Washington Public Records Act

Consumer Watchdog Asks CA Finance Dept. To Strike Continued Funding For Failed SF Mobile Recycling Pilot From Budget

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, June 22, 2023
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LOS ANGELES, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumer Watchdog has called upon the Governor's Department of Finance to strike a $500,000 allocation in the legislative-approved budget for the San Francisco "Bottle Bank" mobile recycling program.

Key Points: 
  • LOS ANGELES, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumer Watchdog has called upon the Governor's Department of Finance to strike a $500,000 allocation in the legislative-approved budget for the San Francisco "Bottle Bank" mobile recycling program.
  • Expenses for the program are $142,000 per month and the most the program has redeemed in a month is $14,000 in deposits.
  • "This is why, according to Public Record Act requests, CalRecycle has refused the Bottle Bank's request for $500,000 in additional funding.
  • "The SF pilot has shown itself to be a colossal financial failure and should not get a penny more in funding," said Consumer Advocate Liza Tucker.

Musick Peeler's Jane Usher Named Woman of Influence

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 20, 2023
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LOS ANGELES, April 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Musick, Peeler & Garett LLP announced that Partner Jane Usher has been selected as an honoree by the Los Angeles Business Journal in its recognition of the city's most influential women attorneys.

Key Points: 
  • LOS ANGELES, April 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Musick, Peeler & Garett LLP announced that Partner Jane Usher has been selected as an honoree by the Los Angeles Business Journal in its recognition of the city's most influential women attorneys.
  • The " Women of Influence: Attorneys " list recognizes women lawyers for exceptional legal skill and achievement as well as their leadership in the Los Angeles business community.
  • "Usher guides her clients from the inception of a matter, through agency hearings and determinations, to the conclusion of any litigation that might result," the publication states.
  • Usher represents private, public, and nonprofit entities in the resolution of their government and regulatory affairs.

California Senate Committee Kills Good Government Bill To Bar Destruction of Public Records using Secretive "Suspense File"

Retrieved on: 
Friday, August 12, 2022
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AB 2370 (Levine) would have required all state agencies to retain public records for a minimum of two years.

Key Points: 
  • AB 2370 (Levine) would have required all state agencies to retain public records for a minimum of two years.
  • State agencies currently have no minimum time requirement to keep records, placing the public's right to access those records at risk, said Consumer Watchdog.
  • "Shame on Senator Portantino for using the secretive 'suspense' process to quietly kill a good government bill that had nearly unanimous legislative support.
  • The bill arose from the government corruption scandal involving the Department of Insurance and the workers' compensation insurer Applied Underwriters.

Consumer Watchdog: Department of Insurance Ethics Legislation Blocked By Assembly Insurance Committee Today Without A Vote; Committee Members Collected $1.5 Million In Insurance Campaign Cash

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, April 20, 2022
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The bill was presented in committee today and Assemblymember Wood moved for a vote, but no other committee member seconded the motion.

Key Points: 
  • The bill was presented in committee today and Assemblymember Wood moved for a vote, but no other committee member seconded the motion.
  • Insurance companies have made $1.5 million in campaign contributions to members of the Assembly Insurance Committee over the last four years, including $231,000 to Committee Chair Tom Daly.
  • Another Department of Insurance ethics bill, AB 1783 (Levine), will be heard in the Assembly Elections committee next week.
  • "Transparency is necessary to restore the public's confidence in the operations and independence of the Department of Insurance."

Housing group sues South Pasadena and Irvine to protect right to public access to public records about housing policy.

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, April 12, 2022
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The lawsuits seek records about local housing policy after the organization's requests for records were denied by the cities of South Pasadena and Irvine.

Key Points: 
  • The lawsuits seek records about local housing policy after the organization's requests for records were denied by the cities of South Pasadena and Irvine.
  • "Public transparency is critically important in all areas of public decision-making, but especially in the development of sound housing policy," said C.A.R.
  • The lawsuit against South Pasadena relates to its development of its "housing element," a state-mandated plan for addressing housing needs within the city.
  • But South Pasadena has received widespread criticism for its draft list of sites, which includes sites unlikely to ever be redeveloped with housing.

Feuer Must Resign Following Report Placing Him at DWP Extortion Meeting, Says Consumer Watchdog

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, April 5, 2022
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Feuer has said he knew nothing about the extortion scheme that engulfed a former high-ranking attorney in his office,Thomas Peters.

Key Points: 
  • Feuer has said he knew nothing about the extortion scheme that engulfed a former high-ranking attorney in his office,Thomas Peters.
  • Feuer has repeatedly denied knowledge of the collusive DWP billing litigation that took place under his watch as city attorney.
  • "If he was in the room, he knew about it," said Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog.
  • The DWP scandal has so far ensnared four figures within DWP and the city attorney's office, who will plead guilty to charges of bribery, making false statements, and extortion.

Department of Insurance Changes Course on Email Deletion Policy that Threatened Records of Pay-to-Play Scandal Days After Consumer Watchdog Threatened to Go to Court

Retrieved on: 
Monday, January 31, 2022
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LOS ANGELES, Jan. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --The Department of Insurance pulled back a policy to delete agency email databases days after Consumer Watchdog warned it would go to court to stop it.

Key Points: 
  • LOS ANGELES, Jan. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --The Department of Insurance pulled back a policy to delete agency email databases days after Consumer Watchdog warned it would go to court to stop it.
  • The records are essential to ensuring that insurance companies are living up to their promises to consumers, according to whistleblowers in the Department who alerted Consumer Watchdog to the policy change.
  • Consumer Watchdog sent Commissioner Lara a letter last Monday, noting that when a government agency "is aggressively destroying its email, it appears to be trying to hide something."
  • The email deletion program was initially proposed shortly after Consumer Watchdog sought records regarding a government corruptionscandal involving insurance companies that contributed to Commissioner Lara's 2022 re-election campaign.