News & Opinion

Federal appeals court rules candidates’ First Amendment rights not significantly harmed by Arizona campaign finance law

The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of appeals upheld the constitutionality of an Arizona campaign finance law that gives matching funds to candidates facing opposition relying on private fundraising. Those using private funds sued saying that the law curtailed their rights to political speech by punishing them for spending privately secured campaign contributions. -db Metropolitan News-Enterprise May 24, 2010 The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday upheld the constitutionality of an Arizona law giving

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Schwarzenegger wants to halt reimbursement to local governments for open government costs

Unable to pay the last $300,000 in a $20 million reimbursement to local governments for the costs of posting agendas and providing copies of documents, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is proposing in his budget that the state no longer require local governments to inform the public but still hold them to providing public access to documents under Prop 59, a constitutional amendment. -db Capitol Notes Commentary May 20, 2010 By John Myers A little noticed item

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Blogger challenges subpoena ordering Twitter to reveal his identity after critical posts on Pennsylvania politician

A blogger on Twitter is challenging a grand jury subpoena seeking his identity after he posted criticism of Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett. The subpoenas are usually limited to criminal cases, and the grand jury did not say what crime the blogger committed. -db Wired May 19, 2010 By David Kravets An anonymous blogger critical of Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett plans to challenge a grand jury subpoena ordering Twitter to reveal the blogger’s identity.

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State high court narrows ‘commercial speech’ to uphold free speech rights on published notice for class action suit

A California Supreme Court decision, in a case over the posting of an appeal for clients in a class action lawsuit, is expected to reaffirm the state’s anti-SLAPP law in protecting free speech in commercial settings. -db Davis Wright Tremaine LLP May 18, 2010 By Thomas R. Burke and Rochelle L. Wilcox The California Supreme Court issued its decision in Simpson Strong-Tie Co. v. Gore on May 17, 2010, narrowly construing the so-called “commercial speech”

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