The First Amendment Coalition, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing free speech, more open and accountable government, and public participation in civic affairs, has allowed inewsource to make its open government resources available to you.
These include:
Information about the California Public Records Act (CPRA), which provides a right of access to records in the possession of state and local governments (but excluding the state Legislature and the courts).
- CPRA summary
- How to request records
- Sample CPRA request form
Information about Brown Act, which requires governing and other bodies of local government agencies to conduct business in a way that enables the public to scrutinize and, to a slightly lesser extent, participate in, government decisions, actions and policy choices. The Brown Act covers all aspects of local government deliberation, from agenda-posting and meeting requirements to the attorney-client privilege and settlement of lawsuits.
- Primer on the Brown Act
- Template for Brown Act complaint
Proposition 59 — California’s Sunshine Law – was approved by 83% of the electorate in November 2004. It was enacted as an amendment to the state constitution, and is now codified at Article 1, Section 3 of the constitution. Here is the text of Prop, 59 in its entirety.
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is the law for the federal government, covering most executive and independent federal agencies—but notably excluding Congress, which often exempts itself from laws imposed on the rest of the government, and the federal courts. Enacted under President Johnson in 1966, FOIA is a powerful access tool.
- Here is the text of the FOIA.
- This is an overview of FOIA prepared by the U.S Dept. of Justice, the Exec. Office of Management & Budget and the General Services Administration in 2011.
- You can use this sample FOIA request.
For more resources and news about government access issues, consult the National Freedom of Information Coalition.