Congress passes Open Government Act

Here's a reason to cheer!

Congress has passed the Open Government Act, the first significant reform of the Freedom of Information Act in more a decade. President Bush is expected to sign S. 2488, which would create a tracking system and hotline for requesters, waive fees if federal agencies miss deadlines, create a FOIA ombudsman and make it easier for the public to recover legal fees when litigation helps the release of records.

Press Club takes notice

The San Francisco Peninsula Press Club weighs in on our appeal for a councilwoman's e-mail, with links to our opening brief to the appeals court and friend-of-the-court brief.
HERE'S THE LINK.

Top stories of 2007

This is the time of year when we look back at the top stories of the year before it's time to think about what's ahead in '08. Here's the list of nominees from the Associated Press for top worldwide stories. Now the chore is to trim the list down to the top 10. Give it a try!

* Political crisis in Pakistan: Musharraf declares state of emergency

* China's export industry buffeted by cases of tainted toys, toothpaste, other products

* U.S. housing and home-lending sectors battered by slump; stocks volatile

* Wildfires ravage Southern California; hundreds of thousands evacuate homes

* Alberto Gonzales quits as attorney general after string of controversies

* U.S. dollar falls; Canadian currency more valuable for first time in decades

* Anna Nicole Smith dies; fight over her burial and baby ensue

* Severe drought wracks Southeastern states

* Bangladesh devastated by cyclone; more than 3,000 killed

* Bush administration assailed over torture, Guantanamo detentions

* Attempt to forge compromise on illegal immigration collapses in Congress

* Scientists create equivalent of embryonic stem cells from ordinary skin cells

* Intense campaigning in both major parties for 2008 presidential nominations

* Nicolas Sarkozy elected president of France, vows to strengthen ties with U.S.

* Iran spars with international community over its nuclear program

* Afghan war: deadliest year since 2001

* Death penalty under scrutiny as painlessness of lethal injection questioned

* Supreme Court bans a controversial abortion procedure

* Military regime in Myanmar cracks down harshly on protest movement

* Under pressure from critics, Paul Wolfowitz resigns as president of World Bank

* Methane blast kills 110 workers at Russian coal mine

* U.S. troop surge in Iraq takes effect: violence drops but does not halt

* Palestinians feud among themselves heading toward peace talks with Israel

* Russian President Putin signals he intends to maintain power even after term ends

* Tropical Storm Noel kills more than 100 people in Caribbean

* Darfur: Attempts at peace talks falter as violence continues

* President Bush, Democratic-led Congress at odds over health coverage, Iraq, spending

* Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez moves to consolidate power, extend rule

* Oil prices soar worldwide

* Global warming: new warnings from experts, Al Gore wins Nobel Prize for his advocacy

* NASA astronaut accused of trying to kidnap rival for affections of space shuttle pilot

* Duke lacrosse rape case collapses; district attorney ousted in disgrace

* Gunman kills 32 people at Virginia Tech; deadliest shooting rampage in U.S. history

* Massive wildfires in southern Greece kill at least 65 people

* Former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby convicted in CIA leak case

* Nancy Pelosi elected first female speaker of the House

* Revelations of shoddy conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center

* CBS fires Don Imus from his radio show for demeaning remarks about Rutgers athletes

* Highway bridge collapses in Minneapolis, killing 13, injuring about 100

* Barry Bonds breaks all-time home run record, then indicted in steroid investigation

* Six miners, three rescue workers die at Utah coal mine

* Earthquake in Peru kills more than 500, wrecks at least 40,000 homes

* Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick pleads guilty to dogfighting charges

* Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho refuses to quit despite guilty plea in airport vice sting

* FBI investigates role of Blackwater USA security firm in killings of Iraqis

* Plane skids off wet runway, killing 199 in Brazil's worst aviation accident

* Koreas: North moves to scrap nuclear program, signs reconciliation pact with South

CNPA, CFAC join Tracy Press in challenge

This is the first year I've broken away from the newsroom to attend the annual meeting of the California Press Association, a 130-year-old newspaper association. I was determined to go to San Francisco today, to thank those in attendance who have supported us in our lawsuit against the city of Tracy.

If you've followed our stories, you know that the city recently hired a Sacramento attorney to fight the Tracy Press’ lawsuit that seeks e-mails sent in 2006 by Tracy City Councilwoman Suzanne Tucker to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

The California Newspaper Publishers Association, California First Amendment Coalition and Associated Press have filed briefs in support of the Tracy Press, as have a dozen newspapers and newspaper companies: San Francisco Bay Guardian, Los Angeles Times, Copley Press, McClatchy Company, Bakersfield Californian, Herburger Publications, Bay Area News Group-East Bay, Sierra Nevada Media Group, The Record, Metro Publishing Inc. and the Riverside Pres-Enterprise.

In their amicus briefs, they state that the lower court’s ruling creates a loophole through which government and elected officials can exchange information outside of the public view.

Last August, the Tracy Press challenged a San Joaquin Superior Court ruling, when the court backed the city’s contention that Tucker could withhold from the public her e-mail exchanges with the lab. On Oct. 18, the Sacramento appeals court ordered the city to explain why the Tracy Press has no right to the e-mails.

Last week, the attorneys for the Tracy Press filed their response with the appeals court. If you'd like a copy of the opening briefs, e-mail me at cherim@tracypress.com. For my blogs on this case, see those labeled Public Access.