Last month on this page, state Attorney General Brad Schimel called for updating the state's open government laws to meet the challenges of the digital age. He's exactly right. The laws were enacted long before the Internet came into being, let alone Facebook and Twitter, and they need to be updated — and strengthened to make sure that citizens in the digital age have the access to government that they need.
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Read More… from Wisconsin moving open government into the digital age
The Department of Justice last week published newly updated regulations on implementation of the Freedom of Information Act, with several notable changes made in response to public comments.
Fifteen sets of comments were submitted by individual members of the public or public interest organizations after the Department released its draft FOIA regulations in 2011. In a lengthy Federal Register notice on April 3, the Department addressed all of the comments, and actually adopted a number of the changes recommended by public commenters.
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The Freedom of Information Act, first enacted in 1966, allows the public to see how their government functions – and fails to function – by providing access to official records. In fiscal year 2013, government agencies released some or all of the information sought in 440,997 requests.
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Read More… from Editorial: Upgrade to Freedom of Information Act is a good start
