Amended in Assembly March 16, 2015

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 41

Introduced by Assembly Member Ting

begin insert

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Achadjian, Alejo, Travis Allen, Atkins, Baker, Bigelow, Bloom, Bonta, Brough, Brown, Burke, Calderon, Campos, Chang, Chau, Chávez, Chiu, Chu, Cooley, Cooper, Dababneh, Dahle, Daly, Dodd, Eggman, Frazier, Beth Gaines, Gallagher, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gatto, Gipson, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Gray, Grove, Hadley, Harper, Holden, Irwin, Jones, Kim, Lackey, Levine, Linder, Lopez, Low, Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes, McCarty, Medina, Melendez, Mullin, Nazarian, Obernolte, O'Donnell, Olsen, Patterson, Perea, Quirk, Rendon, Rodriguez, Salas, Santiago, Steinorth, Mark Stone, Thurmond, Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wilk, Williams, and Wood)

end insert

March 3, 2015

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 41—Relative to Sunshine Week.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

ACR 41, as amended, Ting. Sunshine Week.

This measure would designate March 15, 2015, through March 21, 2015, as Sunshine Week.

Fiscal committee: no.

WHEREAS, California has a long tradition in support of open
government and access to government records; and

WHEREAS, In 1953, California enacted the Ralph M. Brown
Act guaranteeing the public’s right to attend and participate in
local governing bodies; and

WHEREAS, In 1967, the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act was
adopted to mandate open meetings of state agencies, boards, and
commissions; and

WHEREAS, In 1968, California enacted the California Public
Records Act that expressly declared that “access to information
concerning the conduct of the people’s business is a fundamental
and necessary right of every person in this state”; and

WHEREAS, California voters approved Proposition 59, a state
constitutional amendment, also known as the “Sunshine
Amendment,” in 2004 that furthers open government protections
and the rights of voters; and

WHEREAS, California voters approved Proposition 42, a state
constitutional amendment, in 2014 to affirm the people’s mandate
for open government; and

WHEREAS, California entrepreneurs created the information
technology revolution and are creating opportunities for
government to use technology to improve performance,
transparency, and trust; and

WHEREAS, Open government reforms continue to spread across
the country, including the adoption of open data policies to urge
innovation and economic development through the use of
high-value government data that can be freely accessed, modified,
and shared; and

WHEREAS, President Barack Obama issued an Open
Government Directive to all federal departments and agencies that
required the federal government to take steps towards a more open
government including publishing government information online
with the presumption of openness, to improve the quality of
government information, and to institutionalize a culture of open
government within departments and agencies; and

WHEREAS, The state of California was one of the first states
to launch an open data repository (data.ca.gov), designed to provide
a single source of raw data in the state; and

WHEREAS, State agencies, including the California Health and
Human Services Agency and the State Controller’s office, have
shown leadership in creating portals that showcase government
data in an interactive and searchable format that enhances its value
and utility; and

WHEREAS, Many local governments have been leaders in open
records and public meetings and the Cities of San Francisco,
Sacramento, San Diego, Oakland, West Sacramento, and Los
Angeles and the Counties of Los Angeles and San Mateo have
adopted Open Data policies; and

WHEREAS, Numerous California cities have named Chief Data
Officers, and local government agencies have launched Open Data
portals; and

WHEREAS, With an inaugural grant from the Knight
Foundation, the American Society of News Editors launched
Sunshine Week in March 2005, and it continues to be celebrated
each year in mid-March to coincide with National Freedom of
Information Day and President James Madison’s birthday on March
16; and

WHEREAS, Sunshine Week is now a national initiative to
promote a dialogue about the importance of open government and
freedom of information. Participants include news media, civic
groups, libraries, nonprofit entities, schools, and others interested
in the public’s right to know; and

WHEREAS, The coverage, commentaries, and activities
promoting open government during Sunshine Week have led to
tangible, meaningful changes to people’s lives, and the laws that
govern them; and

WHEREAS, Sunshine Week is increasing public awareness and
people are playing more of a role in the actions that affect their
communities. People are learning what kinds of information they
have a right to see, how and where to obtain that information, and
what to do if someone tries to prevent them from accessing it; now,
therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That Sunshine Week is a celebration of the
public’s commitment to openness and an exploration of what open
government means in a technology-enhanced future; and be it
further

Resolved, That the Legislature hereby designates March 15,
2015, through March 21, 2015, as Sunshine Week and encourages
all Californians to participate in appropriate activities relating to
open government and access to public information; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.