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FIRST AMENDMENT
OF U.S. CONSTITUTION 
Congress shall make 
no law respecting an establishment of religion, 
or prohibiting the free 
exercise thereof; or 
abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; 
or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, 
and to petition the 
Government for a 
redress of grievances.

ABOUT NEFAC 

2015 MAJOR SUPPORTERS 









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LEARN ABOUT OUR ANNUAL NEW ENGLAND FIRST AMENDMENT INSTITUTE







NEFAC'S ANNUAL 
NEW ENGLAND FIRST AMENDMENT AWARDS


We welcome contributions 
to The NEFAC Report from journalists, lawyers, academics 
or other advocates of 
government transparency. If 
you have something to add 
to the conversation, please let 
us know. Your stories, experiences and commentaries have broad appeal and value.
 
Submissions can be emailed to: mail@nefirstamendment.org



 
 THE NEFAC REPORT | August 2015
All-Star Faculty Announced for 
NEFAI 2015; Applications Due Sept. 4
Joining this year's faculty are Jennifer Berry Hawes, a member of the 2015 Pulitzer Prize-winning team at The Post and Courier; Anna Schecter, a Peabody Award winning producer for NBC; Bill Buzenberg, former executive director of the Center for Public Integrity; Carol Marbin Miller, a senior investigative reporter for the Miami Herald and recent winner of the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting; and Joe Mahr, a 2004 Pulitzer Prize winner now working at the Chicago Tribune. [More] [Application]
With Police Body Camera Legislation, States Need to Remember Importance of Access
Following recent excessive force cases across the country, many states are quickly legislating the use of body-worn cameras for police officers. The National Conference of State Legislatures reported that 34 states, as of May 18, 2015, were considering legislation to address this law enforcement issue. Within New England, states have responded to the technology to different degrees, and in some cases, not at all. [More] [More Coverage]
Victory for First Amendment in Mass. Political Speech Case; NEFAC Filed Amicus
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled earlier this month that a statute criminalizing false campaign speech is unconstitutional, saying that the law "chills the very exchange of ideas that gives meaning to our electoral system." The New England First Amendment Coalition filed an amicus brief in the case last April expressing "grave concerns" over the statute's effect on free speech and press freedoms. [More] [More Coverage]
NEFAC, Media Urge President Obama 
to Stop Excessive Controls on Public Info
The organizations sent a letter - drafted by the Society of Professional Journalists - on Aug. 10 urging changes to policies that constrict information flow to the public, including prohibiting journalists from communicating with staff without going through public information offices, requiring government PIOs to vet interview questions and monitoring interviews between journalists and sources. [More]
Statement of MassFOIA On 
Sec. Galvin's Public Records Initiative
Secretary William F. Galvin filed this month an initiative petition to revise the state public records law. The Massachusetts Freedom of Information Alliance (MassFOIA), a network of more than 40 groups committed to reforming the state public records law, including the New England First Amendment Coalition, does not support the petition. Rather, we continue to support legislative action - in particular, HB 3665 - as the best avenue for strengthening the law. [More] [More Coverage]
NEFAC Announces Additions to Board; Editor, Publisher and University Dean Join 
The New England First Amendment Coalition is pleased to announce the addition of three members to its Board of Directors: Tom Kearney, managing editor of the Stowe Reporter; Naomi Schalit, publisher and senior reporter for the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting; and Yohuru R. Williams, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Fairfield University. [More]
  bodycameraOTHER FOI AND FIRST AMENDMENT NEWS
    National
    Connecticut
    Maine
        Handwritten Notes, Public Record Retention
        mapublicrecsPublic Records Reform, HB 3665
        lucasPolitical Speech, Commonwealth v. Lucas
        Mayor Walsh, Text Messages
        Police Body Cameras, Right to Know
        ACLU Lawsuit, State Police Records
        Police Activity, Right to Record
    New Hampshire 
        Ballot Selfies, First Amendment
        Freedom of Speech on Campus
        Police Shootings, Body Camera Footage
    Rhode Island
    Vermont