LAW-2083 First Amendment: Part 2 A
Our federal Constitution establishes that the citizens are the government. Without the right to know what governmental officials are up to, the First Amendment rights of free speech and free press are undercut. This course will highlight current hot topic First Amendment issues including the publics access, or lack thereof, to governmental proceedings and records. The role of various state constitutions and statutes in rendering governmental actors and agents accountable, open, accessible, and responsive to the citizenry will also be explored. A key area of study will be the federal and state statutory exemptions to the publics right to access governmental records and needs of the state and federal government for closure and secrecy- real and claimed. Also included as an area of study will be the ongoing clash between religious freedom and governmental regulation.