It’s optimistic to believe that this (or really any) legislative session in Virginia will make a turn toward openness and away from punching holes in the law that ensures public access to documents and meetings.
But maybe, just maybe, this could be a session where lawmakers choose to hold the line on those principles and act with deference toward the people’s right to know.
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Read More… from Virginian-Pilot editorial: Be a force for openness in government
Arguments the government offered behind closed doors when seeking a search warrant in the investigation of Hillary Clinton’s emails are causing alarm among some transparency proponents and civil liberties advocates.
An affidavit unsealed Tuesday by a federal judge in New York shows that the FBI claimed there was probable cause to believe that a laptop belonging to Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of top Clinton aide Huma Abedin, contained evidence of crimes involving illegal possession of classified information.
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Read More… from Critics see dangers lurking in framing of Clinton search warrant
The latest transparency report from Facebook, released on Wednesday, reveals a considerable uptick in requests from governments around the world during the first half of 2016.
According to figures from Facebook, government requests for user data from the social network jumped from 46,710 in the first half of 2015 to 59,229 in the first half of 2016, representing a 27 percent increase.
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Read More… from Government Requests For Facebook User Data Up 27 Percent
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Kanawha County Del. and candidate for state auditor JB McCuskey is a big proponent of an Ohio website that has been named the top government transparency site in the country.
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An Indiana Supreme Court decision is already having a negative impact on government transparency and access to records, just days after it was handed down, according to several Indianapolis attorneys.
On April 19, the Indiana Supreme Court effectively ruled state lawmakers can continue to withhold their email communications from public disclosure, including emails with constituents and lobbyists.
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Read More… from New Indiana Supreme Court ruling hurting government transparency, attorneys say
Two measures making their way through different political processes in California seek to increase transparency. One is a ballot initiative; the other is a bill. Each one’s supporters say it would cut down on backroom deals. But transparency can be a double-edged sword.
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Read More… from California measures seek to increase government transparency
While news organizations, good government groups and – hopefully – public-minded citizens were commemorating right-to-know and open-meetings laws during Sunshine Week last month, clouds of obstruction were forming over the Pennsylvania State Capitol in the form of House Bill 1310.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Maria Donatucci, D-Philadelphia, would prohibit release of so-called "identifying information" in 911 calls. That would include the name, telephone number, address and location associated with any call.
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Read More… from Editorial: Pennsylvania is moving backwards on government transparency
The Arlington Advocate is to be commended for its Nov. 15 editorial advocating for reform of the state’s Public Records Law. But it completely missed the mark in suggesting that Arlington could serve as a strong example of transparency to state agencies.
Arlington officials do an excellent job of managing the local media, no doubt supplying all the information they wish to make public. But when it comes to responding to records requests from Arlington citizens, their performance is decidedly mixed.
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Read More… from Commentary: Arlington lacking in government transparency
A Massachusetts House committee is set to unveil a bill that would allow those who are thwarted in seeking public records to collect attorney fees, but the measure does nothing to strengthen what is largely viewed as one of the nation’s weakest public records laws and, in fact, could make it harder to get records in some cases.
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Read More… from Massachusetts public records bill does little to open access
A state senator from Cape Neddick is hoping her initiative aimed at improving government transparency will be revived this week.
Democrat Dawn Hill will have to convince at least one Republican leader to support her efforts to enhance the flow of information between state agencies and the Legislature. The legislative council rejected Hill's bill last month along party lines, but the sponsor says there are new developments that warrant a second look.
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Read More… from Transparency bill gets second life in Maine Legislature
