Recent requests to see the FOIA officer training and certifications at the 34 state agencies listed on the Attorney general’s website: 60% were not current and violating mandatory state law.
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The National Press Club, as part of its participation in Sunshine Week, is hosting a panel discussion the evening of Wednesday, March 19 at 6:30 p.m. on transparency in the District of Columbia.
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Read More… from National Press Club to Host D.C. Open Government Coalition Forum
British Columbia
British Columbia's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act came into effect on Oct. 4, 1993. A year later, the legislation was expanded to include municipalities, schools, hospitals and municipal police forces.
Alberta
Alberta's FOIP Act was given royal assent in 1994 and came into force during five phases. The fifth phase, which happened on Oct. 1, 1999, brought local government bodies including police services under the authority of FOIP.
Saskatchewan
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Chris Horner is deeply serious about his role as a climate-truth watchdog, but his sense of humor about his detractors is deliciously dark.
Take the story that broke just after New Year's of a Russian ship stranded in Antarctic ice, an incident seized by proponents as a certain sign that global warming was for real as polar sea ice continues to morph and melt.
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A task force has been appointed by the chancellor of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, and members of the Arkansas news media have been invited to meet with the group Friday.
I wasn’t one of the 207 people who got an invitation to the meeting, which isn’t surprising since I’m just a retired editor who continues to write a column. I had a conflict anyway.
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Read More… from Note to the Arkansas task force on FOIA: Just follow the law
http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/economy/transparency-in-nj-government-legislation-aimed-at-giving-taxpayers-a-website-to-track-state-financesThe “Transparency in Government Act,” sponsored by Assembly Republican Alison Littell McHose, cleared the Budget Committee on Monday.
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Want to know what your government is really up to?
The Virginia Freedom of Information Act allows citizens of the commonwealth (and representatives of the media) to gain access to numerous records held by state and local agencies, government officials and other public authorities, along with providing the right to attend public meetings.
The presumption of the FOIA is that all records and all meetings are to be open to the public — unless there is a special exemption specifying secrecy.
Sounds good, right?
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The Associated Press' executive editor called on governments around the world to support an independent press, warning Monday that efforts to silence the media through intimidation and violence are "in effect an attack on a nation's people."
Kathleen Carroll said the media can be a proxy for questions and concerns by citizens and the role of independent journalists is to ask questions on behalf of the people and bear witness.
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Read More… from AP chief urges governments to support free press
The city of Burlington took a huge step toward more open government last week when officials released a wide variety of data on the city’s website.
Now, coders are interpreting that data and trying to create useful tools for the public.
This weekend about 30 people gathered at Fletcher Free Library in Burlington for Code Across BTV. It was one of 45 other CodeAcross events taking place around the world.
The idea was to take data that might not be all that interesting or accessible, and make it easier to understand and use.
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Open-government advocates are disturbed by a public-records ruling handed down by the Ohio Supreme Court last week.
The justices voted 6-1 to uphold a ruling against a South Euclid woman who was denied recovery of attorney fees in a case where the city did not turn over records she had sought until she went to court.
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