Society of Professional Journalists

Northern California Chapter

Resolution in support of State Constitutional Amendment 7 strengthening the California Public Records Act, Brown Act, and Bagley-Keene Act:

WHEREAS an informed citizenry is essential to making proper decisions in a democracy; and

WHEREAS citizens must have the fullest possible access to meetings of public policy-making and advisory bodies, and to public records, to stay informed on the issues affecting their well-being; and

WHEREAS public agencies should be permitted to bar access to such meetings and records only when they can prove that the public interest is best served in their doing so,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Society of Professional Journalists, Northern California Chapter (SPJ NorCal), urge that the California Senate and the California Assembly place on the November 2002 ballot State Constitutional Amendment (SCA) 7, to strengthen the California Public Records Act, the Ralph M. Brown Act and the Bagley-Keene Open Meetings Act;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that SPJ NorCal urge that SCA 7 be submitted to California voters with its original language, in its entirety, intact;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that SPJ NorCal express its appreciation to the California First Amendment Coalition and the California Newspaper Publishers Association for crafting the language of SCA 7;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that SPJ NorCal express its appreciation to Senators John Burton and Bruce McPherson, and to Assembly members Fred Keeley, Christine Kehoe, Bill Leonard, Louis Papan and Kevin Shelley for sponsoring SCA 7 in their respective chambers of the California Legislature.