National Freedom of Information Coalition
Protecting Your Right to Open Government

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ACLU of Maine sues immigration agencies for public records of citizenship checks

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The American Civil Liberties Union of Maine has sued two federal agencies over an unfulfilled public records request related to citizenship checks at major transportation hubs. The civil liberties organization asked federal officials in January to hand over records related to citizenship checks at two major transportation hubs in Maine. The request came after passengers […]

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Wyoming citizen board refuses to charge public records fee

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Despite pressure from state officials, a citizen advisory board of the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality refused last week to endorse an agency initiative to charge fees for some public records. Officials from the DEQ and Wyoming Attorney General’s office implied during a public meeting Friday that the board had no choice but to support […]

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MO: AG Hawley investigating Gov. Greitens’ use of Facebook, other social media

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JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley is launching another Sunshine Law investigation into fellow Republican Gov. Eric Greitens, this one centered on the governor’s use of social media. Hawley’s office had previously agreed with Greitens that his social media accounts were private, telling the Star in February that it would not require Greitens to turn […]

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FL: Sarasota City Hall removal of kiosk containing access to city employees’ emails sparks debate

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SARASOTA — Instant public access to the emails of hundreds of Sarasota city officials and employees has been restricted by the city in a move some citizens and public records experts call an abandonment of transparency and erosion of public trust. The removal more than a year ago of a City Hall kiosk containing access […]

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Lawyers call on NYC politicians to end secrecy over cop discipline

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The city’s Bar Association is calling on lawmakers to repeal a decades-old statute shielding police disciplinary records from the public. The city’s broad interpretation of the law, a 1976 civil rights provision known as 50-a, “fuels the mistrust between communities and the NYPD officers pledged to protect them,” reads a report issued by the City […]

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90 Municipal Open Data Portals

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It’s been more than 50 years since the passage of the federal Freedom of Information Act. The United States’ government makes thousands of datasets available to the public, and facilitates access through a unified federal open data portal. Despite the law and new technology, plenty of people find it difficult to get the information they […]

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Two state officials are on a mission to make libraries the public’s hub for government data

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News organizations and public-interest groups are skilled at sussing out difficult-to-navigate government data when they need it, but freedom-of-information laws aren’t as friendly to the public in general. Two states, though, are figuring out ways to deliver information sets to regular citizens who want to find things for themselves. In parts of California and Washington, that service is being delivered […]

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California Attorney General Files FOIA Request Seeking Answers About Trump Administration’s Proposed Religious Conscience Rule

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SACRAMENTO –  California Attorney General Xavier Becerra yesterday filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) seeking information about the Trump Administration’s new proposed rule, the so-called Protecting Statutory Conscience Rights in Health Care, and new delegation of authority to create a new division within the Office for […]

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Kansas: City votes to take back letter to AG

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The self-reporting of a potential violation of the Kansas Open Meetings Act was rescinded by a 3-2 vote of the Abilene City Commission Monday night. The commission voted 5-0 at the March 28 meeting to report a possible violation of KOMA. Commissioners Sharon Peterson, Dee Marshall and Terry Chaput voted in favor of rescinding the […]

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