Search Results for: public's right to speak – Page 3

A&A: Will attorney/client privilege keep me from learning how County is spending bond money?

Q: I recently asked my county Supervisor what code or law allowed them to use funds from a CSA (County Service Area), which is involved in a lawsuit. What was presented to the people in the ballot said nothing about using the funds for the legal defense of the County. Is the information I requested attorney client privilege or is it public information? I look forward to your response. [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]A:  I believe your initial question is whether the

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Journalists suffer corrosive effects of government surveillance

Now that the government has harnessed surveillance technology in monitoring journalists, they have been forced to invest in expensive and time-consuming counter measures to protect their sources. Journalists can now tap anti-surveillance tools including digital security guides and training programs and an anonymous tip line called SecureDrop that uses security and privacy software to encrypt messages and destroy metadata trails so that even reporters do not know the identity of the source unless the source

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A&A: Can the City ban negative online posting by public employees, officials?

Have a question? Our Legal Hotline is free. Q:  I live in Tennessee, and my town recently adopted a social media policy that forbids any city employee, elected official, appointed official, vendor or volunteer from posting anything “negative” about the city on social media. Can you please take a look at this and determine if this is a violation of the First Amendment?  A: The First Amendment, with some exceptions, generally prevents the government from limiting citizens’

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A&A: Are a city manager’ meetings with his staff covered by the Brown Act?

Q: Recently I learned our City Manager approved the implementation of a significant change to a public fee-paid service without presenting it for a city council review or approval, thus also without ever notifying the affected public as a whole or the media of the change. Impacted residents were individually notified to comply with the change only when their turn came up in a multi-year implementation plan. As his authority for doing so, the CM cites

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CPRA Switcheroo: Assembly cuts CPRA threats from Budget Bill, but Senate won’t sign revised bill

Open government advocates outraged over changes to the CPRA in the Budget Bill thought they had something to cheer about when Assembly Speaker John Perez  announced today that the Assembly had amended the version of SB 71 that contained the CPRA found in AB 76 and would vote on the revised Bill tomorrow. “To be clear, this means that the California Public Records Act will remain intact without any changes as part of the budget –consistent with the

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