Coalition News

FAC receives $100K Matching Grant from Jonathan Logan Family Foundation

The Jonathan Logan Family Foundation has committed a $100,000 matching grant to launch FAC’s 2017 annual fundraising campaign and to inspire more supporters to join our cause. Because the Logan grant is a matching grant, FAC faces a real challenge — we need to raise an additional $100,000 to earn the match. So, we’re turning to you.  If you donate today, your tax-deductible gift will be doubled.  It will go to work immediately to help

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RSVP today for FAC & KPCC’s Forum: Fake News and the First Amendment: How to tell fact from fiction

Join FAC’ s Executive Director David Snyder and KPCC – Southern California Public Radio host Alex Cohen for a discussion of the potential impacts of fake news on the First Amendment–How can individuals and news organizations stop the spread of misinformation? And what tools are being developed to help people identify fake news for themselves?–with guests including Eugene Volokh –constitutional law professor, UCLA School of Law and Mark Marino – associate professor of writing, USC. When:  Tuesday,

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California Supreme Court: Public Officials Cannot Conceal Emails From Public By Sending From Personal Email Accounts

The California Supreme Court ruled on March 2 that emails sent from the personal email accounts of government officials are subject to the California Public Records Act — a significant ruling with a far-reaching, positive impact on the public’s right to know. The unanimous ruling shuts off the government’s ability to conceal information from the public simply by putting information about government business into personal email accounts.   The court held that “communications about official

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Amici Briefs Digest, March 2, 2017

FAC has joined, or agreed to join, a number of amicus briefs since December 2016. FAC Joined Amicus Briefs Rand v. City of Carson—Amicus brief to the California Supreme Court urging a broader interpretation of the “public interest” component of California’s anti-SLAPP statute.  At least two competing standards have arisen under California law regarding what constitutes  “public interest” — one far too narrow, and the other more broad.  The amicus brief joined by FAC urges

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Federal Judge Prevents Enforcement of California’s “IMDb Law” on First Amendment Grounds

A federal judge on February 22 issued a preliminary injunction preventing enforcement of a California law that sought to prohibit the publication of the ages of actors, producers and others on the popular internet movie database, IMDb. FAC joined several other free-speech advocacy groups in filing a “friend of the court” brief last month opposing the law on First Amendment grounds. That brief argued the IMDb law ran afoul of the strong First Amendment protections

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