The Palm Desert City Council approved the salary for a new city manager in closed session in the belief that was allowed under the Brown Act, but a leading open government advocate says salary discussions must be public. -DB The Desert Sun March 14, 2009 By K. Kaufmann The Palm Desert City Council may have violated the state’s open records law by approving a contract with new city manager in closed session on Jan. 22,

The Merced Union High School District board meeting called to cut services and teachers during stressful economic times ended up causing great stress to open government. The meeting room doors were closed off and on; even a board members was denied answers; and the results of closed session decisions were not clarified. -DB Merced Sun-Star March 13, 2009 By Danielle Gaines The board of trustees at Merced Union High School District flouted state open meeting

CBS does not have to turn over 60 minutes interview footage in the case of Marine accused in the deaths of 24 Iraqi civilians in 2005. The judge agreed with a CBS attorney who argued that the military had not shown the information could not be obtained elsewhere or that the information was critical to their case. –DB The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press March 13, 2009 By Ahnalese Rushmann CBS does not

The First Circuit in Massachusetts ruled that a truthful email could be defamatory if it was sent with”actual malevolent intent or ill will.”–DB Citizen Media Law Project March 11, 2009 By Sam Bayard The Citizen Media Law Project joined numerous other media organizations and media law advocacy groups in filing an amici curiae brief on March 11 urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit to grant rehearing en banc in Noonan v.

A plain writing act has been introduced in both houses of Congress. The acts promote transparency by requiring clear writing in government documents. -DB Secrecy Federation of American Scientists March 12, 2009 One way “to enhance citizen access to Government information,” a new Senate bill proposes, would be to require that Government documents “must be written clearly.” By insisting on plain language in official documents, the bill “promotes transparency and accountability,” said lead sponsor Sen.