Connecticut – Page 3 – National Freedom of Information Coalition

Opinion: Slamming a door in the face of open government

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Shortly after his re-election to a second term last November, Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy joined a number of state officials and legislative leaders in signing a Freedom of Information Pledge for open government.

This document affirms that “a successful democracy requires open, transparent, and accountable government,” and those who penned their names promised to support the independence of the state FOI Commission.

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Support bill to restore public right to arrest details

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Until last summer, police in Connecticut had to provide information about arrests or prove why that information should not be public. But a state Supreme Court ruling in July turned that bedrock principle upside down.

The court basically gave police full power to withhold much detail about arrests until the case is closed, which could take years. The remedy, the court wrote, is legislative and up to the General Assembly.

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Editorial: Don’t Let Police Decide What Public Should Know

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The cause of open government in Connecticut has taken extraordinarily hard knocks of late, undermining this state's once-sterling reputation nationally for valuing openness and promoting the free flow of information. One of the hardest was a disappointing state Supreme Court ruling last year that severely limits the amount of information that local police departments and the state police are required to disclose about an arrest while prosecution is pending.

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Forum: Too few Connecticut legislators sign FOI pledge

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Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy, Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman and state Comptroller Kevin Lembo — a card carrying FOI advocate — have signed the Freedom of Information Pledge proffered by the nonprofit advocacy group Connecticut Council on Freedom of Information. It took several weeks for Malloy to decide to sign on. Lembo asked immediately, “where do I sign?”

But too few have.

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Stamford, Connecticut considers virtual attendance at meetings

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The Board of Representatives wants to know if they can phone it in — literally.

At Mayor David Martin's prodding, a board committee began research in December on electronic attendance at meetings of the city's legislative boards and commissions.

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Battle over information request in Wallingford continues

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The chairwoman of the town’s Public Celebrations Committee and the vice president of Wallingford Center Inc. said they believe their groups are separate entities and disputed the claim that WCI has taken on Celebrations Committee tasks and is subject to state freedom-of-information rules.

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Bob Horton: Do the people’s business in front of the people

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After most municipal elections, newly elected officials and returning incumbents are invited to a forum at Town Hall about public meeting protocol and the Freedom of Information Act.

And while it is often said that showing up is half the job, in this instance, it is the wrong half. Next year they should listen carefully, ask some questions, maybe even be required to take some notes and pass a short quiz afterward, because the lessons never seem to stick.

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Opinion: Freedom of Information and Our Eroding Open Government

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This election cycle, the Connecticut Council on Freedom of Information asked candidates to sign a pledge – to oppose weakening the state’s public document disclosure law, and to require that any attempts to weaken the law be subjected to public hearings and debate. Only 10% of those to whom this pledge was sent have actually signed it, though.

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Local legislative candidates sign FOI pledge

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A number of local legislators have signed a pledge to keep the state’s Freedom of Information law intact, but most of those same legislators voted to weaken the law after the Sandy Hook school shooting.

In October the Connecticut Council on Freedom of Information sent out a pledge to incumbent elected officials and candidates requesting that they support the FOI law, the independence of the FOI commission and require a public hearing for any bills that would weaken the law.

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FOI complaint against Wallingford non-profit moves forward

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WALLINGFORD — The state Freedom of Information Commission is expected to hear a complaint filed by Wallingford CT Councilor Craig Fishbein over whether Wallingford Center Inc. is a public entity.

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