California public records law ‘eviscerated’ in budget bill, critics charge

From Mercury News:  Legislation tucked into the state budget bill would “eviscerate” the public’s ability to track tax dollars and hold local officials accountable, open government advocates charged Friday.

“This is the worst assault on the public’s right to know I have seen in my 18 years of doing this,” said Jim Ewert, general counsel of the California Newspaper Publisher’s Association, said Friday as the bill appeared headed for passage.