National Freedom of Information Coalition
Protecting Your Right to Open Government

Author: NFOIC

Profile picture of NFOIC
Website
https://nfoic.org

Posts by NFOIC

Our Opinion (South Bend Tribune): A fix for Michigan’s public records law

Posted on

When Michigan passed its Freedom of Information Act in 1976 to help ensure public access to government records, it included a couple of glaring exemptions: the governor’s office and the state Legislature. The Wolverine state is one of two (Massachusetts is the other) with such exemptions.

A package of proposals in the Michigan Legislature would fix this oversight.  Continue…

[…]

Read More… from Our Opinion (South Bend Tribune): A fix for Michigan’s public records law

Study: State-Level Public Corruption Affects Firm Value, Transparency

Posted on

State-level public corruption in the United States affects firms’ value and disclosure policies, according to a new study from The University of Texas at Dallas.

Dr. Steven Xiao, assistant professor of finance, and Dr. Vikram Nanda, O.P. Jindal Distinguished Chair in Finance, studied state-level corruption in the U.S. and its effect on publicly listed firms.  Continue…

[…]

Read More… from Study: State-Level Public Corruption Affects Firm Value, Transparency

Indiana State auditor touts transparency portal

Posted on
DANVILLE — State Auditor Suzanne Crouch is traveling the state to discuss Indiana’s transparency portal.
Crouch has met with chamber members, local governments, university students and others to share what is currently happening on the transparency portal as well as to ask for input such as how to make it more searchable and easier for the public to get answers to questions.  Continue…

[…]

Read More… from Indiana State auditor touts transparency portal

CFOIC’s Jeff Roberts: Is Lakewood city councilor’s email a ‘documented’ Sunshine Law violation?

Posted on

Colorado’s Sunshine Law is supposed to prevent more than two members of a local public body, such as a city council, from exchanging thoughts outside of a public meeting on matters related to their jobs as policymakers.

But Lakewood City Council members appear to be doing just that in a recent email provided to the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition.  Continue…

————————

[…]

Read More… from CFOIC’s Jeff Roberts: Is Lakewood city councilor’s email a ‘documented’ Sunshine Law violation?

What should you FOIA? There’s a new tool to help you figure that out.

Posted on

Max Galka has worked most of his career in finance and insurance. With that work, he had to create models of natural disasters, and to do that, he had to get information on past natural disaster damage.

"And that's really when I discovered Freedom on Information," he said.  Continue…

————————

[…]

Read More… from What should you FOIA? There’s a new tool to help you figure that out.

Editorial: MO Judge appropriately rules to release execution drug info

Posted on

When it comes to the death penalty, we have opined before that all matters of execution deserve extra scrutiny.

Even when appeals are inconvenient to the survivors of victims of horrible crimes, our legal system has a constitutional obligation, and in our view a moral one, to examine every aspect to ensure that those we are executing have exhausted their legal protections and their rights under the constitution.  Continue…

————————

[…]

Read More… from Editorial: MO Judge appropriately rules to release execution drug info

NJFOG: State board denies advocacy group’s request to improve handling of ethics complaints

Posted on

PRESS RELEASE:  The State Local Finance Board (LFB) has rejected a Petition for Rulemaking submitted by the New Jersey Foundation for Open Government (NJFOG) that sought changes to the Board’s procedure for handling ethics complaints filed against local government officials.  Continue…

————————

[…]

Read More… from NJFOG: State board denies advocacy group’s request to improve handling of ethics complaints