First Amendment Coalition
Coverage of First Amendment Coalition in the Nexus archive.
- California lawmaker rolls back new public records barriers after fierce opposition
California lawmaker Blanca Pacheco revised her bill to amend public records rules after facing opposition, removing high fees and court-based barriers for commercial requests. The current version of Assembly Bill 1821 extends response times for agencies but no longer includes provisions for increased costs or judicial reviews of request intent.
- This lawmaker’s proposal could make California ‘the most secretive state in the country’
Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco's Assembly Bill 1821 proposes allowing government agencies to delay responses to public records requests and charge higher fees for 'commercial use' searches, drawing criticism from transparency advocates who argue it could make California the most secretive state. Pacheco claims the bill aims to prevent AI-driven and malicious requests from overwhelming local governments, but opponents say it creates barriers to accountability and violates public access rights.
- This lawmaker’s proposal could make California ‘the most secretive state in the country’
Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco's proposed Assembly Bill 1821 would allow public agencies to delay records requests deemed 'improperly' filed, charge up to $88 hourly for commercial-use records, and sue individuals for 'malicious' requests. Critics argue the bill would undermine California's open records act and government transparency, with some calling it a 'virtual horror show of governmental non-transparency.'