Your Right to Open and Accountable Government
Your Right to Access Government Documents
The California Public Records Act establishes the right of every person to inspect and obtain copies of state and local government documents. The act requires state and local agencies to establish written guidelines for public access to documents and to post these guidelines at their offices.
The Legislative Open Records Act provides that the public may inspect legislative records. The act also requires legislative committees to maintain documents related to the history of legislation.
Your Right to Access Government Meetings
The Ralph M. Brown Act governs meetings of legislative bodies of local agencies. The act requires local legislative bodies to provide public notice of agenda items and to hold meetings in an open forum . It also covers the right of the public to speak at the meetings of legislative bodies.
The Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act requires that meetings of state bodies be conducted openly and that documents related to a subject of discussion at a public meeting be made available for inspection.
The Grunsky-Burton Open Meeting Act requires that meetings of the Legislature be open to the public and that all persons be allowed to attend the meetings. The California Constitution did not generally address the public's access to government information until 2004 when a constitutional amendment was passed to ensure adequate protection for these laws.
Proposition 59 added to the State Constitution a constitutional right of public access to information. The measure still exempts some information from disclosure, such as law enforcement records. But future governmental actions that limit the right of access would have to demonstrate the need for that restriction. In light of today's concerns about government secrecy and threats to civil liberties, the statement Californians made by elevating this access to constitutional status is a significant one. Armed with these tools, citizens can move forward to obtain the information they need to make informed decisions about public policy and contribute to the public debate about the future of our government at every level.
Legal Research provided by the League of Women Voters of