Judge Rules State Assembly Needs to Make Its Records Public; Victory for Portantino

A lawsuit that sprang from a fight between Anthony Portantino, who represents part of Monrovia, and Assembly leadership has resulted in a tentative ruling that the Assembly must publicly release members' budgets and other legislative documents. The court said keeping them hidden violates the Open Records Act. Portantino had challenged the Assembly to make its records open. http://goo.gl/dGyhY

UPDATE: From a press release. Portantino said, "I am ecstatic that the court has given a sound decision that will benefit democracy and the taxpayers of California. ... This is a huge victory for transparency and accountability. Although I am saddened that the Assembly would spend precious dollars fighting to keep secrets, I am heartened and encouraged that the court saw through this unwise strategy and made a right and significant ruling. ... This issue is no longer about me, but is now about making Sacramento function better by using transparency to improve decision-making and the democratic process." A public hearing on the tentative ruling is scheduled for Friday in Sacramento.