Official Summary
The official summary of Proposition 59 states that the purpose of the amendment is to
Provide right of public access to meetings of government bodies and writings of government officials.
Provide that statutes and rules furthering public access shall be broadly construed, or narrowly construed if limiting access.
Require future statutes and rules limiting access to contain findings justifying necessity of those limitations.
Preserve constitutional rights including rights of privacy, due process, equal protection; expressly preserves existing constitutional and statutory limitations restricting access to certain meetings and records of government bodies and officials, including law enforcement and prosecution records.
Exempts Legislature's records and meetings.
The Legislative Analyst's Estimate predicted only "potential minor annual state and local government costs to make additional information available to the public".
Read more about this topic: California Proposition 59 (2004)
Famous quotes containing the words official and/or summary:
“Our medieval historians who prefer to rely as much as possible on official documents because the chronicles are unreliable, fall thereby into an occasionally dangerous error. The documents tell us little about the difference in tone which separates us from those times; they let us forget the fervent pathos of medieval life.”
—Johan Huizinga (1872–1945)
“I have simplified my politics into an utter detestation of all existing governments; and, as it is the shortest and most agreeable and summary feeling imaginable, the first moment of an universal republic would convert me into an advocate for single and uncontradicted despotism. The fact is, riches are power, and poverty is slavery all over the earth, and one sort of establishment is no better, nor worse, for a people than another.”
—George Gordon Noel Byron (1788–1824)