OPEN MEETINGS —
An official from Governor Arnold Schwarzeneggers Marine Life
Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative announced yesterday that he would finally
allow the filming and audio recording of work sessions of the
widely-contested process, reports Dan Bacher for AlterNet.org.
This victory for freedom of the press was made possible only because
of the large outcry from David Gurney and other North Coast journalists,
environmentalists, fishermen and civil liberties advocates about the
MLPAs violation of the Bagley-Keene Act and the First Amendment.
A May 13 letter, sent by the editors of the Independent Coast
Observer of Gualala to MLPA executive director Ken Wiseman to protest
the MLPA Initiative policy that prohibited audio or video recording and
photography at these sessions, prompted the rescinding of the policy.This policy banning such recordings is a violation of the
Bagley-Keene Open Meetings Act, stated J. Stephen McLaughlin, Editor
and Publisher, and D. Glenn OHara, News Editor, in their letter to
Wiseman. We hereby request the policy be rescinded.
According to California Newspaper Publishers Assn. General Counsel
Jim Ewert, because of the Memorandum of Understanding, the MLPAI is
performing functions which would otherwise be done by state agencies,
which makes it subject to Bagley-Keene, the letter stated.
Bagley-Keene applies to all meetings and workshops of the MLPAI.In his response, Wiseman continued to claim that the process, funded
by the Resources Legacy Fund Foundation, is not covered by Bagley-Keene,
but said he would allow recording of work sessions of the group
within the spirit and language of Bagley-Keene anyway.Although our legal counsel is in disagreement with yours as to
whether or not our process is covered by Bagley-Keene, the MLPA
Initiative has always sought to exceed the requirements of the law by
having the most open and transparent process available, said Wiseman.
Although we are certain that a non-quorum work session is clearly not
covered by the law, we will allow recording and videotaping at the
upcoming work sessions so that such a minor issue does not become a
distraction to the important work at hand.
We will allow these activities within the spirit and language of
Bagley-Keene, which states unless to do so would constitute a
persistent disruption, added Wiseman. The public and the press have
always been and will continue to be welcome at our meetings and work
sessions.Gurney, who was arrested while filming an April 21 meeting of the
MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Force Meeting in Fort Bragg, was turned down in
his formal request to record the upcoming NCRSG public meeting/workshop
this week. Gurney is a freelance journalist and community programmer
with Mendocino Community Television MCTV, Fort Bragg, a community
journalist with KMUD radio in Redway, and an independent journalist with
Jugglestone Productions.
Wisemans latest letter represents a reversal of the previous policy
of the MLPA that was outlined in a news release. To help create a safe
space for NCRSG members to explore MPA ideas, the public will not be
permitted to videotape, audiotape or take pictures of work group
discussions during the work sessions, the release stated. Accredited
media interested in covering an NCRSG work session must receive prior
permission from the MLPA Initiative media relations team.
The MLPAI staff have claimed that the initiative, funded by the
Resources Legacy Fund Foundation in a memorandum of understanding with
the state of California, is exempt from the states open meeting laws.
However, newspaper industry and civil liberties attorneys say the
restrictions on speech and comment violate the Bagley-Keene Act and
probably the California Constitution.
The Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act of 1967 implements a provision of
the California Constitution which declares that the meetings of public
bodies and the writings of public officials and agencies shall be open
to public scrutiny and explicitly mandates open meetings for California
State agencies, boards, and commissions.
