Asked & Answered

A&A: How do we respond to government harassment of our protest?

Q: We had some 15 protesters on a public passage that is a footpath over a major frwy. A  government entity kept harassing us during our protest. We hung large signs over the frwy as these overpasses have metal grids fencing. This in turn slowed but did not impede or block or obstruct moving traffic. Houston police never asked us to leave and did not worry us however Dept of Transportation employees kept trying to

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A&A: Is it legal to profit by selling information from public records?

Q: Thank you so much for providing this service! I am attempting to learn all I can regarding laws prohibiting or allowing the selling/profiting from public information. Specifically I am interested in the legality of websites, apps, companies, etc. charging members of the public a fee for access to information about sex offenders identical to the information already provided by national, state, and local registries. There are several different types of companies doing this: some

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A&A:Does the CPRA allow access to notes from interviews with job candidates?

Q: I was recently not selected for a position at my place of employment, a California State University. Two individuals were hired that appear to be less qualified than me. I sent a request for interview notes because the chair of the interview panel expressly told me that only the responses given in the interview were used to determine who to offer the position to. My request for interview notes was denied. Here is the

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A&A: State Agency I worked for is denying my records’ request, but documents do exist!

Q: I used to work for the State of California. I lost my job and I am trying to get information on a program administered by my employer. This program is funded by the Federal government. I am being met with resistance because the Public Request officer is simply forwarding my request to my former supv/mgr, and she claims that the documents/information I am requesting is not available. I know that the information I am requesting

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A&A: Request denied for fire district celebration guest list

A small fire district board voted to approve paying up to $2,500 for district firefighters, graduates of the reserve academy and their guests (and apparently the Board members and their guests) to attend an ”Appreciation Dinner” at a rather expensive venue. At a previous district board meeting (February 2013), the fire chief told the board that he was going to pay $1,100 to rent the venue for the dinner ”because he’s allowed to spend up

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