In 2004, California voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 59, one of the most far-reaching government openness laws in the nation. Its premise was that government agencies, when facing requests for official records, should err on the side of disclosure, not secrecy. The law requires laws to “be broadly interpreted to further the people’s right to access government information,” the Legislative Analyst’s Office noted.
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Read More… from Two state agencies nullify open government laws
In a groundbreaking victory for open-government advocates, a Sacramento County Superior Court judge on Thursday ordered the state Senate and its leaders to turn over the appointment calendars and other records of two former state senators.
In a sweeping decision, Judge Michael Kenny tentatively ruled that the appointment books, meeting schedules and calendars of former Democratic Sens. Leland Yee and Ron Calderon requested by two news organizations are public records.
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Read More… from California state senators’ calendars should be released to the public, judge rules
At a public meeting in Oakland, California, early in 2014, an analyst with the city's Public Ethics Commission proposed the idea of building an app that would help residents understand who actually puts money into campaigns at the local level.
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Read More… from Opinion: More local government transparency needed for Ohio campaign finance data
In 2004 California voters overwhelmingly amended the state Constitution to ensure public right of access to the meetings and writings of government officials.
Yet, for more than a decade, state legislators have falsely claimed that, unlike members of local government or other branches of state government, they didn't have to follow Proposition 59.
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Spring in California brings grunion, swallows and renewed promises that this will be the Giants’ year — again. Maybe the Giants can establish even more of a legacy?
And, in politics, it brings out members of the state Assembly and Senate, talking up their agendas for the legislative season.
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Read More… from California GOP bills offer hope for more open government
Governments around California and across the nation are releasing vast troves of public data, making government more transparent than ever before. As the open government movement gains momentum, advocates argue that open data has the potential to help governments do much more than increase transparency and accountability.
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Read More… from City of LA‘s Data Chief Explores Taking Open Data to Next Level
Despite earlier failed efforts, Republican Darrell Issa of North County and Democrat Elijah Cummings introduced legislation Monday in the House to strengthen the nation’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) laws.
The FOIA Oversight and Implementation Act of 2015 would establish a presumption of openness for releasing information while creating electronic accessibility for frequently released information.
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Read More… from California Rep. Issa Joins New Stab to Strengthen Freedom of Information Laws
An effort to make nonprofit tax forms and data more accessible and searchable online took a potentially big step forward after a judge’s ruling last week.
U.S. District Court Judge William H. Orrick of the Northern District of California gave the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) 60 days to comply with a nearly two-year-old Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking Form 990s of nine tax-exempt organizations in a searchable, electronic format.
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2015 should be the year for open data in California. A new crop of state lawmakers and constitutional officers, combined with activity underway in state and local governments, are pushing California closer to a “tipping point” where the demand and use of data can truly transform the public sector.
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A report on ways to create a more open government in Santa Rosa was welcomed by the City Council, though quick action on its recommendations is unlikely.
The report of the city’s Open Government Task Force was the final item presented to the outgoing City Council on Tuesday. That means implementation of its suggestions, including passing a sunshine ordinance and hiring a communications director, will fall to the new council, which will revisit the issue in February.
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Read More… from Open-government task force delivers report to Santa Rosa council
