The National Freedom of Information Coalition and 44 other organizations signed a letter opposing the Department of Defense’s proposal to alter the Freedom of Information Act. The letter, written by the Project On Government Oversight, was addressed to leadership of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the House Armed Services Committee. “The Pentagon’s proposed language […]
A subcommittee of Virginia’s FOIA Council is studying fees charged for public records. “In a perfect world, there would be no charges for FOIA requests in Virginia,” writes Megan Rhyne, executive director of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government. “There’s a philosophical issue that underpins some states’ open records law that says, ‘taxpayers have already […]
Attorneys Robert Steinbuch and Joey McCutchen, in a June 17, 2021, opinion piece for the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, contrasted two Freedom of Information Act cases before two judges, resulting in far different outcomes. “When litigating FOIA cases, the outcome significantly depends on the judges’ commitment to transparency over politics,” they write. Read the column […]
Read More… from FOIA enforcement shouldn’t hinge on whims of judges, Arkansas attorneys say
A Delaware lawmaker who backed a bill to give government officials more power to deny Freedom of Information Act requests is reconsidering the bill after open government advocates raised objections. The Delaware Coalition for Open Government opposed the bill, saying the new exemptions would make the state “one of the most restrictive states (if not […]
Read More… from After pushback from coalition, Delaware lawmaker rethinks FOIA ‘abuse’ bill
The Kentucky Open Government Coalition will offer a free webinar — “Open Records 2021: What Do I Need to Know?” — at 10 a.m. (Eastern time) on Monday, June 21, 2021. Coalition co-director Jeremy Rogers, an open records practitioner with two decades of experience and a partner at Dinsmore and Shohl LLP, Louisville, will be […]
In a press release announcing amendments to the state’s Open Meetings Law, the New York State Senate mentions the work of the New York Coalition for Open Government, which has reported widespread failure of local governments to post meeting documents online. “A recent study by the New York Coalition for Open Government (“Local Governments Struggle with […]
It was a session of highs and lows, as far as Colorado bills concerning government transparency. Among the positive developments in 2021: Legislators passed two police accountability bills that require more transparency from law enforcement agencies. On the downside: Lawmakers approved a bill allowing public bodies to disclose one finalist when choosing a city manager, […]
Read More… from Colorado lawmakers wrap 2021 session with mixed marks on transparency scorecard
The Delaware Coalition for Open Government is urging members of the Delaware State Senate to vote no on Senate Bill 155. The bill would amend the Freedom of Information Act to allow for new legal fees, new scanning fees, new broad FOIA exemptions, new prohibitions on monetary compensation and a new shorter timeframe for the public to […]
After several media outlets published thousands of Dr. Anthony Fauci’s emails, some public figures claimed the emails had been “leaked.” The Washington Post and BuzzFeed News say they used the Freedom of Information Act to request and obtain the emails of the White House’s chief medical adviser. Niquelle M. Allen, the director of the District […]
Read More… from No, those Fauci emails weren’t leaked; Yes, they were obtained using FOIA
Body-cameras, heralded as a technology to enhance police transparency, haven’t done enough to ensure the public’s right to know, because agencies often heavily edit the footage. Not only does such editing obscure the footage, it also adds substantial costs and delays. That’s according to transparency experts and advocates who spoke to the Daily Memphian for […]
