents and ultimately kids deserve to know how schools are using their tax dollars."

Senate Bill 126, co-authored by Sen. Connie M. Leyva, D-Chino, and Assemblyman Patrick O'Donnell, D-Long Beach, requires that charter schools abide by California's open meetings laws, either the Ralph M. Brown Act for schools governed locally or the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act for schools that report to a state agency.

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