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Coalition News

Brown signs “Richard McKee bill” to tighten Brown Act enforcement

FAC October 14, 2012

The measure strengthening the public’s ability to enforce the Brown Act was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown last week. Known as the “Richard McKee Act,” the legislation allows members of the public to send local government bodies a cease-and-desist letter if they believe government agencies have violated the Brown Act. The government agency can avoid a court case if it makes a clear commitment to stop the challenged behavior. If it refuses, it

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Governor Brown decides fate of open-government bills

FAC October 12, 2012

The Richard McKee Brown Act enforcement bill wasn’t the only open-government legislation to come before Governor Brown at the end of this legislative session.  Here’s what happened with the bills that FAC has been tracking this year: AB 1270: Governor Brown vetoed this bill that would have allowed journalists greater ability to request interviews  with prison inmates and allow journalists to use materials such as pens, papers, pencils and recording devices to conduct the interviews.

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Scheer discusses Citizens United on HuffPost Live’s “Paying for Free Speech”

FAC September 25, 2012

FAC Executive Director Peter Scheer participated in a lively online discussion centered on the non-profit organization Citizens United  and their new anti Obama film that will air on TV 82 times before November’s election, a first for a film of its kind.  The question posed to the panel was: Is there anything wrong with airing the film so close to the election?  The panel aired on HuffPost Live, the Huffington Post’s new online network featuring live

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Appeals court denies FAC request to join appeal over Apple-Samsung secrecy

donal brown September 24, 2012

A federal appeals court in Washington, DC  denied the First Amendment Coalition’s request to intervene in a pending appeal in the Apple v. Samsung litigation. FAC had sought to intervene as a party in the appeal to defend the trial judge’s ruling ordering the unsealing of certain confidential financial records filed by Apple and Samsung “under seal.” However, the appeals court effectively invited FAC to participate in the case as an “amicus curiae” or friend

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FAC joins Apple v Samsung appeal to urge disclosure of confidential records filed in court “under seal”

Peter Scheer September 4, 2012

The First  Amendment Coalition has entered into the Apple v. Samsung patent infringement lawsuit in order to advocate for public disclosure of confidential financial records that both Apple and Samsung filed in court under seal. Apple and Samsung have both appealed an August 9 ruling by the trial court Judge, Lucy Koh, ordering the unsealing of many (but not all) of the sealed records. FAC, a nonprofit organization dedicated to free speech and open-government, filed

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