Editorial calls for Placer County District Attorney to enforce state’s open government law

The Auburn Journal argued for tighter enforcement of the Brown Act, California’s open government law, in light of a $l600 dinner meeting in 2008  in Washington D.C. during which three county supervisors lobbied the local congressman. -db
Auburn Journal
Editorial
March 7, 2010

During these tough economic times, government at every level faces media scrutiny. The public has [...]

Health board accused of violating California open meeting law in holding closed ‘informational’ sessions

The Del Puerto Health Care board claims that conscientious elected officials are discouraged from serving after they were accused of holding two closed meetings without public notice. -db
Patterson Irrigator
March 4, 2010
By Kendall Wright

In spite of attending training sessions since 2006 about ethics and open-meeting laws, a majority of Del Puerto Health Care board members who were [...]

Southern California: Hospital settles open meeting lawsuit in cash settlement

The Tri-City Medical Center settled a lawsuit brought by former hospital executives who alleged that the hospital violated the Brown Act, California’s open meeting law. In agreeing to pay $300,000, the hospital did not admit violating the act. -db
North County Times
February 25, 2010
By Paul Sisson
Tri-City Medical Center has settled a lawsuit brought by a group [...]

Capistrano schools: Trustees push state open meeting law aside

The Capistrano Unified School District board of trustees met without notice on a Sunday for a closed meeting on employee negotiations. It’s legal in most cases but  does not promote public confidence. -db

Capistrano Insider
Commentary
February 25, 2010
By Jonathan Volzke

Yes, the Capistrano Unified School District trustees met Sunday. But apparently it wasn’t illegal.

Trustees indeed met Sunday for [...]

Health board claims secret meeting violated no laws

The Del Puerto Health Care District board met once secretly in 2008 but claims the meeting violated no California open govenment laws. -db

Patterson Irrigator
February 25, 2010
By Kendall Wright

A majority of the Del Puerto Health Care District met once secretly in 2008, but the head of the district claims the meeting violated no laws, an assertion [...]

Local education activist sues Alameda unified schools

The founder of Alameda Concerned Parents is suing the Alameda Unified School District for violations of the state’s open government law, the Brown Act. -db

San Francisco Chronicle
Opinion
February 18, 2010
By Susan Davis
This just in — Kerry Cook, founder of Alameda Concerned Parents, which protested Lesson 9 last spring and fall — is now suing the Alameda [...]

Counselor sues Yuba college district over closed door session concerning salary hike

A counselor at the Yuba Community College District is suing the district for rescinding her salary raise in closed session. The superior court judge has allowed Yuba college officials to testify in a closed court session. db
Appeal-Democrat
February 18, 2010
By Ryan McCarthy

Three Yuba Community College District trustees are among witnesses an employee plans to call in [...]

TV cable broadcasts of city council meeting in Norwalk censored

During broadcasts of its meetings on a government access cable channel, the Norwalk City Council blacks out public comments. Legal experts says the practice is legal but express dismay that the council feels it’s necessary to censor the public. -db
The Los Angeles Times
February 20, 2010
By Jeff Gottlieb
Like most towns, Norwalk broadcasts its City Council meetings [...]

Carson mayor under investigation after allegations he used mute button to stifle public comment

The District Attorney is investigating a possible Brown Act violation as the Carson mayor has reportedly used a mute button to silence speakers at city council meetings. In November the City Council had given the major the authority to used the button in a 3-2 vote. -db
KPCC
Southern California Public Radio
February 6, 2010
The District Attorney’s Office [...]

Modesto City Council meeting cancelled to avoid open government violation

The Modesto City Council will still be eating lunch together at the annual Chamber of Commerce luncheon which costs $40 to attend. But they will no longer call it a city council meeting for the mayor’s annual speech since California’s Brown Act prohibits charging the public to attend council meetings. -db
The Modesto Bee
February 6, 2010
By [...]

