Search Results

Showing 371 - 380 of 1468 results

Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Does the Brown Act require meeting minutes?

The Brown Act is silent on legislative bodies’ duties with respect to taking notes or keeping minutes of meetings. Typically, such requirements would be found in a legislative body’s bylaws, or possibly an ordinance that governs the legislative body (though since this is a school district, it is unlikely that such requirements would be found […]

April 13, 2015
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Closed sessions…

Our city attorney is planning a closed session meeting with the city council and police review commission to discuss a recent court decision regarding open police complaint hearings. Is this legal?

June 14, 2009
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Homeowners Associations Prohibition on Videotaping

The Board of Directors of my Homeowners Association has passed a new rule (in an open meeting and after a 30 day notice) to prohibit taping of Board Meetings by members of the HOA. It is not clear whether "The Brown Act" applies in this case. I do not know how to determine if […]

June 14, 2009
Asked and Answered

What can be done about the California Legislature keeping the public out of the Capitol during COVID-19 pandemic?

[…] bills are being discussed, amended, and voted on with zero public allowed in the Capitol or to meet with their representatives. I want to put them on notice that they cannot do this. I also want to discuss whether using 18 USC S242; 18 USC S245; and 42 USC S1983 is possible to tell […]

July 1, 2020
Asked and Answered

CPRA

Can Agencies Be Required to Choose Least Costly Format for Electronic Record Reproduction?

[…] There's no wait once files are identified, there's no back-and-forth about reasonableness of DVD or whatever duplication fees, mailing fees, etc. Of course, regardless of the CPRA's requirements, it's no secret that some public bodies are fond of using fees to discourage requesters. Understandably, those same agencies are very reluctant to join the 21st […]

November 27, 2018
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Does the Brown Act cover a committee made up of two agencies with two members each?

[…] a quorum of the city council or the school board. The committee will discuss a housing plan, as well as other issues. Will this committee be subject to the Brown Act because 1) it was formally created by the city council and 2) it will meet for an unspecified amount of time, on unspecified issues?
- Government Transparency and Accountability
August 22, 2025
Asked and Answered

Brown Act CPRA

Can the governing board of a public agency delete recordings of public meetings?

[…] months. I believe these recordings, even when removed from the agency’s website, should be accessible via a CPRA request. Do removed records have to be saved somewhere for a set period of time? Do they need to be released before they are deleted? If they exist in any form within the institution, must the […]

April 1, 2025
Asked and Answered

CPRA

What are my rights when the Legislature’s Rules Committees haven’t responded to my request for legislative records for more than 10 days?

I requested that a California state senator or their staff provide me with information about certain expenditures of budgeted state funds. A staffer forwarded my request to the Legislature Rules Committees. It’s been more than three weeks since I made the request and have received no response beyond an acknowledgment that the Committee received […]

March 6, 2025
Latest News

Blog

Why The Fight For Court Access is So Important – Even When it Fails

[…] the law required. Even though our argument was rejected — and indeed wasn’t even heard — I am proud of our legal staff for scrambling on very short notice to put the argument together and get to court. Indeed, I would do it all over again, even if I knew the result would be the […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
October 4, 2024
Latest News

Press Release

Advocates, Press Seek Access to Court Records in FCI Dublin Sexual Abuse Lawsuit

[…] country. In the following weeks, the court held a series of closed hearings to address the hectic and poorly planned closure. These hearings took place without prior notice, and in many instances, the docket does not reflect that they even occurred. "The First Amendment protects the right of public access to court records and […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
June 12, 2024