california – Page 7 – National Freedom of Information Coalition

Seeking government transparency in Santa Rosa

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Eight months after it was formed, the city’s Open Government Task Force is putting the finishing touches on recommendations it hopes will make it easier for residents to engage with their government.

The nine-member panel, which was formed in the wake of the death of 13-year-old Andy Lopez, found that City Hall needs to restore public trust by being more transparent, engaged with the community and adept at communicating in times of crisis.

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Watchdog Calls Out Garden Grove for Withholding Records

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The First Amendment watchdog group and NFOIC affiliate member, Californians Aware is calling on the Garden Grove City Council to publicly apologize under threat of legal action for a violation of the state's open meetings law, after it withheld an investigative report on the fire department last week.

At the Oct. 14 City Council meeting, council members received a written report investigating management issues in the fire department.

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Judge Rejects DOJ’s Secrecy Argument That Public Doesnít Know How to Evade Location Tracking

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In a case involving a Freedom of Information Act request for information related to government policies and procedures for law enforcement use of cell phone tracking, a federal judge has ordered the release of records, which the Justice Department sought to keep secret by claiming they would 'alert law violators'- otherwise known as criminals- to how to evade detection.

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CA Governor Brown vetoes bills aimed at promoting transparency

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Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed on Saturday a group of bills aimed at promoting transparency in governance and greater disclosure in political campaigns, saying existing laws on those matters are enough.

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7 years later, San Jose open-government reforms become law

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Capping seven years of work, San Jose officials have adopted a slew of sunshine reforms meant to keep City Hall more open. The vast majority of the 80 or so policies have been in place for the past several years but are only now set to become law following a unanimous vote from the San Jose City Council on Tuesday. By setting the reforms into law, it binds future city leaders to follow the same guidelines used by the current administration.

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Opinion: Senate report on Caltrans speaks to culture of open government

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The recent state Senate investigative report into Caltrans and the Bay Bridge does more than deal with troubled decision-making and construction work. It also includes a strong push for greater public transparency throughout state government.

The report commissioned by Sen. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord, and his Senate Transportation and Housing Committee ends with 16 conclusions and recommendations. The first among them is this: “Transparency in the affairs of the public is paramount and leads to accountability, which leads to better results.”

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California Voters Tell Cities That Transparency’s Non-Negotiable

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New appointments to Sunshine Ordinance Task Force may help San Francisco government watchdogs grow teeth

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In a win for government transparency, a slew of strong new appointments for a city government watchdog group cleared their first round of approvals yesterday.

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Calif. voters approve open government, pass Prop 42

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California voters handily approved ballot measures Tuesday requiring that local governments pay the cost of making their records and meetings public. Proposition 42, which amends the state constitution to require that governments pay for complying with state transparency laws, led with 60 percent of the vote after 1.8 million ballots counted. It was backed by the state Democratic and Republican parties, taxpayer advocates and labor unions.

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Peter Scheer: All levels of government must be transparent, so yes on (CA) Prop 42

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Proposition 42, on the ballot June 4, will amend the state Constitution to assure local governments — cities, counties, school boards, etc. — are legally bound to observe open-government requirements. If you prefer transparency to secrecy in your city or county government, the choice is clear: Vote for Prop 42.

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