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FAC Urges Reversal of Ruling Allowing Secret Government Meetings for Speculative ‘Public Safety’ Concerns

The First Amendment Coalition (FAC) today filed an amicus brief in a California Court of Appeal case that could have far-reaching consequences for the transparency of government meetings. In the brief, FAC urges the court to find that Metrolink, Southern California’s largest commuter rail system, violated the state’s open-meetings laws when it barred the […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
May 14, 2018
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Times of public meetings

[…] in a collective concurrence as to action that will be taken on an agenda item, this may be a meeting for purposes of the Brown Act, requiring notice and compliance with Brown Act provisions. Assuming the study session constitutes a meeting under the Brown Act, the practice of holding late meetings can, in some […]

June 14, 2009
Asked and Answered

Brown Act School Records

Right to Videotape School Board Meetings

[…] historically violated the rights of English Language Learners and children with disabilities and their parents. Currently, 75% of the students are Latino and it is a hardship for many of the parents to attend school board meetings because usually closed sessions do not end until 8/9 pm and public transportation stops running at 10 […]

June 14, 2009
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Is a school board retreat required to be open to the public?

[…] of the legislative body or the local agency to which it pertains." Govt. Code section 54952.2. Thus, the retreat will be a "meeting" to which the agenda, notice, and public attendance and comment requirements will apply if the board will deliberate upon any item within its subject matter jurisdiction -- something that I imagine […]

July 16, 2013
Asked and Answered

Brown Act First Amendment

New rules by city council restrict free speech

Several months ago the city council majority changed the public comments procedure to make it more difficult for all that wanted to make comments to do so. At a recent council meeting, they changed the ordinance regarding conduct during city council meetings, and more specifically the conduct while addressing the council. For example, if the mayor, […]

December 11, 2014
Asked and Answered

Brown Act First Amendment

Taping of public charter school meetings curtailed by corporate owners

[…] own just as any public entity does. I have emailed the Board of Directors and the CEO and asked that this item be placed on the next agenda and what law was the CEO referring to that he can enact these restrictions along with the public entities that does this. Our local public non charter school […]

October 13, 2014
Asked and Answered

Brown Act First Amendment

Can ID Be Required to Make Public Comment?

At City Council and Planning Commission meetings they have assign next to the public-comment podium that says "Please state your name."I think it might even ask for address. I believe it is in violation of the Brown Act to require people to say their names. It is important in this community that people not […]

June 10, 2010
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Do Chair’s new rules for committee members violate the Brown Act?

[…] intervene. [2] it is at the discretion of the chair whether or not to place an item requested by a committee member or the public onto the agenda. I was just prevented on putting an item on the most recent meetings agenda, although we (a dozen community members and I) were allowed to have […]

May 21, 2015
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

School Board Meetings without Notice

[…] teachers' union. The following message appears on the school district website: "When meetings are called regarding negotiations, based on the provisions in California Government Code Section 3549.1, notice is not required to be given to the public." The School board trustees have already held one such "secret" meeting andare intending on holding more. Is […]

March 18, 2010
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Closed door meetings benefitted labor union at cost of public tidelands

After holding closed door negotiations with a public coalition that included the local union, the Port of San Diego announced a hotel development deal that included a Project Labor Agreement with the union. The development will be build on public tidelands, which sacrifices the Port Master Plan-designated parkland. Were the extensive secret labor negotiations legal?

November 15, 2011