Jullie Marzouk of The Orange County Register, March 9, 2024, argues that activists are “weaponizing cracks in American democracy” to attack Israel, calling for cease fire, using hate speech and intimidating elected officials. In California they are taking advantage of the Brown Act, the state’s open government law, that allows citizens to address items not on the agenda.
The Jewish community in Walnut Creek reacted to an anti-Semitic rant during the public comment session in a city council meeting. (NBC Bay Area, February 22, 2024, by Pete Suratos)
In the wake of disruptions of several city council meetings, the Pacific Grove City Council is deciding whether to give the mayor the power to silence people making inappropriate comments during the public comments period. (Monterey Herald, March 5, 20143, by Kyarra Harris)
A Malibu City Council member has sent a letter to the local district attorney alleging that his fellow council members violated the Brown Act. Bruce Silverstein contended that the council met illegally in closed session to discuss a proposed skate board project without the threat of lawsuit. (The Malibu Times, March 7, 2024, by Judy Abel)
A California superior court judge ordered Governor Gavin Newsom to relinquish a cabinet secretary’s records involving PG&E’s culpability in a deadly fire. (Courthouse News Service, March 5, 2024, by Alan Riquelmy)
A state appellate court cleared Anaheim of violating the Brown Act in negotiating the sale of Angel Stadium. (Los Angeles Times, March 6, 2024, by Bill Shaikin)
After a citizen charged the Paso Robles City Council of violating the Brown Act over the adoption of paid parking, the council suspended action on the issue. It found no violations and began the process of reinstating paid parking. (The Tribune, February 26, 2024, by Stephanie Zappelli)
The board of the El Dorado Hills Community Services District is struggling with anonymous harassment and calls for resignations amid accusations of past Brown Act violations. Residents are upset that the district failed to hold developers to an agreement to build a park on a project they approved of. (Village Life, March 1, 2024, by Noel Stack)
Four board members of the Carmel Unified School District were notified of a recall petition for Brown Act violations. (Monterey Herald, February 23, 2014, by Molly Gibbs)
Dan Walters in Cal Matters, February 22, 2024, reports that Sacrament brassly violated the Brown Act in giving their city manager a sizable salary raise without public notice of a special meeting.
Cal Cities is co-sponsoring a bill to make it easier for citizens to serve on local boards and commissions. It would allow members of non-decision making bodies to participate in online public meetings without posting their location or allowing the public a view of their private location. The bill is intended to allow more citizens to participate in public service. (League of California Cities, February 21, 2024, by Cal Cities Staff)
FAC’s David Snyder said the Eureka City school board failed to uphold important provisions of the Brown Act in meetings on the fate of the surplus Jacobs Middle School campus. (North Coast Journal, February 20, 2024, by Thadeus Greenson)
The Palm Springs Human Right Committee allegedly made a decision in closed session that should have been made in public. (The Palm Springs Post, February 13, 2024, by Mark Talkington)
Steven Felschundneff in The Claremont Courier, February 9, 2024, reported that the newspaper notified the Claremont Unified School District that their policy of checking board meeting attendee’s identifications before the meeting may violate state law, prompting the district to change its policy.