DeKALB | After the Student Association filed a motion to dismiss the case by Leon Kincaid, former Student Association Senator, Oct. 11, SA Senate Speaker Christine Wang said she will conduct all Senate meetings in compliance with the Illinois Open Meetings Act.

On April 29, Kincaid filed a civil lawsuit against SA for up to $5,000 for “intentional” violation of the Illinois Open Meetings Act, a bill that was passed in 2005 requiring meetings to be open to the public with some exceptions. Kincaid declared the Senate fell under the Illinois Open Meetings Act and did not comply during a meeting held Nov. 22, 2015.

Kincaid’s complaint cites a Nov. 23 Northern Star editorial, stating the closed meeting shows a lack of transparency. A closed meeting is a meeting in which the public cannot attend.

The Senate is moving to dismiss the case because of a violation of Act 5 of the Illinois Compiled Statues. The complaint was not filed within 60 days after the meeting but 159 days after the alleged violation.

The Senate denies it failed to follow the Open Meetings Act but passed a bill Oct. 23 requiring all Senators to complete the necessary training of the Open Meetings Act through the Illinois Attorney General’s Office. Wang said in the affidavit, she will require all Senators to complete this training in the next 13 days.

The motion to dismiss the case will be heard Dec. 2 at the DeKalb County Courthouse, 133 W. State St.