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New England First Amendment Coalition

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September 2025
 

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Public Records Access
 

• City Ordered to Turn Over Withheld Public Records to The New Bedford Light | The New Bedford Light


• Open Up Records From State Mental Institutions | The Boston Globe


• Healey Seeks to Make Mass. Drivers’ Crash Records Public Again | The Boston Globe


• FOIC Rejects $40K FOIA Fee | Connecticut Inside Investigator




The ruling vindicates the right of the people of New Bedford to know what decisions the city is making and why – and that’s especially important when the decisions are about how to spend public funds.


Edward J. Naughton | Brown Rudnick LLP Partner and Lawyer for The New Bedford Light


 

Flag Burning
 

• Flag Burning Has a Long History in the U.S. — and Legal Protections From the Supreme Court | NPR


• Trump’s Order on Flag Burning Could Return the Question to the Supreme Court | Associated Press


• Related: NEFAC 2016 Statement on Flag Burning




What is most important is that the government doesn’t get to tell us how we should use symbols and speech.


David Cole | Georgetown University Law School Professor


 
 

Other News We're Tracking
 

Press Freedom, Government Transparency


• Court Halts Trump Administration Probe of Media Matters; Claims First Amendment Violation | The Washington Times


• Why Mass. Still Trails the Nation in Press Protections | The Boston Globe


• Dark Newspaper Deserts Lead to Lack of Government Transparency, Study Says | Publishers Daily




Police Speech, Accountability


• Massachusetts Cop Punished After Calling George Floyd a ‘Thief and Druggie’ Loses Federal Appeals Case | Boston Herald


• Mass Dump Seeks Ruling That Northwestern DA Can’t Hide Names of Cops Charged with Crimes | The Mass Dump


• Boston Officials Say ICE is Dragging Its Feet on Public Records Request | WBUR




Also On Our Radar . . .


• Appeals Court Upholds Ruling Restricting Associated Press Access to Trump | The New York Times


• New Hampshire Schools Sue State Over DEI Restrictions | The Center Square


• UMass Violated a Student’s First Amendment Rights By Disciplining Him for Sexual Misconduct, Judge Finds | Boston.com


• Rhode Island Law First to Grant Right to Fight Book Bans | Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly
 
 
Thank You to Our Supporters

NEFAC appreciates the support of all its donors and contributors. In particular, we would like to recognize the Estate of Gloria L. Negri, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the following Leadership Circle donors ($10,000+) and Major Supporters ($2,500-$9,999): 


 
LEADERSHIP CIRCLE
Rhode Island Foundation
The Boston Globe
Paul and Ann Sagan
The Robertson Foundation
 

MAJOR SUPPORTERS

Boston University

Hearst Connecticut Media Group

Academy of New England Journalists

WCVB-Boston
 

The New England First Amendment Coalition | 111 Milk Street | Westborough, MA 01581 US

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