California First Amendment Coalition

The First Amendment Coalition (FAC) is a nonprofit public interest organization committed to freedom of speech, more open and accountable government, and public participation in civic affairs. Founded in 1988, FAC's activities include "test case" litigation, free legal consultations on First Amendment issues, educational programs, legislative oversight of bills in California affecting access to government and free speech, and public advocacy.

FAC co-authored and sponsored Proposition 59 [1], the Sunshine Amendment to the California State Constitution, enacted by voters in 2004. FAC since then has enforced Prop. 59, suing Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to force him to make public his and his staff’s calendars of appointments, pressuring state agencies to be more transparent in their decision-making, and filing lawsuits to strengthen existing protections and establish new rights of access.

Recent suits have involved public access to government databases; greater disclosure by CalPERS (the state pension system) of its investments in hedge funds, private equity deals and other alternative investments; extending government access requirements to the California court system; and curbing agency use of the most abused FOI exemptions.

FAC's “Legal Hotline” [2] provides legal information and assistance to journalists, bloggers, ethnic media, and ordinary citizens. FAC's web site is a key resource for statutes, cases, “FAQs,” news and analysis on First Amendment and freedom of information issues in California. Many portions are available in Spanish and Mandarin for use by ethnic media.

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