The National Freedom of Information Coalition and 20 other organizations signed a Dec. 6, 2021, letter, urging Senate Judiciary Committee leaders to support the Open Courts Act. The letter supports the bill as a way to modernize the judicial branch’s case management system, known as PACER, in ways that would improve public access. Read more […]
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Timely access to COVID-19 information serves the public interest, Wisconsin brief argues
Third-party business groups have no valid legal basis to prevent the disclosure of COVID-19 outbreaks, and timely access to such information serves the public interest, especially during a pandemic. Those are key arguments in an amicus brief written by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and signed by 12 organizations, including the National […]
Advocates for accountability applaud Maryland law that opens police disciplinary records
A new law in Maryland opens to the public more police disciplinary records. According to a Nov. 24, 2021, report in The Washington Post, the new law has left police departments scrambling to respond to new records requests. Advocates for open records and police accountability applaud the law. “The inability to obtain records in police […]
Letter urges N.Y. governor to make COVID-19 data more usable, become leader in transparency
The National Freedom of Information Coalition endorsed a letter penned by Reinvent Albany, urging New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to make COVID-19 data more usable by the public. Reinvent Albany, an NFOIC member, thanked Hochul for publishing more COVID-19 open data, and it asked her to “please finish the job.” “The new COVID-19 webpage and […]
Boosted by Knight FOI Litigation Fund, Florida resident compels county group to meet in public
An Osceola County, Florida, judge ruled Nov. 22, 2021, that the county violated the state’s Sunshine Law by holding Executive Policy Group meetings without public notice or opportunity for the public to attend. County resident Josh Meyers for 613 days challenged the county’s assertion that the Sunshine Law did not apply to the Executive Policy […]
When governments bow down to private vendors, they ignore public’s right to know, experts say
Governments in many states are shirking transparency laws and blocking the public’s right to know, choosing instead to protect the intellectual property rights of private vendors. “This is not a Kansas problem. It’s not an Oregon problem. It’s an everywhere problem,” Frank LoMonte, director of the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information, told KCUR-FM, Kansas […]
New York coalitions see signs of progress in new transparency laws signed by governor
Government transparency took a few legislative steps forward this fall in New York, where the National of Freedom of Information Coalition has two member organizations. Starting Nov. 18, 2021, public bodies must post their meeting documents online, to the “extent practicable,” at least 24 hours before a meeting. The New York Coalition for Open Government, […]
NFOIC endorses letter urging stronger protections for whistleblowers
A diverse coalition of about 150 organizations, including the National Freedom of Information Coalition, in a Nov. 10, 2021, letter urged Congress to protect contractors and grantees who blow the whistle on wrongdoing. “New government spending to address the devastating effects of COVID-19 and domestic priorities such as infrastructure spending could exceed trillions of dollars. […]
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Colorado coalition publishes online and searchable guide to state’s sunshine laws
The Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition has published its new guide to the state’s sunshine laws. For the first time, the guide is online, searchable and indexed by topic. “The guide is comprehensive, addressing the questions most frequently asked of CFOIC about the Colorado Open Records Act, the Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act, the Colorado […]
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California’s First Amendment Coalition hiring senior staff attorney, legal fellow
The First Amendment Coalition, a nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy organization headquartered in Northern California, is hiring for two legal positions to focus on government transparency and press freedom litigation and counseling. FAC is looking for an experienced lawyer to serve as senior staff attorney, directing FAC’s strategic litigation program. FAC also is recruiting its next legal […]
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