Search

Categories

Total Results

No Record Found

View All Results
DONATE

Coalition News

Announcing FAC’s 2014 Free Speech & Open Government Award Winners

FAC December 1, 2014

The First Amendment Coalition is proud to announce the winners of the 2014 FAC Free Speech & Open Government Award. This year FAC received 30 nominations covering the efforts of journalists, individuals, government officials, educators, attorneys, community groups, non-profit journalism organizations and newspapers. The two 2014 winners of this year’s awards use different methods to accomplish their goals –one upholding the finest traditions of investigative journalism and the other demonstrating the effectiveness of advocacy using

Read More »

Water district, in settlement with FAC, agrees to disclose water usage by corporations

Peter Scheer October 30, 2014

A Southern California water district, as part of a settlement of a lawsuit brought by the First Amendment Coalition, has agreed to tell the public how much water each of its corporate customers is pumping from underground aquifers. The Desert Water Agency in Palm Springs had published this information in past years, but changed policy in 2013, ostensibly to protect the “privacy interests” of its corporate customers. The water district relied on section 6254.16 of

Read More »

Brown signs SB 1300, but calls on Legislature to fix public access issues

Peter Scheer October 17, 2014

Governor Brown has signed SB 1300, the refinery regulation bill that FAC and others opposed because of last-minute amendments that would weaken rights of access under the Public Records Act. However, the Governor, in a signing message, made clear he wants the Legislature to pass a new bill to fix those amendments. The Governor said that Senator Lonie Hancock, the author of SB 1300, “has committed to introduce clean up legislation next year and work

Read More »

FAC joins with Santa Rosa Press Democrat to host Open Government candidates’ forum

FAC October 16, 2014

FAC headed north this week to co-host an Open Government Candidates’ Forum with the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. The event provided a unique opportunity for members of the community, which a year earlier was rocked by the tragic shooting death of Andy Lopez, 13, by a Sonoma County Sheriff’s Deputy, to hear candidates for city council answer tough questions on government openness and transparency, issues that have taken center stage in the community since the shooting. FAC Executive Director Peter Scheer led the discussion

Read More »

FAC Seeks Nominations for 2014 Free Speech & Open Government Award

FAC October 8, 2014

The First Amendment Coalition is soliciting nominees for the FAC Free Speech & Open Government Award, given each year for performance of exemplary work in the arena of open government. Qualifications for the award are outstanding accomplishment, service or other contributions to “the people’s right to know” about government. The winner could be a journalist, blogger, lawyer, news organization (print or digital), software developer or community activist. We wish to recognize an individual or institution

Read More »