By JW August, journalist and Past President of Californians Aware It seems like the Los Angeles City Council doesn’t like the public asking too many questions. That’s according to two long-time council watchers, who say that’s especially the case if the subject is...
In the final days for Governor Brown to take action on bills submitted to him, he signed five of significance to the interests of Californians Aware. PUBLIC INFORMATION Attorney Fees for Prevailing Public Records Requester Only SB 1244 by Wieckowski (D-Fremont)...
As reported in the Los Angeles Times and elsewhere, Governor Jerry Brown on the last possible day Sunday signed without comment two bills representing a revolution in law enforcement transparency after four decades of secrecy blanketing police and correctional officer...
by Richard Knee Sunshine advocates in San Francisco are campaigning against a local November ballot measure that would, among other things, allow city lawmakers to tamper with the city’s voter-enacted government transparency law, which CalAware’s Terry Francke played...
The Berkeley City Council was being asked this evening to adopt a policy that would keep the police department from using social media to publish booking photos of those arrested, with a few public safety exceptions, and to restrict public access to the names of...
September 30 is the last day for the Governor to sign or veto bills passed by the Legislature before September 1. Six bills affecting rights or protections of particular interest to Californians Aware—besides the three recently reported dealing with police...
When someone leaks a city attorney's communications with the city council to a local newspaper, can the city get a court to stop their publication? No, decided a Monterey Superior Court judge last Friday, affirming the Monterey County Weekly's right to publish such...
By JW August, journalist and Past President of Californians Aware A lawsuit challenging what amounts to a No Photo Zone policy of the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) has a new lease on life. An appellate court said U.S. District Judge Thomas Whelan in San Diego...
Emelyn C. Rodriguez, a Sacramento attorney practicing in the law of politics and political reform, has been named executive director of Californians Aware (CalAware), a nonprofit organization supporting citizens’ access to governmental meetings and records,...
Having passed the Legislature, three bills that could significantly increase public awareness of alleged and confirmed instances of police violence or other misconduct as well as the standards set by official policy to govern police activities are on their way to...
On the eve of a crucial legislative committee decision on bills that would shed light for the first time on complaints and investigations into alleged police violence and sexual assaults—and on the related standards, policies and practices adopted by each peace...
The Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act, among other things, requires a state body planning to hold a meeting or proceeding by teleconference to post agendas at all teleconference locations, to identify each teleconference location in the notice and agenda, and to make each...
