First Amendment Coalition
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Protecting and promoting free speech, a free press, and a more open and accountable government. But these rights are not self-enforcing.
Democracy only works when citizens are free to engage in public discourse and can hold their government accountable. It is to these causes that the First Amendment Coalition is devoted. For more than three decades, FAC has worked tirelessly for freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the public's right to know. The impact of the organization's work belies its small size and budget. The First Amendment’s guarantees of free speech and press, as well as the public’s rights of access established by state and federal laws, can make government accountability a reality. While elected officials may pay homage to these rights in principle – after all, who is against free speech and open government? – they are often subverted by government officials whose natural tendency is to resist public scrutiny. Based in California and active locally, statewide, and nationally, FAC is nonpartisan, drawing support from across the political spectrum. In its work, FAC does not play ideological favorites. It is committed to protection of speech, and of speakers, regardless of how unpopular they are. FAC’s work includes:
Litigation (filing lawsuits and contributing amicus briefs in cases with far-reaching impact, with legal services provided by participating lawyers on a pro bono or reduced-fee basis);
Legal Hotline, a free-to-the-public legal consultation service (available on FAC’s website for questions about access to government records and meetings, the First Amendment, and related matters);
Public education and advocacy (including public forums open and free to all, journalist workshops, issuing public comment and writing commentary);
Oversight of California state and federal bills and other policies about free speech, government secrecy and government accountability. FAC is uniquely positioned to bring together traditional media, new media, and the general public so these constituencies can work together to enforce government transparency and First Amendment rights. Ultimately, FAC is here to serve citizens who know that democracy only works when they have the facts necessary to make smart decisions about matters of public policy. Some of those citizens have written big checks in the past to keep FAC in the game. Many others contribute smaller amounts and, through their support, power FAC’s effectiveness. FAC hopes to enlist many more individuals in its ranks. Together we can do what none of us can do alone.
10/02/2026
Journalists and student journalists, FAC is coming to San Diego! We’ll be:
✅️ offering tips and tricks for accessing public records
✅️ talking FOIA with national experts
✅️ diving deep on immigration and law enforcement reporting
Click this link to learn more and register: https://firstamendmentcoalition.org/event/san-diego-watchdog-workshop/
09/29/2026
Governor Gavin Newsom has signed SB 423, the Detention Facility Transparency Act!
Journalists’ efforts to bring light into the darkness behind the walls of immigration detention centers in California got a boost this morning, when Gov. Newsom signed SB 423 into law. Authored by Senator Lena A. Gonzalez and cosponsored by FAC and Immigrant Defense Advocates, the new law will make public 911 calls from immigration detention centers. ⬇️
Data from 911 calls at ICE detention centers must be disclosed under new California law Gov. Newsom signed a law compelling disclosure of emergency calls from ICE detention centers. It followed CalMatters' reporting about alleged rapes at one site.
09/29/2026
Thank you Los Angeles Public Press for including FAC in your midterm election research roundup! We also have this awesome, in-depth Reporter's Field Guide that goes deep on covering elections on Election Day!
Reporter’s Field Guide: Election Day Access By Thadeus Greenson A guide to help reporters understand their access rights on and around Election Day.
“Is that even legal?”
Trump’s ban on CNN, Politico, and MS NOW from the White House has a lot of people asking that question.
The answer is “No.”
FAC Executive Director David Snyder talked to KPFA Radio | Community Powered about the ban, and how’s we’re seeing this kind of crackdown on the media locally here in California.
Click the link in our bio to hear the full interview, starting at 4:58 >>
09/23/2026
Journalists are working tirelessly to cover what's happening in immigration detention centers. Too often they face barriers to information that should be public. That’s why we need SB 423, a good public records bill. It's time for Governor Gavin Newsom to sign it into law.
To stop abuse in private detention facilities, Gov. Newsom must sign SB 423 California’s public record laws are focused on a basic principle: a lack of transparency hurts the public interest and leads to abuses of power.
09/23/2026
A death in police custody is when government transparency isn't just necessary, it's urgent.
A man in the throes of a mental health crisis was held in the back seat of an Elk Grove Police Department car — restrained and hooded, in 100 degree heat — before he loses consciousness and dies the next day. Police insist he died from co***ne, not as a result of anything officers did.
“It’s important to know how a police department responded to a death in custody,” [FAC Legal Director David] Loy said. “Did they do a full investigation? If there was a policy violation, was there accountability? ... The last thing the public wants is an out of control officer who never gets disciplined. I can’t speak to the officers in this incident. This is not about being anti-police. It’s about the public having the right to know.”
Video shows Elk Grove police left man alone in constraint device before he died After placing him in a constraint device, Elk Grove police left a man in the back seat of a vehicle for 10 minutes while he yelled for help, according to a video obtained by The Bee.
09/22/2026
Every immigrant in detention in California is being held in a for-profit, privately run facility. California is behind many states when it comes to transparency requirements that would expose more about what’s occurring on the inside. We need action now.
We are calling on Governor Gavin Newsom to sign SB 423. See the op-ed by the bill's author, Senator Lena A. Gonzalez:
https://www.ocregister.com/2026/09/20/to-stop-abuse-in-private-detention-facilities-gov-newsom-must-sign-sb-423/
FAC Legal Director David Loy talked to Jade Hindmon of KPBS Midday Edition about the White House's ban on reporters from CNN, MS Now, and Politico.
Hindmon asks if this is a case of viewpoint discrimination. Loy replies: "Yes, it is absolutely the clearest possible case. The president banned these outlets because he said they report "fake news." That is saying: 'I don't like what they say [...] I don't like their coverage because I don't like the viewpoint that it represents. I object to it. Therefore, I ban them from the White House.' That is what tyrants do. That is what autocrats do. That is not what elected officials are allowed to do in the United States under the First Amendment.
See the full interview at https://www.kpbs.org/podcasts/kpbs-midday-edition
09/17/2026
Tomorrow 5PM: FAC's Ginny LaRoe will join Angélica Salceda of ACLU of Northern California, Marijke Rowland of The Modesto Focus, and Jim Boren of Fresno State for a panel discussion about the First Amendment and free expression. Free and open to the public!
https://www.kvpr.org/community-calendar/event/the-first-amendment-under-fire-10-09-2026-14-01-54
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534 4th Street, Ste B
San Rafael, CA
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