election – National Freedom of Information Coalition

Arizona coalition files motion urging court to keep recount methods open to the public

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The Arizona First Amendment Coalition filed a motion Monday, April 26, 2021, opposing a contractor’s request to keep secret its methods of recounting ballots in the metro Phoenix area. The contractor, Florida-based Cyber Ninjas, was hired by Arizona’s state Senate to oversee the recount of 2.1 million ballots. A judge plans to review Cyber Ninjas’ […]

More Elected Officials Sign FOI Pledge

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Only about 10 percent of 360 candidates took the Connecticut Council on Freedom of Information’s pledge prior to the 2014 election, but at least 10 more have signed the pledge since November.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman are the most recent elected officials to sign the pledge, which asks officials to oppose weakening the state’s public document disclosure law and to require public hearings for any attempts to change the law.

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Transparency a priority for northern Beaufort County political newcomers

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Voters in northern Beaufort County turned two incumbents out of local office on Election Day and replaced them with political newcomers — an unquestionable sign of discontent with business as usual.

Whether the electorate was specifically distressed about open government and adherence to the state's Freedom of Information Act is less clear. Certainly, however, the winning candidates made these issues part of their platforms.

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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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Transparency issues cloud campaigns in governor’s race

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Transparency. Open government. Sunshine. Virtually every candidate for elected office embraces these themes while campaigning, promising to minimize government secrecy. It certainly was part of Republican Susana Martinez's successful campaign for governor in 2010. The same was true of Democrat Gary King's successful campaigns for attorney general in 2006 and 2010.

But both Martinez and King, now running against each other for governor, have had clouds over some of their sunshine efforts. Both have been sued for alleged violations of state public records laws.

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Wisconsin gubernatorial candidates talk about open government

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Mary Burke was succinct. She used a single word ó"Yes" ó to answer four of six questions from the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council about open government.

The Democratic candidate for governor responded affirmatively when asked if she would… Burke, a Madison School Board member making her first run for statewide office, also said in her written responses that the Legislature should be subject to the state's open meetings law, though she continues to believe party caucuses should be able to meet in secret. Why?

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Transparency main focus in California secretary of state race

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A string of legal cases against lawmakers that include two Democrats facing political corruption charges has magnified the usually quiet race for the office overseeing California elections and campaign fundraising.

Candidates vying to become secretary of state are offering competing plans to inject transparency and restore public faith in government.

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Californians to vote on cost of public records

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Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature had just sealed a $96.3 billion state budget last year when an outcry erupted over a provision that allowed local governments to deny requests for public documents because the state wouldn't reimburse them.

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