California: District Attorney agrees with allegations Gavilan College board...
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...
View ArticleCalifornia legislature moving toward providing ‘open’ format public records
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...
View ArticleGovernment lags in releasing 50-year-old records on JFK assassination
Government agencies in control of the records of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination are less than forthcoming in their stance on releasing the 50,000 pages of documents. To date, writes Russ...
View ArticleCalifornia: Palo Alto school board denies open meeting violations
Palo Alto school board members struck back at critics who accused them of violating the Brown Act, California’s open meeting law. The board was under fire from the Palo Alto Weekly for a confidential...
View ArticleCritics say access bill could have opposite result
A bill purporting to give the public more access to gas and electric company safety records in California could do just the opposite, opponents say. The legislation, proposed by Assemblyman Roger...
View ArticleDebate surfaces on revising California open meeting law
Open government advocates and local government officials are weighing in on the question of amending California’s open meeting law, the Brown Act. Some claim that the law allows some government...
View ArticleCandidates disclose tax returns because media demand them. Why not use same...
BY PETER SCHEER–Everybody has a theory about why presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, in the face of mounting criticism even within his own party, refuses to make public more of his...
View ArticleThe role of leaks in a democracy
Government struggles to protect its secrets; the media struggle to expose government excess. It’s a delicate dance, and an essential one in a democracy, says the New York Times’ public editor. While...
View ArticleGovernment’s dangerous crackdown on whistle-blowers
In a New York Times op-ed, two esteemed First Amendment advocates argue that the Private Bradley Manning case underscores a grave threat to the press and public — no matter what you think of Manning’s...
View ArticleWhen ‘open government’ isn’t
The rise of websites and apps that ease access to government information shouldn’t be confused with transparency, says guest columnist Evgeny Morozov in a New York Times op-ed. Morozov, author of “The...
View ArticleIn California, a clearer look at gifts to public officials
The toughest financial disclosure rules for public officials have little effect if the press and public can’t easily gain access to the information. Now the California Fair Political Practices...
View ArticleCalifornia Legislature’s feel-good resolution on openness
The state Senate voted unanimously last week to honor “Sunshine Week” by declaring its “long tradition in support of open government and access to government records,” but in an editorial the San...
View ArticleGovernment lags in releasing 50-year-old records on JFK assassination
Government agencies in control of the records of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination are less than forthcoming in their stance on releasing the 50,000 pages of documents. To date, writes Russ...
View ArticleCalifornia: Palo Alto school board denies open meeting violations
Palo Alto school board members struck back at critics who accused them of violating the Brown Act, California’s open meeting law. The board was under fire from the Palo Alto Weekly for a confidential...
View ArticleCritics say access bill could have opposite result
A bill purporting to give the public more access to gas and electric company safety records in California could do just the opposite, opponents say. The legislation, proposed by Assemblyman Roger...
View ArticleDebate surfaces on revising California open meeting law
Open government advocates and local government officials are weighing in on the question of amending California’s open meeting law, the Brown Act. Some claim that the law allows some government...
View ArticleCandidates disclose tax returns because media demand them. Why not use same...
BY PETER SCHEER–Everybody has a theory about why presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, in the face of mounting criticism even within his own party, refuses to make public more of his...
View ArticleThe role of leaks in a democracy
Government struggles to protect its secrets; the media struggle to expose government excess. It’s a delicate dance, and an essential one in a democracy, says the New York Times’ public editor. While...
View ArticleGovernment’s dangerous crackdown on whistle-blowers
In a New York Times op-ed, two esteemed First Amendment advocates argue that the Private Bradley Manning case underscores a grave threat to the press and public — no matter what you think of Manning’s...
View ArticleWhen ‘open government’ isn’t
The rise of websites and apps that ease access to government information shouldn’t be confused with transparency, says guest columnist Evgeny Morozov in a New York Times op-ed. Morozov, author of “The...
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