NFOIC – Page 107 – National Freedom of Information Coalition

TCOG: Office of Open Records Counsel finalizes model public records policy

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The Office of Open Records Counsel has published a new model public records policy that can be used by government entities in establishing records policies, which are required by law this year.

A new law mandates that all government entities in the state establish a public records policy by July 1, 2017. The policies must include the name of entity’s public records request coordinator and include information about requesting public records and any fees.

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Wa.: Lawmakers seek to discourage serial public records requesters

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A bipartisan pair of state lawmakers working on public disclosure legislation say they are trying to strike a balance between keeping the public informed and managing the costs of responding to records requests.

Rep. Terry Nealey, R-Dayton, and Rep. Joan McBride, D-Kirkland, are working on proposals to help government officials recoup more of their expenses while also discouraging massive requests that can cripple a city’s or county’s ability to respond.

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From D.C. Open Gov Coalition: Claim of Excessive PACER Fees May Be Adjudicated After Years of Complaints

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A class action lawsuit in federal court in the District of Columbia could mean refunds for millions – anyone who paid fees to access federal court records using the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system in the last six years.

Plaintiffs are three nonprofit organizations—National Veterans Legal Services Program, National Consumer Law Center and the Alliance for Justice–who used the system but say the ever-increasing fees are excessive, far beyond what the law allows.

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Senators Isakson, Perdue take action to increase government transparency and accountability

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U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and David Perdue (R-GA) along with Congressman Buddy Carter (R-GA-01) today applauded the Senate’s passage of bipartisan legislation that would increase government transparency and accountability. The legislation was originally introduced by Carter in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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University of Iowa broke public records law, state board staff say

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Open government advocates and Iowa’s state universities are poised for a fight over whether federal copyright laws pre-empt state laws requiring government agencies to provide public access to state-generated documents and materials.

The staff of the Iowa Public Information Board has found the University of Iowa broke Iowa’s public records law by refusing to share its photos and video from the historic 2008 floods with a Cedar Rapids documentary filmmaker.

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KY attorney general sides with Covington in open records case

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Covington's firefighters union asked the attorney general to determine whether the city of Covington violated open meetings laws by a delayed release of emails.

Attorney General Andy Beshear sided with the city, saying the city didn't take an unreasonable amount of time inspecting the 895 emails involved in the open records request.

Continue…

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Va. bill would exempt fracking chemicals from FOIA

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Open government advocates are alarmed at a legislative subcommittee’s approval of a bill that would hide from the public record the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing.

Megan Rhyne, executive director of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government, said House Bill 1678 would violate the public’s right to know about possible environmental and health hazards posed by fracking, in which liquids are injected into the ground to extract oil or gas.

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Utah won’t release details on Amazon tax deal, says info would give advantage to competitors

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The Utah State Tax Commission is keeping confidential the details of a new deal for Amazon — which makes an estimated 21 percent of all online sales — to collect sales tax for internet purchases made by Utahns.

The commission this week denied an open-records request for that information, filed by the Libertas Institute, a Salt Lake City-based group that says it fights for liberty.

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NEFAC: A Win for Open Records That Wasn’t

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This should be a happy Access to Public Records Act story, but — spoiler alert — it’s not.

Valley Breeze reporter Ethan Shorey filed an APRA complaint with the Rhode Island Attorney General when the City of Pawtucket refused to provide him a list of vacant and abandoned properties it routinely shared with members of the City Council. Three weeks ago, the Attorney General’s office ruled that the document needed to be handed over. So why is this ruling a loss for open government instead of a victory?

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OpenGov Voices: Making open data more accessible — three lessons from Boston

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How do you share open data in a meaningful way to help citizens convert data into knowledge about their city?

Over the past few months, the City of Boston’s Open Data team has worked to explore this essential question by placing our computers aside. In our quest to bring the Open Data to Open Knowledge project (funded by the Knight Foundation) to life, the team set out to host conversations to learn from everyday Bostonians.

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Author: NFOIC

Posts by NFOIC

TCOG: Office of Open Records Counsel finalizes model public records policy

Wa.: Lawmakers seek to discourage serial public records requesters

From D.C. Open Gov Coalition: Claim of Excessive PACER Fees May Be Adjudicated After Years of Complaints

Senators Isakson, Perdue take action to increase government transparency and accountability

University of Iowa broke public records law, state board staff say

KY attorney general sides with Covington in open records case

Va. bill would exempt fracking chemicals from FOIA

Utah won’t release details on Amazon tax deal, says info would give advantage to competitors

NEFAC: A Win for Open Records That Wasn’t

OpenGov Voices: Making open data more accessible — three lessons from Boston