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First Amendment News

State policeman’s complaint about lead exposure not protected under First Amendment

donal brown January 11, 2010

Federal courts have ruled that when an Illinois State Police officer complained about lead exposure on the firing range, his complaint did not raise public health issues and consequently was private and not protected under the First Amendment. -DB First Amendment Center January 11, 2010 By David L. Hudson Jr. An Illinois State Police officer who complained about elevated levels of lead in his workplace has no First Amendment protection, a federal appeals court recently

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Commentary: First Amendment challenge in distasteful online comments

donal brown January 11, 2010

Just when ordinary citizens can publish comments that go global in an instant, many are squandering the opportunity by publishing vile, profane and cruel comments that add little to responsible public discourse and are prompting some sites to shut down comment sections. -DB First Amendment Center Commentary January 10, 2010 By Gene Policinski When and where do we draw the line on free speech? That’s “we” as in you and I, and our fellow citizens

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Federal judge rules transit authority must accept ads for violent video games

donal brown January 11, 2010

A U.S. District Court judge found that the Chicago Transit Authority was operating under an overbroad ordinance in rejecting ads for violent video games. -DB Chicago Sun-Times January 9, 2010 By Mitch Dudek Video game companies can advertise mature- and adult-rated video games on CTA buses and trains — at least for now. U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer issued a preliminary injunction Thursday stating that the CTA, which had banned the advertising of

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Watchdogs needed to ensure federal openness initiatives don’t stagnate

donal brown January 11, 2010

The Obama administration has made significant progress in improving transparency, but a lot more work is needed to achieve full openness and accountability. DB Bangor Daily News Editorial January 11, 2010 President Barack Obama took office with a promise of transparency. He has made strides, but he still has a way to go. In his first 100 days, the traditional period for a new administration to set its tone, he hit the ground running. In

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Public has right of access to publicly-funded research

donal brown January 11, 2010

It seems obvious that the public should have free access to studies funded with their tax dollars. EFF senior staff attorney Corynne McSherry says the public needs to express its support for a new initiative from the Obama administration to allow taxpayers access to research supported by a wide range of government agencies. -DB Electronic Frontier Foundation Opinion January 9, 2010 By Corynne McSherry Sometimes an idea is so blindingly, obviously good that you have to

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