The First Amendment Coalition is delighted to announce the appointment of three new members to its Board of Directors, all working journalists who have made substantial contributions to their craft and to the cause of government transparency in California and beyond: Ed Chapuis, news director for KGTV-10 in San Diego; Katherine Ann Rowlands, owner of […]
Archive | Coalition News
Remembering FAC Founding Father and California Journalism Giant, Frank McCulloch
Frank McCulloch, a giant in California journalism, played an important role in the founding of FAC in 1988. McCulloch was a key editor who helped transition a small Freedom of Information committee, sponsored by the California Newspaper Publishers Association, into an independent organization of journalists, attorneys and FOI/First Amendment experts who would be serving the general public […]
FAC Partners with MuckRock to Expand Reach of Open Records, Meetings Database
The First Amendment Coalition today announced a new partnership with MuckRock to extend the reach of FAC’s “Asked and Answered” resource, an extensive database of legal expertise on freedom of information laws and the First Amendment. Through the collaboration, users of MuckRock—a nonprofit that provides sophisticated but easy-to-use online tools to help people submit public […]
FAC Urges Reversal of Ruling Allowing Secret Government Meetings for Speculative ‘Public Safety’ Concerns
The First Amendment Coalition (FAC) today filed an amicus brief in a California Court of Appeal case that could have far-reaching consequences for the transparency of government meetings. In the brief, FAC urges the court to find that Metrolink, Southern California’s largest commuter rail system, violated the state’s open-meetings laws when it barred the public […]
WATCH NOW: Fact or Fiction: What Will It Take To Combat Misinformation and Disinformation in the Digital Age?
On Thursday, May 10, 2018, First Amendment Coalition, New America and Slate’s Future Tense met in Washington DC to address the First Amendment challenges that arise when policymakers call for limits on speech and greater involvement by tech companies in policing online content. Are these steps the answer? Or should we be developing a long-term […]
FAC Victory in “Reverse CPRA” Case: Court Orders Disclosure of Records Alleging Misconduct by Milpitas City Official
In an important win for government transparency, a Santa Clara Superior Court judge has ruled that the city of Milpitas must release documents relating to allegations of serious misconduct by former city manager Tom Williams. The city originally withheld the documents based in part on a “reverse California Public Record Act” lawsuit filed by Williams […]
FAC Supports CA Senate Bill 1244 to Protect Public Records Requesters
The First Amendment Coalition supports a bill to be heard next week in the California Senate Judiciary Committee that would help prevent abusive litigation by public agencies against members of the public who request records under the California Public Records Act (CPRA). SB 1244 would amend the CPRA in two important ways. First, it would […]
FAC Receives Three-Year, $375,000 Grant From Jonathan Logan Family Foundation
The First Amendment Coalition today announced that the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation has committed $375,000 over the next three years to support FAC’s work defending free speech and the public’s right to know. “FAC is grateful to the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation for this vital and substantial gift, which provides us with a solid foundation […]
FAC Helps Defeat Effort by School District to Recover Nearly $500K in Attorneys Fees From Records Requester
A court in Hayward, CA yesterday denied an unprecedented effort by a public school district to recover nearly half a million dollars in attorneys fees from a woman who had requested public records from the district. Alameda County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Brand ruled that the motion by the Newark Unified School District to recover […]
CA Senate Bill 1421 Would Bring Desperately Needed Transparency to Police Misconduct Files
The First Amendment Coalition strongly supports California Senate Bill 1421, which would bring long-overdue transparency to records relating to police misconduct. The bill would require disclosure of records relating to investigations of serious police misconduct, including officer-involved shootings and instances where police officers have lied under oath. Law enforcement officers are alone among public employees […]