California transparency and open government movement finds its roots in Brown Act

From California Forward:

In the early 1950s, Ralph Brown, a California state assemblyman and lawyer from Modesto, was negotiating a deal between nurses and management at a local hospital. The hospital directors reneged behind closed doors at the last minute, tanking the entire negotiation.

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So as we launch into Sunshine Week this week, we begin with this historical context of the Brown Act and the open government movement in California to inform the discussion on what transparency means to Californians today, how we are doing at upholding those ideals, and how we can do a better job tomorrow.