A new bill proposing to open the meetings of standing committees of state government boards and commissions will test the commitment of Governor Gavin Newsom to the transparency he has so often cited as a policy priority. The...
Read MoreThe local chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists has announced that Mel Shapiro of San Diego, one of California’s most remarkable transparency watchdogs—neither a journalist, a lawyer nor a politician—has died...
Read MoreBy 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...
Read MoreIn 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 ...
Read MoreSeptember 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...
Read MoreThe 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...
Read MoreA Brown Act case in the courts for more than two years has CalAware joining the Los Angeles Times in suing Metrolink, the Los Angeles area’s major transportation agency, for violating bedrock principles of the open meetings law....
Read MoreA spectacularly self-dealing former Poway Unified School District superintendent pled guilty last week—but to only a misdemeanor, reports Ashly McGlone of Voice of San Diego. Among other exercises in undue enrichment reported...
Read MoreA bill signed by Governor Brown requires local government bodies to link their meeting agendas to their websites’ home pages. AB 2257 by Assembly Member Brian Maienschein, signed by Governor Jerry Brown last Thursday, will...
Read MoreThe Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has quietly abandoned the practice of secretly signing all members’ names to letters sent to the Legislature and/or Governor expressing support or opposition to particular legislation....
Read MoreThe sit-in demonstration by House Democrats this past week, attempting to force a vote on a relatively modest gun measure (denying sales to those on the federal no-fly list) became visible and audible to the world, thanks to...
Read MoreIf the California Supreme Court should decide that government officials’ private emails about public business cannot be reached by Public Records Act requests, the Brown Act requirements for open and public local government...
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