National Freedom of Information Coalition
Protecting Your Right to Open Government

Author: NFOIC

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Accountable, Transparent Government: The Promise of the DATA Act

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Every political observer knows that we’re living in a time of historically low trust in government and high partisan polarization. But a growing federal commitment to accountability and transparency could begin to change that. Two years ago, the President signed into law the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act (the DATA Act), which could have far-reaching benefits for our democracy.

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New York drops $250 fee for taxpayer-funded weather data after Syracuse.com story

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New York's taxpayer-funded weather system has dropped its $250 fee for data requests after Syracuse.com pointed out that policy might violate the state's Freedom of Information Law.

The weather system, called the New York State Mesonet, also dropped many restrictions on the data after the story ran Friday morning.  Continue…

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Missouri Representative pushing a house bill making animal health and environmental protection issues exempt from Sunshine Law

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Missouri Representative Jay Houghton (R-Martinsburg) is sponsoring House Bill 1414, which would make "any data collected for the purpose of animal health or environmental protection" a closed record and therefore exempt from not only Missouri's Sunshine Law, but the federal Freedom of Information Act. He is also chair of the committee.

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Judge Forces Obama Administration to Disclose Climate Documents

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Judge Amit Mehta handed the Obama administration a defeat in court in a case involving the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), ruling the White House showed bad faith in withholding information and data underpinning John Holdren's claim global warming was making winters colder. Holdren is the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) director.

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Georgia paper honored by press awards

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The Valdosta Daily Times is humbled and honored to once again be recognized as one of Georgia’s best newspapers. 

The Georgia Press Association recognized The Times with 16 prestigious awards at its annual Better Newspaper Contest Awards Ceremony at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel Friday evening. Continue…

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Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says checkoff programs are subject to FOIA

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Senator Chuck Grassley says checkoff programs should not be exempt from the Freedom of Information Act.

Grassley spoke to reporters in a conference call Thursday saying Ag commodity groups such as checkoff programs, should be subject to FOIA.  Continue…

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