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Texas cities blocked from joining suit against state’s open meetings law

donal brown August 9, 2010

A federal judge ruled that a group of Texas cities cannot join in the suit to overturn the state’s open meetings law because the cities have no guarantee of free speech. Seventeen public officials are challenging the constitutionality of the law that forbids a quorum deliberting behind closed doors. -db Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press August 5, 2010 By Miranda Fleschert A federal judge ruled last week that a group of Texas cities

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San Diego County: Advisory groups in unincorporated areas must comply with California open meeting laws

donal brown August 9, 2010

A California state agency has informed San Diego County that its advisory group members in unincorporated areas were public officials and must comply with state laws governing officials including open meetings laws. The County has established a number of advisory groups to tap local knowledge in setting policies.-db Ramona Sentinel August 9, 2010 By Karen Brainard San Diego County is reconsidering the structure of planning and sponsor groups in unincorporated areas after notification from the

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Bauer to assume ethics, transparency responsibilities

FAC August 6, 2010

White House Counsel Robert Bauer will assume responsibilities for lobbying, transparency, government reform and a host of other government operations issues once White House ethics adviser Norman Eisen departs for his new role as ambassador to the Czech Republic, senior administration officials confirmed Friday. The Washington Post August 6, 2010 By Ed O’Keefe The move essentially returns things to the way they were during previous administrations, when the president’s top lawyer handled such matters. But

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1st Circuit: Maine can restrict prescription info

FAC August 6, 2010

A federal appeals panel has upheld the constitutionality of a Maine law restricting medical data companies’ access to doctors’ prescription information. August 6, 2010 By The Associated Press PORTLAND, Maine —The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston ruled this week on Maine’s law after previously upholding a similar New Hampshire law making doctors’ prescription-writing habits confidential. Last summer, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear a challenge to New Hampshire’s law, allowing that

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Discovery Rule for Libel Doesn’t Apply to Blogs, Says Federal Judge

FAC August 6, 2010

Aviation lawyer and seasoned pilot Arthur Alan Wolk knows quite a bit about the stratosphere and the troposphere, but he may have learned something new this week about the blogosphere when a federal judge tossed out his libel suit against the bloggers at Overlawyered.com. The National Law Journal August 6, 2010 By Shannon P. Duffy As U.S. District Judge Mary A. McLaughlin sees it, a blog is legally the same as any other “mass media,”

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