National Freedom of Information Coalition
Protecting Your Right to Open Government

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Why agricultural industry groups could soon be exempt from FOIA laws

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After recent controversy, the US Congress has asked for Freedom of Information Act exemptions for organizations promoting agricultural products, including groups behind promotional campaigns such as “Pork, the other white meat.”

Although the US Department of Agriculture oversees advertising campaigns for different agricultural industries, which range from the meat and egg industry to Christmas tree organizations, the industries themselves pay for promotional campaigns.

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Opinion: Florida Gov. Scott’s ‘transparency’ hypocrisy is out in the open

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Last week, Florida Gov. Rick Scott lectured the Republican National Committee on the need to "be transparent."

It was like Alex Rodriguez warning Little Leaguers not to use steroids. Acting as Donald Trump's surrogate, Scott told RNC members at their meeting in Hollywood to avoid "tricks" or "stunts" that might impede Trump's path to the presidential nomination.

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Fighting over secret money

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The biggest problem with the campaign-finance system is also the hardest to correct: the escalating millions spent on politics behind a veil of secrecy. On its face, this should be an easy problem to fix. Why not simply require donor disclosure for all campaign activities?

The hard part is that many groups that claim to be engaging in advocacy or public education are actually making political expenditures. The courts have ruled that advocacy groups have a right to keep their donors private, lest the government tread on constitutionally protected free speech.

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Anchorage adopts open data policy

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The Municipality of Anchorage has adopted an open data policy, to boost transparency through heightened community access to government information and data.

Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz explained, “Open data is really an important way of making sure information that the city collects, is available to everyone who lives here, and anyone who want to use it. It’s about having a transparent and efficient form of government.” Five initial areas will be focused on including housing, public health, public safety, finance and transportation.

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A public body’s prearranged discussion by email violates Ohio’s open meetings act

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A private prearranged discussion of public business by the majority of a public body’s members either face-to-face or by other means such as telephone, e-mail, text, or tweet, violates the Ohio Open Meetings Act, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.

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Lawmaker’s call to stop recording Maine legislative committees thwarted

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In what could be a blow to public access to Maine’s State House proceedings, Sen. Garrett Mason, R-Lisbon, is questioning whether legislative committee meetings should continue to be recorded and archived.

Streamed online, the public meetings of the Legislature and its standing committees are available to anyone with an Internet connection. The sessions are also digitally recorded and are made available upon request to those who ask for them. Also streamed, recorded and archived are the proceedings of the state House and Senate. 

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Arkansas Supreme Court: No redactions for accident reports

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Accidents reports in Arkansas must be open to the public without the redaction of personal information, the state Supreme Court has ruled.

In a 5-2 decision, the court upheld a Pulaski County circuit judge's ruling that Little Rock lawyer Daniel Wren is entitled under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act to obtain unredacted accident reports from the Arkansas State Police.

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Congress requests GAO investigation into federal FOIA shortcomings

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On April 28, the leaders of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary sent Gene L. Dodaro, the U.S. comptroller general, a letter requesting the General Accountability Office (GAO) conduct a comprehensive review of the federal government's compliance with the Freedom of Information Act.

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Editorial: Essential information one Missouri legislator doesn’t want you to know

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Missouri Rep. Genise Montecillo, D-Affton, has been on a singular mission for months to restrict access to certain police records, not because it’s in the public’s best interests but because it fits her personal agenda.

She wants the entire public kept in the dark whenever anyone in Missouri commits or attempts suicide. It’s a private matter and simply not the public’s business, she suggests. Except that it actually is the public’s business, especially when a person who attempts suicide is an elected official like Montecillo.

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