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Texas open meeting law supported by FAC amicus stands

FAC September 11, 2009

The Texas Open Meetings Act supported by an FAC amicus brief withstood a constitutional challenge by former city council members who asserted the law violated their rights to exchange e-mail messages discussing city business in secret. September 10, 2009 After four years of litigation, the U.S. Court of Appeals in Dallas (5th Cir.) today  dismissed Rangra vs. Brown as moot. Although both Alpine, Texas, councilors’ terms had ended, Avinash Rangra remained an active plaintiff in

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Governor signs FAC-sponsored access bill

FAC August 10, 2009

With encouragement from the California First Amendment Coalition, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed SB 786 that limits the ability of state and local governmental agencies to win fee awards from citizens bringing lawsuits under the state’s open government laws -DB Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law SB 768 on August 6 a measure vital to maintaining the ability of citizens to seek redress of open government violations by local and state agencies. The law provides that

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FAC files amicus in US Sup Ct free speech / campaign contributions case

FAC August 3, 2009

The First Amendment Coalition has filed an amicus brief in Citizens United v. FEC, the US Supreme Court case involving First Amendment challenges to federal campaign finance laws regulating corporate political speech during elections. The Court held this case over for re-argument in September and invited briefing on broader issues than the case originally had been thought to present—including whether to overturn several leading Supreme Court precedents in the campaign finance-freedom of speech area. Our

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Tax collector withholding documents

FAC July 16, 2009

Q: My request to the County Tax Collectors’ office for “any handbook, manual or instructions that delineate the process in which your office processes claims for excess proceeds” is almost one month past the day they received the request and have refused to respond. What should I do? A. It seems that the agency is ignoring your request without citing any authority for withholding the record or without giving you notice that it will extend

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Requesting welfare application of divorced spouse

FAC July 16, 2009

Q: Would I  be able to access my ex-spouse’s recently filed California welfare application? My belief is the application was falsified regarding residency. A: The kind of information you are seeking–names and addresses–may fall under the California Public Records Act (“PRA”) privacy exemption. The PRA provides that public records are presumptively open to the public, unless exempt from disclosure under the PRA. The PRA exempts from disclosure “[p]ersonnel, medical, or similar files, the disclosure of

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