Rights and Liberties
Back to homepageAudience Didn't Shrug At Atlas Screening
APRIL 16, 2011 By STEVEN GREENHUT SAN FRANCISCO — The packed audience at the San Francisco premiere of the movie version of Ayn Rand’s classic 1957 novel, “Atlas Shrugged,” seemed thrilled with the result, despite the low-budget nature of the
Read MoreGovt. Fights Citizens' Right to Know
APRIL 12, 2011 By TORI RICHARDS A recent appellate court decision could have far-reaching impact on whether citizens can successfully fight government agencies for documents under the California Public Records Act. Attorneys battling for public records only have one big hammer —
Read MoreGOP's Low Road On Immigration
APRIL 11, 2011 Republicans in the state Assembly, still high-fiving each other for stopping Jerry Brown’s one proposal that actually made sense (ending redevelopment agencies), congratulated themselves last week for their tough stand on illegal immigration, another foolish decision that
Read MoreJudiciary OKs Dependency Bill
Steven Greenhut: Most of the attention at today’s Assembly Judiciary Committee was focused on the latest anti-immigration nonsense from Republican big-government types (AB26), but some significant business actually took place in the committee. Assemblyman Mike Feuer’s bill to open dependency
Read MoreShow Us Your Papers Please!
Steven Greenhut: Republican legislators gathered on the north steps of the state Capitol today to pitch AB26, which would clamp down on illegal immigration. Modeled after Arizona’s controversial anti-illegal-immigration law, the bill would “beef up enforcement of immigration laws against
Read MoreCard Check Would End Secret Union Ballot
APRIL 4, 2011 By KATY GRIMES On March 31, Cesar Chavez Day, the California Senate passed SB 104 to eliminate secret ballot elections for farm workers voting on unionization. After a 24-14 party-line vote, Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg,
Read MoreIJ Calls For GOP To End RDAs
Steven Greenhut: Here is a press release from the Institute for Justice regarding Assembly Republicans’ decision to save redevelopment agencies. Institute for Justice Calls on California Republicans To Eliminate Costly and Abusive Redevelopment Agencies Arlington, Va.—The Institute for Justice—the nation’s
Read MoreCard Check Bill Passes Senate
Katy Grimes: The “card check” bill, SB 104, authored by Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, passed the Senate this morning 24-14, after a heated debate. “This bill would permit agricultural employees, as an alternative procedure, to select their labor representatives
Read MoreProperty Rights Attorney Trager Dies
MARCH 24, 2011 By STEVEN GREENHUT I was stunned to learn this week that my good friend, Susan M. Trager, a Laguna Beach resident, passed away from cancer at age 63. Susan was one of the top water and environmental
Read MoreStalking Law Hurts Small Claims Courts
MARCH 22, 2011 By STAN BRIN California’s Small Claims Courts are in trouble. Every year, fewer people take their cases before the local Judge Judy. But no one seems to know why this is happening, or even that the problem
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