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Tag: california first amendment coalition
Obama speech impacts California drone lawsuit
From Twin Cities Daily Planet: Since its earliest days, the Obama administration has been circumspect about officially confirming the existence of its drone-centric counter-terrorism operations. Despite extensive press coverage of the subject (as well as apparently sanctioned leaks and carefully crafted public statements) the administration avoided officially acknowledging its drone program for over four years.
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Peter Scheer: Real outrage is that surveillance of AP reporters’ phone calls was probably legal
From the California First Amendment Coalition: (May 20, 2013) The real outrage about the Justice Department’s use of secret subpoenas for the phone records of Associated Press journalists is that, based on the information that has surfaced to date, it was probably legal.
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Officials wrestle with disclosure requirements for private emails
From East County Magazine:
May 2, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – The First Amendment Coalition has issued advice to public officials in light of a court ruling that found private e-mails used by San Jose city officials to discuss public business must be disclosed if a Public Records Act request is received. The ruling is on appeal and is expected to be upheld, according to legal experts, which would set a statewide precedent.
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Peter Scheer: Judge plugs “private email” loophole in CA public records law
From First Amendment Coalition:
In a big victory for open government, a Superior Court judge in San Jose has ruled that the state’s Public Records Act applies to government officials’ emails and texts about government business–EVEN IF those messages are sent or received using the officials’ private email or text accounts, rather than accounts belonging to the government.
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Consumers blindsided by secret settlements in hi-tech patent lawsuits
From Peter Scheer at the First Amendment Coalition of California:
Apple recently announced that it had reached a global settlement of its patent disputes with HTC, a producer of smartphones using Android, the Google-owned operating system for phones and tablets that compete head-on with Apple’s phones and tablets.
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Public Records: $60,000 penalty puts access at risk
From The Press-Enterprise:
When the publisher of a small-town newspaper north of Sacramento made a public records request to learn more about spending done by school officials, he had no idea it would threaten the existence of the Sacramento Valley Mirror.
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Personal calendar reveals DeMaio met with Manchester, Ca.
From I-Newsource:
San Diego mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio keeps a private calendar that shows he had appointments with newspaper owner Doug Manchester in December and in May, despite his office insisting no records of communication exist between the two men.
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Most wanted secret doc: Justice Dept memo analyzing drone strikes against suspected terrorists
From First Amendment Coalition's Peter Scheer:
In the world of secret information about powerful people, there are two sets of documents in especially high demand right now. First are Mitt Romney's undisclosed tax returns. You already know about those.
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With California Brown (Act) out, is government there still in the sunshine?
Featured blog from NFOIC Executive Director Kenneth F. Bunting:
COLUMBIA, Mo. — County and school boards, city councils, public commissions and special district governing bodies in the state of California may well continue to hold their meetings in the figurative “sunlight,” as well they should.
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