Latest Articles
Litigation We’re Watching
Rittiman v. Public Utilities Commission – (Court of Appeal of the State of California, First Appellate District). On June 17, 2022, court ruled Public Utilities Commission’s administrative appeal process imposed on a requestor of public records violated the Public Records Act and stated “The delay that occurrred here was egregious by any measure…” Court held any regulations adopted by an agency for producing public records must be consistent with the Public Records Act – “any such non-statutory, non-jurisdictional remedy must comport with the PRA and ensure the expeditious handling of record requests and timely resolution of disputes over whether records are disclosable.” The court also clarified the scope of the “Governor’s correspondence exemption” in the Public Record Act.
News from Election and Ethics Agencies
Fair Political Practices Commission News – Attorney General Rob Bonta has appointed Dr. José A. Gómez as the newest Commissioner on the Fair Political Practices Commission. Dr. Gómez is the executive vice president and provost at California State University, Los Angeles. He replaces former Commissioner Frank Cardenas, who resigned this year after serving four and a half years in the role.
New Legislation
The Governor has until September 30 to sign or veto bills. He has already signed the following into law: AB 2037 deletes the prohibition on an establishment whose primary purpose is the sale and dispensation of alcoholic beverages from being used as a polling place. AB 2158 requires each member of a governing board of a school district, a county board of education, or the governing body of a charter school, in service as of January 1, 2025, to receive ethics training before January 1, 2026, and at least once every two years thereafter.