Wisconsin's new attorney general, Brad Schimel, contended in a recent column that the state's open government laws "are outdated and do not adequately address today's technological environment." He promised to initiate a process to provide "clearer guidance…without reducing rights to access."
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Federal district judges in Washington are the gatekeepers of government records in high demand. The CIA torture report. Prosecution memos about multibillion-dollar deals with big banks. And, now, Hillary Clinton's emails.
More lawsuits are filed in Washington over access to federal records than in any district court in the country. Nearly half of the 462 cases filed in 2014 under the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) were brought in Washington, according to a review of court filings by The National Law Journal. [See Chart.]
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Read More… from D.C. Federal Judges Play Outsized Role Nationally in FOIA Actions
The expanding reach of the Freedom of Information Act has introduced a new dynamic at federal agencies, and it is driving the need for IT professionals in the public sector to understand and conduct electronic discovery for records being requested by individuals and private parties under FOIA.
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Read More… from How to ease the e-discovery impact of FOIA requests
The State Department says is it overwhelmed by an increasing number of Freedom of Information Act requests, which it is struggling to process, Politico reports.
Adding to the deluge of requests, FOIA lawsuits have risen 60 percent over the last fiscal year, Politico noted of the increases, which if continued at the current pace could hit a 93 percent increase by year's end.
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Read More… from State Dept. Overwhelmed by ‘Crushing’ Number of FOIA Requests
As the Garden City Board of Trustees continues to negotiate for a settlement with purchasers of a disputed parcel of land at Franklin Court, the New York State Committee on Open Government issued an advisory opinion this week that said the Board may have violated the law in how it discussed various aspects of the sale.
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Read More… from State says BOT may have violated Open Meetings Law
A group of government watchdogs filed a lawsuit against College of DuPage on Thursday alleging numerous violations of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act.
The lawsuit — filed by Edgar County Watchdogs and American Transparency or Open the Books — claims the College of DuPage has been refusing valid FOIA requests, improperly withholding public documents and backdating responses.
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Read More… from Watchdogs file lawsuit against COD for withholding public records
Oakley's police department, ground zero for the controversy that's erupted in the small town of about 300, sat quiet Thursday night.
But a judge's order for the village to pay nearly $19,000 for attorney costs has one trustee speaking loud and clear.
"It's terrible; we ain't got that – we ain't got that money," Oakley Trustee Norm Wolfe said. Continue>>>
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Read More… from Judge orders Oakley to pay in FOIA case, police reserve list to be released
D.C.’s Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department (FEMS) is regularly investigated for its inefficient responses to life-threatening emergencies. Recent examples include a man who collapsed next to a fire station and died after receiving no immediate help; a man who died after police apparently shooed away an ambulance; and just last month, a toddler who died after choking on a grape, when emergency personnel a block away were not dispatched.
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Read More… from DC emergency dispatchers also slow to respond to FOIA requests
Wisconsin’s new attorney general, Brad Schimel, recently contended the state’s open government laws “are outdated and do not adequately address today’s technological environment.” He promised to initiate a process to provide “clearer guidance … without reducing rights to access.”
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Read More… from Editorial: Wisconsin’s open government laws should be updated
The state Military Department has agreed to pay $110,000 to a Seattle attorney and a King County activist to settle a long-running public records lawsuit centered on the Washington National Guard’s counterdrug task force.
Marijuana activist John Worthington of Renton and attorney William Crittenden sought the release of flight records and other documents.
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Read More… from State Military Department paying $110,000 to settle public records suit
