California Attorney General clairifies real estate negotiations exception to open meeting law

The State Attorney General narrowed the scope of the real estate negotiation exception to the Brown Act, the open meeting law. The interpretation places higher value on the public’s right to know over local government’s interest in protecting bargaining power in real estate negotiations. -db From Best Best & Krieger Attorneys at Law, February 3, [...]

California: Dunsmuir City Council members must face open meeting lawsuit

A county judge ruled that four members of the Dunsmuir City Council must defend itself against allegations that they violated the Brown Act, the state’s open meeting law. A citizen sued the council for alleged conflict of interest and holding meetings without public participation. -db From the Record Searchlight, January 2, 2012, by Sean Longoria. [...]

California’s Brown Act: When closed government meetings are legal

Local governments are allowed to conduct public business behind closed doors to discuss a limited range of issues. Carolyn Schuk provides a primer on the Brown Act, California’s open meeting law, in the Santa Clara Weekly. -db From a commentary in the Santa Clara Weekly, November 17, 2011, by Carolyn Schuk. Full story  

California: Atascadero City Council stops responding to public during open comment session

The Atascadero City Council has decided without public notice or discussion to halt give-and-take during the public comment session of council meetings, says David Broadwater, a local activist. In an opinion piece in the Cal Coast News, Broadwater writes, “Previously, under the Brown Act, in response to questions and matters raised regarding non-agenda issues, the [...]

Woodland: Group alleges Yolo supervisors committed open meeting violation

Daily Democrat January 14, 2011 By  Katherine Jarvis After the Yolo County Board of Supervisors made a deal with the Conaway Ranch over water, an environmental group alleged that the deal violated the Brown Act, California’s open public meeting law. -db

Tulare County Supervisors seek legal expenses in open government suit

After a superior court judge ruled that open meeting activist and newspaper interests overreached in suing the Tulare County Board of Supervisors, the supervisors stuck back with a countersuit seeking court costs. The supervisors had been conducting taxpayer financed lunch meetings without public participation. -db The Porterville Reporter September 7, 2010 By Jenna Chandler The [...]

A&A: Mayor up for reelection wants to stifle public comment on candidates

Q: The mayor who is running for reelection is currently advancing a policy revision to stifle the public comments during City Council meetings of anyone who is speaking to a ballot initiative or on a candidate. Recently the mayor discussed the changes she’s proposing in an interview with a local newspaper and mentioned email communication [...]

Hayward schools: Open government advocate says public comment needed before renewing charter

The Alameda County Board of Education may have violated California’s open meeting law when it refused to hear public comments before a vote to conditionally renew a charter for the FAME Public Charter School. -DB Oakland Tribune January 17, 2010 By Linh Tat HAYWARD, Calif. — The president of the Alameda County Board of Education [...]

Scramento City College student president reinstated after Brown Act violation in recall election

Associated Student Government President Steve Macias was back in office when backers of the nullified recall violated the Brown Act by not posting the time and location of a meeting to organize the recall election. Macias was the target of the recall for refusing administration orders to ask a pro-life group to leave campus during Constitution [...]

Imperial Beach: Deputy D.A. says no criminal intent to violate Brown Act

The San Diego County district attorney’s office says that the Imperial Beach City Council committed a civil violation of the Brown Act in failing to list on the agenda an appointment to a vacant seat on the council, but that failure was not criminal. –DB San Diego Weekly Reader August 11, 2009 By Dorian Hargrove According [...]