National Freedom of Information Coalition
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Colorado: Governor Hickenlooper vetoes child-autopsy bill opposed by news outlets

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Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper on Friday afternoon announced he had vetoed three bills passed in the 2018 legislative session that ended last month, including one that would have placed autopsy reports on children off limits to the public except under limited circumstances. Senate Bill 223 was brought to the General Assembly by El Paso County […]

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Washington state bans medical records from open court during harassment lawsuits

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After being sexually harassed at work, some women face the specter of having the most intimate, private details of their lives dissected in open court by attorneys for their employer. That’s because defense attorneys have often sought and obtained medical records of plaintiffs — even going back as far as birth — in defending their […]

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Washington: High court ruling welcome on state Public Records Act

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It seems reasonable to assume all public officials — from local school board and city council members to state legislators — are subject to the voter-approved Washington state Public Records Act. Yet, that’s not necessarily the case. Lawmakers have, over time, created exclusions for themselves, and thus have been able to withhold documents and information […]

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After years-long FOIA battle, the Energy Department pays the Center for Public Integrity $5K in legal fees

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The Center for Public Integrity, as a matter of policy, does not accept grants from the federal government. But the Center will accept compensation for the time and effort we put into fighting the government’s efforts to keep information from the public. And that’s what happened last month when the Center concluded a Freedom of […]

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Coalition Asks D.C. AG and IG to Review Actions Against Open Government

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Citing “clear misinterpretations of law” in actions taken to remove the Office of Open Government director, advertise the position with incorrect limitations on its authority, and appoint an interim director without any lawful basis, D.C. Open Government Coalition president Thomas Susman has written D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine requesting appropriate action “to ensure D.C. law […]

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Michigan: FOIA and media requests have ‘increased dramatically’ at MSU

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In wake of the news surrounding MSU’s handling of ex-MSU and USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar’s sexual abuse case, the university’s Freedom of Information Act Office has received an increase in FOIA requests and MSU’s Communications and Brand Strategy, or CABS, is still experiencing a high volume in media inquiries.  The Freedom of Information Act, or […]

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Op-Ed: Why Bio-Tech and Pharma C-Suites Should Understand Sunshine Laws

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Biotech, pharmaceutical and medical device developers, as well as the lawyers who represent them, gathered recently at a Kentucky Derby party in Plymouth Meeting. Amid the games, faux betting, and interesting displays of new genetic technologies and services, I talked with researchers and chief executive officers about some fascinating projects underway. It didn’t seem like […]

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Immigration agency rolls out initial online FOIA processing capability

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The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced Wednesday that it has launched a new system that will allow the agency to process Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests online. The Freedom of Information Act Immigration Records SysTem (FIRST) will “eventually” allow users to submit requests and receive documents online. Up to this point, USCIS has accepted requests […]

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Oregon: Portland Wants Washington Court To Block Defense Attorney’s Public Record Request

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Attorneys with the city of Portland are preparing to go to court in Washington state to try to stop a defense attorney from obtaining a 26-year-old police report in a child sex abuse case. It’s an unusual case because the record Portland leaders want to withhold belongs to another jurisdiction: the Clark County Sheriff’s Department. The record in […]

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