California First Amendment Coalition 10th Annual Open Government Assembly

2 California First Amendment Coalition 10th Annual Open Government Assembly October 14-15, 2005 California First Amendment Coalition 10th Annual Open Government Assembly California State University, FullertonTitan Student Union Friday, October 14, 2005 12:30 to 2 p.m. Registration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Atrium 1:15 to 3:15 p.m. Workshop: Fundamentals of California access law A two-hour super course on state access laws and practices. Topics include the Brown Act and other open-meeting laws, as well as the California Public Records Act and rules governing access to court records. The discussion also will cover recent court cases, attorney general opinions and state administrative actions. Attention will also be given to Proposition 59, the November 2004 state ballot initiative establishing a constitutional right of access. (2 HOURS MCLE CREDIT ) Moderator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maureen S. Rubin, CSU N ORTHRIDGE Panelists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . James M. Chadwick, DLA P IPER R UDNICK G RAY C ARY LLP William Nottingham, L OS A NGELES T IMES Kelli L. Sager, D AVIS W RIGHT T REMAINE LLP Dennis A. Winston, M OSKOWITZ , B RESTOFF , W INSTON & B LINDERMAN LLP 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. Panel discussion: Great news stories found in government databases This panel, primarily for working journalists and editors, will feature reporters who have worked on groundbreaking articles using computer-assisted research of databases obtained from state agencies through the California Public Records Act. Work to be highlighted includes stories about wasteful government spending, excessive government overtime pay, quality of care at hospitals and performance of teachers in local public schools. The panel also will explore the legalities of requesting copies of government databases, including how much agencies may charge to recover the cost of furnished data, and whether officials may resist database requests by characterizing them as fishing expeditions. (1.25 HOURS MCLE CREDIT ) Moderator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dennis Foley, T HE O RANGE C OUNTY R EGISTER Panelists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Hill, S ACRAMENTO B EE Justin Pritchard, A SSOCIATED P RESS Susan E. Seager, D AVIS W RIGHT T REMAINE LLP Natalya Shulyakovskaya, T HE O RANGE C OUNTY R EGISTER Panel discussion: Does your community need a sunshine ordinance? Panelists will discuss measures adopted in such cities as Oakland, San Francisco and Riverside to supplement state open meeting and public records laws. Sunshine Ordinances range from elaborately specific safeguards (for example, in San Francisco) to short and simple statements of principles. This panel will explore whether sunshine ordinances add significantly to the rights already secured by the Brown Act and the Public Records Act; the types of ordinances likely to be most effective; political strategies for enacting these measures; and how to avoid various pitfalls. (1.25 HOURS MCLE CREDIT ) California First Amendment Coalition 10th Annual Open Government Assembly October 14-15, 2005 3 Moderator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barbara S. Blinderman, M OSKOWITZ , B RESTOFF , W INSTON & B LINDERMAN LLP Panelists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bruce Brugmann, T HE S AN F RANCISCO B AY G UARDIAN Joshua Koltun, DLA P IPER R UDNICK G RAY C ARY LLP Eric Haley, C OUNTY OF R IVERSIDE Mark Morodomi, C ITY OF O AKLAND 5 to 5:50 p.m. Address by Dan Gillmor (1 HOUR MCLE CREDIT ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Titan Theatre 6 p.m. Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Garden Caf

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