July 03, 2002
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Extra Andrea
Nemerson's Norman
Solomon's nessie's Tom
Tomorrow's Jerry Dolezal
PG&E and the California energy crisis Arts and Entertainment Electric
Habitat Tiger
on beat Frequencies
Culture Techsploitation
Without
Reservations Cheap
Eats
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THE STATE SENATE voted 32-0 June 28 to approve SCA 7, a measure by Sen. John Burton (D-San Francisco) that would for the first time put the public's right to open government in the state constitution. Burton's measure faced significant opposition: the "secrecy lobby" – led by the League of California Cities and the California State Association of Counties, along with the University of California – fought to defeat the bill and has mounted a campaign of disinformation against it. But the measure prevailed and now goes to the state assembly, which needs to act on it before July 18 to make the deadline for placing the measure on the November ballot. SCA 7 is a short, simple constitutional amendment, but it would have a major and lasting impact on the state. In essence, the bill would shift the burden of proof in public records cases. A member of the public would no longer have to make the legal case that a document or meeting should be open; the government agency in question would have to prove that it shouldn't. The California First Amendment Coalition, which originated the bill,
deserves congratulations for getting it through this first major hurdle,
and Burton deserves thanks for his role in cutting down the opposition.
But it will take another big push to pass the measure through the assembly.
Already, opponents are arguing that it will infringe on the privacy
rights of local government employees (although the American Federation
of State, County, and Municipal Employees, which speaks for those workers,
has signed on as a supporter). The San Francisco Board of Supervisors
has already endorsed the measure, and activists in other Bay Area cities
should push their local governments to demand that the secrecy lobby
groups drop their opposition to SCA 7. |
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