National Freedom of Information Coalition
Protecting Your Right to Open Government

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Texas lawmakers press to shield suppliers of execution drugs

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Saying that executions in Texas are becoming “increasingly difficult to carry out,” state officials Wednesday urged lawmakers to send Republican Gov. Greg Abbott a bill that would prevent even death row inmates from knowing the identity of lethal injection drug suppliers.

The debate in the Legislature took place just hours before the sixth person this year was set to die in Texas, where the nation’s busiest death chamber is again running low on inventory.

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House budget bill blocks state auditor from checking if lawmakers follow open records law

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Ohio House Republicans have put language into the state budget plan that would shield them and other state officials from audits that would determine whether they are following public-records laws.

State Auditor Dave Yost, a fellow Republican, says the language is nothing less than a direct attack on the authority of his office.

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Editorial: DEFENSES AGAINST FOIA: Non-Profit Planned Parenthood Succeeds In Keeping Operations Manual Secret

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When inquiring minds want to know, non-profit organizations now have a stronger response. Last year, we posed the question: Can a non-profit maintain trade secrets and other confidential commercial information? The First Circuit recently answered our question: “yes.”

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Opinion: Obama administration agrees with Sunlight: Agencies should disclose what data they keep private

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Last week, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) posted updated guidance to the Project Open Data Github for agencies as they continue to compile indexes of their data holdings. Agencies are now instructed to “Include all ‘non-public’ data assets in their PDL [Public Data Listing], in addition to the ‘public’ and ‘restricted’ data assets that have long been required.” It also tells agencies to fully explain the reasons for "non-public" designations and redactions in the metadata.

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Fla. Tribe Rebuffed In FOIA Suit Targeting Ex-DOJ Atty

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A Florida federal judge on Tuesday turned back the Miccosukee Tribe’s bid for public records on a former U.S. Department of Justice attorney whom the tribe has accused of fraud, finding no fault in the DOJ’s decision to neither confirm nor deny the existence of the requested documents.

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Michigan bill would exempt some police body cam footage from FOIA

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A bill pending in the Michigan Legislature would exempt some footage from police body-cams, which are currently being tested in Detroit, from public record request in the state.

The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Jim Runestad (R-White Lake Township), comes as police departments across the U.S. have faced increased scrutiny in wake of the deaths of Walter Scott in South Carolina, Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner in New York. All three were unarmed black males who died at the hands of white police officers.

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California Legislators Seek to Mandate More Transparency and Accountability in Government

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BB&K attorney Deb Kollars writes in PublicCEO about three pending pieces of legislation that aim to strengthen the Government Code and Political Reform Act

In the wake of various investigative reports and public scandals, three California lawmakers have proposed reform legislation aimed at providing greater transparency and accountability in government. Three separate bills, now making their way through the Legislature, aim to strengthen the Government Code and Political Reform Act, and have implications for local government agencies.

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