National Freedom of Information Coalition
Protecting Your Right to Open Government

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Ann Arbor City Council to provide lead water pipe information after FOIA request

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As the result of a unanimous vote by the Ann Arbor City Council at a recent meeting, the City now has to disclose information regarding where lead materials have been used in the Ann Arbor water system. At last Monday’s meeting, councilmembers gave city staff until the end of the year to produce the information, which identifies […]

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Record-Courier Editorial: New search for Kent State president must be public

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The looming retirement of Kent State University President Beverly Warren impacts many people in many different ways.  Students wonder if their chosen school’s next leader will be as focused on their needs. Administrators surely are curious to see how well they mesh with the new president’s administrative style and priorities. And Kent community leaders and […]

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Criticism of R.I. secretary of state continues to build

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Amid criticism, Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea on Tuesday doubled down on her refusal to provide The Providence Journal with a digital copy of the state’s voter database that includes critical information that enables the news media — and other government watchdogs — to detect whether voters are registered in more than one city or […]

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Wyoming slow to test the transparency waters

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Wyoming’s lack of transparency in state government is legendary. The Center for Public Integrity labeled it the worst in the nation in 2015, and the Legislature has done nothing since to improve that rating. Now there is some movement on one aspect of this vital issue, with newly elected Gov. Mark Gordon and State Auditor […]

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Connecticut FOI Commission admonishes municipalities for illegal meetings, illegal fees

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hortly after the Bridgeport City Council’s budget committee opened its meeting last May, Councilwoman Jeannette Herron took up the first order of business with a directive to members of the public. “Okay, everybody out,” she declared. “Make a motion,” Council President Aidee Nieves said, followed by a city attorney saying something — it was partly […]

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Representative pushes for transparency with FOIA in S.C. General Assembly

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Republican Weston Newton was re-elected to South Carolina’s House of Representatives District 120, a position representing Beaufort and Jasper Counties that he’s held since he was first elected in 2012. After two years in the House, he was asked to chair a new committee on oversight. In the past four years, Newton has set a […]

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Clerk of courts files claim seeking reimbursement for $33K in attorney fees incurred during investigation sparked by judge

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Ozaukee County Clerk of Courts Mary Lou Mueller said an investigation sparked by Judge Joseph Voiland’s false accusations against her and two other court officials cost her more than $30,000 in legal fees. Neither that investigation nor a criminal probe that preceded it found any evidence to support Voiland’s claims that Mueller, Ozaukee County presiding […]

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Industries Turn Freedom of Information Requests on Their Critics

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Dennis J. Ventry Jr., a law professor at the University of California, Davis, drew the ire of tax preparation companies like Intuit and H&R Block this summer by criticizing a deal they have to provide a free tax filing service through the Internal Revenue Service. The companies promptly hit back with a tactic that corporations, lobbyists and […]

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US Open Public Records Laws in Desperate Need for Unity

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Diversity is a terrible thing. Before dashing off an email criticizing me, I’m not talking diversity of race, gender or ethnicity, which I wholeheartedly support. I’m talking about diversity among public records laws. Consider these national disparities in public records requests. A Pennsylvania citizen requests a criminal investigative record under its state’s Right to Know […]

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New York’s transparency problem

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo promised to manage “the most transparent” administration New Yorkers have ever seen. The reality is that his administration continues to keep a tight lid on public records or takes months to respond to even the most basic requests for information.  News 4 Investigates from May through August filed Freedom of Information law requests with every state […]

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