Voice of OC (https://voiceofoc.org/tag/first-amendment/)
Orange County’s five elected supervisors preside over $6 billion in public spending and pressing issues like homelessness, mental health and drug treatment, and how to balance spending between those programs and county jails, the Sheriff’s Department, and District Attorney’s Office.
The Brea City Council tabled a controversial proposed protest ordinance until next month after receiving opposition from the public and a letter from the American Civil Liberties Union that warned of potential First Amendment violations in the proposed ordinance.
A state bill AB 1479 – up for vote on Friday – would create a fine for agencies that grossly violate California’s Public Records Act. A recent successful Voice of OC lawsuit against the County of Orange, appealing denied public records about an evangelist handcuffed by a county supervisor while armed, is a prime test case for the fine.
County Counsel Leon Page is defending a ban on public commenters addressing supervisors by name, among other the ACLU claims is illegal. In response, ACLU officials say county supervisors will be set straight by the courts if they don’t change their policies.
In recent months, Orange County supervisors put tighter and tighter restrictions on speakers who try to address them at public board meetings. The ACLU’s letter is prompting county officials to consider possible policy changes.
While the citizens of Orange County were casting ballots on Election Day, the county’s elected Board of Supervisors voted to restrict how often and how long people can speak at public meetings.
Just like Hillary Clinton, Orange County Supervisors don’t want you to see their raw emails. Yet instead of private servers, they use their lawyers and your tax dollars to attack journalists and shield themselves from disclosure.
The Orange County Water District is using ratepayer funds to wage a court battle to keep future employees from paying fees to cover collective bargaining representation.
Voice of OC is filing suit against the County of Orange today to see the Op-ed County Supervisor Todd Spitzer doesn’t want you to read.
Saying he was offended by a commenter who referenced an off-color scene from one of the TV show’s episodes, Supervisor Andrew Do asked his colleagues to enact a policy to further restrict speakers.