National Freedom of Information Coalition
Protecting Your Right to Open Government

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Miami-Dade ballot items target public records and taxing districts

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Two proposed amendments to the Miami-Dade charter would let cities establish special taxing districts for private neighborhoods and could make it easier for members of the public to copy government records.

Florida law requires governments to provide copies of public records, rather than just allow people to inspect them. Miami-Dade governments must follow state law when it comes to records, so county residents already have a right to copy public documents and other materials.

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CO: Weld County commissioners quarrel over utility company meetings, document release

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After one county commissioner released confidential records to protest county meetings with utility companies, the rest of the commissioners are left scratching their heads.

Commissioner Sean Conway recently released emails, which detailed the county’s attorney giving the board legal advice before a planned September meeting with Xcel Energy, alleging the meeting was a kind of unethically private correspondence called ex parte communication. The emails went public this week when a conservative blog published them.

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NY State: Sweeping law secretly combats zombie homes

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A new state law that requires banks to report and secure abandoned houses has been hailed as sweeping legislation for combating blight, but the most sweeping aspect of the law may be a section that keeps the information secret.

The so-called “zombie properties” law requires the Department of Financial Services to keep a registry of vacant properties. But DFS must treat the information as confidential, exempt it from the state Freedom of Information Law and restrict access even to elected officials.

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Read the 2016 annual newsletter from Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana (PAR)

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The year 2016 has found us in the thick of major policy debates. The Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana is playing a leadership role in helping determine the future direction of the state on critical issues concerning government budgets, taxes and economic development. PAR’s analysis, commentary, public outreach and participation on several key task force initiatives are making an important contribution toward shaping the discussion and building consensus for meaningful recommendations for positive, long-term change.

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Delaware public records gold mine: new open data portal

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Want to know which state agency buys the most pizza? Maybe you're more curious about whether your favorite restaurant passed its last inspection, the traffic counts on your road or the most popular subjects at your local library.

That's just a sample of the information that state officials say will be searchable, sortable and, in some cases, mappable come Wednesday evening when Gov. Jack Markell unveils Delaware's new open data portal – an online clearinghouse of raw statistics and other nonpersonal information collected by state agencies.

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OpEd: The Sun shines on all in Missouri, but not always equally

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Over the next few weeks, many of you will be seeing your present (and/or prospective) state legislators and senators cross your towns. They are in the midst of campaigns. They are telling you and your voters why they should be elected to fill seats in Jefferson City beginning in January.

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Meet the U.S. Data Federation: A new hub for standardized, coordinated open data

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The General Services Administration is working to create a place where data providers can go to see if their data fits into a set of standards others might be already using.

This new effort, the recently announced U.S. Data Federation, is a step forward in the open data movement toward not just publishing data on Data.gov but also coordinating it among specific topics to be interoperable and standardized, experts say.

Continue…

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From Connecticut Council for Freedom of Information: Facing Hearing, Ethics Board Chair Admits FOI Violations

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After a protracted mediation process and with the clock winding down to a Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission hearing, Newtown Board of Ethics Chair Jacqueline Villa admitted to violating the state FOI Act on two separate occasions, both involving illegal executive sessions — meetings with members of her board closed to press and citizens that should have been conducted in public.

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FOI Foundation Texas offers Nov. 16 Open Government Seminar in Denton

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The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas will host an Open Government Seminar in Denton in November featuring training in public meetings and public records laws.

The non-profit FOI Foundation, in cooperation with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office and the Mayborn School of Journalism at UNT, will offer the one-day seminar on Wednesday, Nov. 16. It is designed for government employees, journalists, attorneys and members of the general public interested in the Texas Public Information Act and Texas Open Meetings Act.

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