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First Amendment Press Rights

FAC Urges Alameda Board of Supervisors to Reject Ordinance that Criminalizes Observing or Reporting on Sideshows

UPDATE: On 6/26/2023 FAC and the Society of Professional Journalists sent a second letter to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors in advance of their 6/27 meeting reiterating the same points. This afternoon, FAC sent a letter to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors urging them to reject an ordinance that would make it […]
- Press Freedom
June 13, 2023
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

City Council Met Prior to Public Meeting and Made Last-Minute Agenda Changes

[…] challenging an action that has been taken in violation of the Brown Act. That section requires that you send a demand to the agency that it " cure and correct" the violation before filing a lawsuit. "The demand shall be in writing and clearly describe the challenged action of the legislative body and nature […]

May 17, 2018
Posts

FAC Opposes Threats to a Free Press by City of Cypress

Today the First Amendment Coalition sent a letter to the Cypress City Council protesting the City’s veiled threats directed at the Event-News Enterprise, a local news outlet that recently reported the results of two votes from a closed session meeting of council members about an ongoing lawsuit. Contained in item 17 of the agenda […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
- Public Meetings
September 25, 2023
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Can settlements be negotiated in closed session if no pending litigation exists?

[…] determine whether there was a legitimate basis for holding the closed sessions. If there was a violation, your remedies are: (1) to demand that the water district cure and correct the violation, and if they do not then sue to have the action taken by the water district through the closed session process set […]

June 14, 2009
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Can A School District Bar The Public From School Closure Meetings?

[…] void a specific past action, Government Code § 54960.1 provides the mechanism for bringing such a challenge, which includes a demand to the Board that it " cure and correct" the violation before filing a lawsuit. If action was taken based on improper procedure, the way to remedy the violation would typically be to […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
April 21, 2022
Posts

First Amendment Press Rights

FAC Joins Nationwide Coalition Condemning Police Attacks on Journalists

The First Amendment Coalition signed a letter, along with 115 news and press freedom organizations, submitted today to Minnesota officials by the Reporters Committee to Freedom of the Press, condemning police use of force against journalists covering the protests and civil unrest in response to the police killing of George Floyd. The letter emphasizes […]
- Press Freedom
June 2, 2020
Asked and Answered

CPRA

Access to government officials’ email on personal account

Suppose a public official advises certain persons to communicate with him at home -- either by email or letter -- in order to avoid having to disclose any of those communications as public records under the California Public Records Act? Would those records, in fact, be exempt from the PRA?

June 8, 2009
Cases

City of Gilroy v. Superior Court

[…] agency failed to conduct an adequate search for records or unlawfully destroyed records. On December 20, 2023, FAC led a coalition of organizations in sending an amicus letter to the California Supreme Court urging it to review that decision. The letter states: "An agency cannot disclose what it does not locate. The failure to […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
- Public Records
December 20, 2023
Posts

First Amendment

FAC Calls on California City to End Unconstitutional Public Comment Policy

The First Amendment Coalition today sent a letter today to the Cypress City Council explaining why the city’s ordinance restricting comment at council meetings violates freedom of speech. FAC is calling on the council to stop enforcing that part of the ordinance and amend it to comply with the U.S. Constitution. The ordinance states, […]
August 8, 2022
Posts

Brown signs SB 1300, but calls on Legislature to fix public access issues

[…] public disclosure process to ensure that this law does not authorize petroleum refineries to collect attorney’s fees from individuals or organizations seeking those records." Hancock, in a letter to Jerry Brown, acknowledged the need for "additional language" to "avoid any misinterpretation" and said it is her "intent to introduce legislation next session" to do […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
- Public Records
October 17, 2014