In our continued fight for greater openness and transparency in government, we found the following items worthy of comment.
A public debate
Hampton Councilman Donnie Tuck deserves citizens' thanks for raising questions about the city's participation in a data-sharing program operated by area law enforcement.
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For much of her career in government service, Miriam Nisbet has been on the cutting edge of the intersection of digital technology and the Freedom of Information Act.
But more than 35 years after she began government service in 1978, Nisbet will leave her post as the government's top FOIA ombudsman at the end of November to take a break and pursue a career in the private sector.
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Read More… from OGIS director Miriam Nisbet to retire at end of November
The Senate Judiciary Committee released an amended version of a bill that would overhaul the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and force government agencies to be more transparent.
The legislation, which has bipartisan support and is backed by open government advocates, is co-sponsored by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy and Senator John Cornyn, the ranking Republican on the committee.
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Read More… from Primary Sources: How a New FOIA Bill Could Force More Government Transparency
Ever since Illinois rewrote and bolstered its Freedom of Information Act in 2010, government officials of all stripes have done their best to chip away at it. Such is the case with a bill vetoed this year by Gov. Pat Quinn.
As lawmakers gather in Springfield this week for the annual fall veto session, Better Government Association President Andy Shaw says this is one veto that should be left alone.
Shaw writes: Continue>>>
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Launched in 2009, Data.gov was one of the Obama administration's flagship efforts to produce a more open government. But though the site is full of raw data, Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker suggests it's not nearly as useful as it could be.
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Read More… from There’s a Commerce Department ‘SWAT team’ opening up government data
The Kansas Sunshine Coalition for Open Government today named Topeka media law attorney Michael L. Merriam as recipient of the Coalition’s “Above and Beyond Award” for Merriam’s career-long contributions to promoting and defending open government.
The award will be presented at 1:30 p.m. Friday in the auditorium on the first floor of the Statehouse.
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Read More… from Kansas attorney to receive open government award
Controversial professor Steven Salaita, whose job offer at the University of Illinois was rescinded after he made anti-Israel comments on social media, filed a lawsuit Monday alleging that the university has violated the state's open records law.
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Read More… from Steven Salaita files lawsuit against the University of Illinois
Bad ideas, unlike fine wine, don’t get better with age.
And that’s especially true of HB 3796, a bill that would weaken FOIA, the state’s Freedom of Information Act.
It was a bad idea when it breezed through the Illinois House and Senate in May with little explanation or debate. Continue>>>
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Floridians are blessed with the most expansive open government laws in the nation. While the state's Sunshine Law ensures the public's right of access to most governmental meetings and records, those official entities can encounter difficulties on several fronts.
Slow responses to public records requests elicit sharp criticism for stonewalling. No response to those entreaties can spark lawsuits that can prove costly to government programs and taxpayers.
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Read More… from On Florida’s Government-in-the-Sunshine Law, err on the side of caution
