The California state legislature is making progress on a law that would make the public records of government agencies available in “open” format. The law calls for agencies to save documents in a searchable format which can be done at minimal cost. -db From TechPresident, May 24 2012, by Sarah Lai Stirland. Full story
The county district attorney wrote a letter saying a citizens group had valid documentation of a claim that the trustees of the Gavilan College board violated the state’s open meetings law, the Brown Act, when approving a pay increase for the school president. -db From the Gilroy Dispatch, May 29, 2012, by Kollin Kosmicki. Full story
A catastrophic Pacific Gas and Electric 2010 pipeline explosion in San Bruno, CA that killed eight and wiped out 35 homes did not provide sufficient fuel for a transparency measure that required utility regulators to supply investigation orders and accident reports to the public. The bill failed in the state Senate. -db From the Los Angeles Times, May 21, 201. Full story
The city of Berkeley will spend up to $24,000 for a consultant to review the police department’s media policies. The move follows the chief’s decision to have an officer make a midnight call on a reporter whose story irked the chief. Chief Michael Meehan ordered Sgt. Mary Kusmiss to the home of reporter Doug Oakley at 12:45 a.m. March 9. Meehan was dissatisfied with a story on a town hall meeting about whether police should
By a 3-2 vote the trustees of the Atwater Elementary School District fired the district superintendent, Melinda Hennes, without explanation. Hennes had been on the job for seven years and recently received a favorable evaluation from the trustees. The trustees owe the public an explanation not only for the firing but also how the three reached the decision to fire Hennes without any official meeting time, argues the Merced Sun-Star in an editorial. -db From