Texas cities forced to withdraw from free speech case

Since government agencies cannot suffer First Amendment rights violations, the Texas attorney general said that they cannot particpate in a case against the state’s open meetings law. City council members are contesting the law saying their free speech rights are being denied as the law prohibits government officials from conducting business in secret. -db
The Reporters Committee [...]

Tulare County: County supervisors’ dinners out may have also violated open meeting law

Records requested under the California Public Records Act show that the five supervisors plus the county administrative officer are running up excessive expense accounts and indicated that the supervisors may have violated California’s open meeting law, the Brown Act, by dining often with a voting majority. -db
Visalia Times-Delta
Tulare Advance-Register
Editorial
February 4, 2010

Crescent City: Town government bodies may be stretching open meeting laws

A reporter for the Daily Triplicate writes that while “two-by-two” meetings held by the City Council and Harbor Commission are legal since they do not constitute a quorum, the practice may not realize the greatest potential for open government. -db

The Daily Triplicate
Commentary
February 01, 2010
By Kurt Madar

Non-public events are being used by our public officials. Del [...]

Yuba City: Action by community college trustees provokes dispute over open meeting violation

Some contend that a pay raise for the Yuba Community College district chancellor was made without observing California’s Brown Act. Today’s special meeting to reconsider the raise should remedy the problem. -db
Appeal-Democrat
February 3, 2010
By Ryan McCarthy
A special meeting today for trustees to consider rescinding the pay raise for Nicki Harrington, chancellor of the Yuba Community [...]

Judge rules Los Angeles City Council violated open meeting law on shopping center vote

A Superior Court judge found that the Los Angeles City Council violated the Brown Act, California’s open government law, by not giving the public sufficient notice of a meeting during which they approved a shopping center development in South Los Angeles. -DB

The Los Angeles Times
January 12, 2010
By David Zahniser

A Superior Court judge tentatively ruled Monday [...]

Alisal school board approves agenda again to meet parent complaints

After two parents filed a complaint the Alisal Union School District board had denied parental participation, the board called a special meeting at 1 p.m. to revote on a meeting agenda. One resident was not impressed since she said few could attend a meeting at 1 p.m. -DB

The Californian.com
November 17, 2009
By Maria Ines Zamudio

In less than [...]

Orange County columnist calls for more openness by public Fair Board members

Six public Fair Board members are said to be forming a private nonprofit to buy the Fairgrounds. Orange County Register columnist Frank Mickadeit says that the six board members want closed meetings to discuss the issue, a move that he says would make the public even move suspicious of the private nonprofit. -DB
The Orange County [...]

California: Private water board dinners now open to public

The Castaic Lake Water Agency has invited the public to its dinners before board meetings. Despite assurances that no water business was on the table, the dinners could lead to violations of the Brown Act, the state’s open government law. -DB
The Signal Santa Clarita Valley
November 12, 2009
By Brian Charles

For years, Castaic Lake Water Agency board [...]

Community groups ask for transparency in selection of interim Alameda County District Attorney

A coalition of community groups is asking for an open selection process in selecting an interim District Attorney for Alameda County particularly given the key decisions the interim DA will be making concerning seeking the death penalty rather than life imprisonment. The Alameda County Board of Supervisors is considering the appointment Tuesday, Sept. 15. -DB
American [...]

California governor signs bill protecting citizens seeking open government

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger singed a bill limiting the ability of state and local public agencies to collect attorney’s fees under the anti-SLAPP law. -DB
California Newspaper Publishers Association
August 7, 2009
A barrier to citizen enforcement of the state’s public records and open meeting laws was eliminated yesterday when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed SB 786 by Sen. LelandYee (D-San [...]

L.A. City Council tries to silence gadflies

The Los Angeles City Council passed a rule saying that members of the public who engage in “inappropriate” behavior will be thrown out of council meetings without warning. -DB
LA Weekly 
July 30, 2009 
By Patrick Range McDonald
In a move bound to anger gadflies across Los Angeles, the L.A. City Council has approved tough gagging rules to keep members [...]