Watchdog Group Launches Petition to Protect Open Government Brown Act

A Sacramento-based organization launched a petition drive Sunday to amend the California constitution to ensure that municipal meeting agendas continue to be offered to the public in Redlands, Loma Linda and statewide.

In June, the state Legislature gave California cities and counties the option of not posting meeting agendas and other reports to save money, according to Californians Aware.

This action suspended a key provision of the Brown Act, which requires California cities, counties, school boards and special districts to conduct their meetings openly.

On Sunday, Californians Aware launched a petition drive to place a proposition on the statewide ballot.

"Even though the law might not hold public officials accountable for no longer posting agendas or providing adequate descriptions of items on them, angry voters would hold them accountable, and political exposure has always been a far more powerful motivator of Brown Act compliance than legal exposure," stated Californians Aware on its website.

There is also a bill that would preserve the Brown Act provisions, but it remains in limbo in the Assembly Appropriations Committee after the state Senate passed it.

To read more about the petition, click here.

Californians Aware, also known as CalAware, bills itself as "the Center for Public Forum Rights."

The nonprofit organization was founded in 2004 by Terry Francke, former executive director and general counsel of the California First Amendment Coalition.

CalAware was established "to help journalists and others keep Californians aware of what they need to know to hold government and other powerful institutions accountable for their actions," according to the nonprofit's website. "Its mission is to support and defend open government, an enquiring press and a citizenry free to exchange facts and opinions on public issues. In short, Californians Aware will be a center for information, guidance and initiatives in public forum law."

To read more about CalAware, click here.

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