BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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Date of Hearing: March 12, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON RULES
Richard Gordon, Chair
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(Ting) - As Introduced March 3, 2015
SUBJECT: Sunshine Week.
SUMMARY: This resolution 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. This resolution
makes the following legislative findings:
1) California has a long tradition in support of open
government and access to government records and 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."
2) In 1953, California enacted the Ralph M. Brown Open Meetings
Act guaranteeing the public's right to attend and participate
in local governing bodies.
3) In 1967, the Bagley-Keene Open Meetings Act was adopted by
the State to mandate open meetings of state agencies, boards,
and commissions.
4) California voters approved Proposition 59, a state
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constitutional amendment, also known as the "Sunshine
Amendment," in 2004 that furthers open government protections
and the rights of voters.
5) 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.
6) California entrepreneurs created the information technology
revolution and are creating opportunities for government to
use technology to improve performance, transparency, and
trust.
7) With an inaugural grant from the Knight Foundation, 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 although
originally created by journalists, Sunshine Week is about the
public's right to know what its government is doing and why.
8) 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.
9) 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.
FISCAL EFFECT: None
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REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
None on file
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by:Nicole Willis / RLS. / (916) 319-2800