State constitutional rights guaranteeing access to information can’t hurt, and may help, when judges balance the interests of disclosure and privacy. But there’s little evidence that a constitutional right to access produces better results directly for requesters. That’s, in part, because many variables influence the outcome of a request, particularly the state’s political culture. Those […]
Read More… from Study examines: Does a state constitutional right to know make a difference?
By Todd FettigNFOIC outreach coordinator For six years, Dennis Buckovetz worked alone, from the back bedroom of his house, uncovering the details of possible wrongdoing at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego. Buckovetz, who served in the Vietnam War as a Marine, was working as administrative director of Marine Corps Community Services at […]
An Odessa, Texas, “workshop” on the state’s Open Meetings Act was itself a violation of the Open Meetings Act, experts said. Alan J. Bojorquez, an Austin-based attorney who lead the workshop, said the meeting was exempt because it was for informational purposes, the Odessa American reported. Bojorquez also claimed it was a private meeting because […]
Read More… from Texas city violates Open Meetings Act in session to teach … Open Meetings Act
The Nevada Press Association is applauding the efforts of the Nevada Open Government Coalition, one of the newest members of the National Freedom of Information Coalition. The Nevada Open Government Coalition “had a significant impact” in the 2021 session of the Nevada Legislature. The coalition and the press association advocated for amendments that removed a […]
Read More… from Nevada coalition, one of NFOIC’s newest members, is applauded for advocacy
The North Carolina Open Government Coalition is leading a project to educate the public and encourage collaboration among journalists covering the University of North Carolina. The coalition, partnering with journalists, professors and nonprofit organizations, filed eight requests with the university, seeking records related to the hiring of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones as the Knight […]
The executive director of Freedom of Information Oklahoma is calling on the University of Oklahoma to be more transparent after the school refused to release reports regarding donor data and allegations of sexual misconduct by a former university president. “The University of Oklahoma has neither the responsibility nor the right to determine what is in […]
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
