Dear Members and Friends,

As we approach the new year, we reflect back on all that we have accomplished in 2011.  In addition to the specific assistance we've provided  hundreds of people calling or emailing us in the past year with open government or free speech challenges, we have:

• published the results of a statewide audit of public schools', colleges' and universities' practices in complying with the public information laws;
• published the results of the second follow-up audit of state agencies, testing their compliance with state public record laws under the leadership of the new governor;
• completed work on the state's most authoritative and comprehensive guide to public records law, to be published in January;
• helped develop and promote local sunshine ordinances in Alameda, Berkeley and Dixon;
• helped achieve the successful passage of legislation to make business records of campus foundations in the UC, CSU and community college systems more transparent while protecting donor privacy;
• used litigation (or the threat of litigation) to compel agencies to comply with the law when persuasion was to no avail;
• assisted other lawyers with consultation, declarations and friend-of-the court briefs supporting open government and free speech cases; and
• kept members and other interested citizens up to date through our blog, website and discussion board on developments, controversies and practices in the open government free speech domains.

Individuals like you helped make all this happen, and we're extremely grateful that they  did!  If you haven't already, what are you waiting for?  We have a number of exciting new things lined up for the new year, including new publications and a brand new website!  Please do your part today so that we can keep doing ours.

Best wishes for a happy and prosperous 2012,

Emily Francke
Executive Director

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    Californians Aware
    2218 Homewood Way
    Carmichael, CA  95608