National Freedom of Information Coalition
Protecting Your Right to Open Government

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Gazette-Times (OR) Editorial: Lawsuit seeks access to bill requests

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It’s another disappointment from a governor who pledged when she assumed office that transparency in state government would be a priority. Transparency was, Kate Brown said, an essential ingredient in her efforts to restore trust in state government. Brown’s record on transparency since then, however, has been spotty. Although it’s true that she has been […]

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Numerous phone-in Charlottesville council meetings held before policy instated

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Charlottesville city councilors appear to have improperly phoned in to numerous meetings, including those dealing with hiring of an interim city manager. In August, the council passed a policy — apparently for the first time — allowing councilors to phone in to meetings in certain situations. Since 2014, state law has required local public bodies […]

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Albuquerque Journal Editorial: All should heed AG’s opinion on records costs

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The state Attorney General’s Office took University of New Mexico officials to task last week, citing several instances where the university violated the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act and Open Meetings Act. The 32-page “transparency report,” which the AG’s office issued Sept. 6, looked at the most recent 11 complaints dating back to […]

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On International Day of Democracy, International Leaders Call for More Open Public Institutions

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As the United Nations celebrates the International Day of Democracy on September 15 with its theme of “Democracy Under Strain,” The Governance Lab (The GovLab) at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering will unveil its CrowdLaw Manifesto to strengthen public participation in lawmaking by encouraging citizens to help build, shape, and influence the laws and policies that affect their daily lives. Among its […]

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Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms’ Transparency Officer Legislation Moves Forward

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Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ promise to create a new Transparency Officer is a step closer to going before the Atlanta City Council for a vote. Legislation that represented a collaboration between the Mayor, the City Council and local media outlets was approved unanimously by the Finance/Executive Committee. “There is no city in the state of […]

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Advocates press Massachusetts lawmakers to work in public

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Open government advocates on Wednesday called on lawmakers to make more government offices subject to the state’s public records laws. Massachusetts is the only state where the Legislature, governor’s office and judiciary all claim to be exempt from the state’s public records law. That has led open government groups and others to consistently label the […]

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Living Legend of Open Government” to be inducted into Hall of Fame

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News Release September 12, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Daniel Bevarly  (352) 294-7082 · dbevarly@nfoic.org   “Living Legend of Open Government” to be inducted into Open Government Hall of Fame An AP award-winning journalist and the founding executive director of Pennsylvania’s Office of Open Records is this year’s inductee into the “Heroes of the 50 […]

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New report shows American voters overwhelmingly support press freedom but are missing signs it’s under threat

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Amid an alarming confluence of threats to journalists and the news media, there is a lack of urgency among American voters around the idea that press freedom is at risk in the U.S., according to a new research report released Wednesday by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.  A majority of voters, 52 percent, […]

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Judge orders Florida Governor Rick Scott to release travel, campaign records; Governor will appeal

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A judge on Wednesday ordered Gov. Rick Scott to release about three months’ worth of meeting schedules and travel plans — including upcoming campaign events — and rejected his argument that the information should remain secret for security reasons. Circuit Judge Charles Dodson in Tallahassee ruled in favor of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. The group […]

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State website aims to show how Missouri’s government spends money

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Missouri has a website designed to make government more transparent, according to state Treasurer Eric Schmitt. Schmitt’s office recently launched ShowMeCheckbook.mo.gov, which he calls “a one-stop shop” for information on state finances, revenue, payroll, expenses and cash flow. “This new website is powered by over 20 million individual data points, boiled down into easy-to-use charts, graphs, […]

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