A letter from government transparency organizations urges the Uniform Law Commission to prioritize the public’s right to know when it studies the redaction of personal information from public records. The June 17 letter was written by Sarah Brewerton-Palmer, legislative chair of the Georgia First Amendment Foundation, and was edited and endorsed by Todd Fettig, the […]
Tag: Iowa Freedom of Information Council
Journalists banned from Iowa Senate floor; transparency advocates raise concerns
Republican leaders in Iowa have banned journalists from the Senate floor, a break from a 140-year tradition that raises alarms among freedom of information advocates, The Washington Post reported Jan. 8, 2022. During the state’s 2022 legislative session, reporters will be barred from press benches near senators’ desks. Reporters told The Post that proximity to […]
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Attorney general’s position in lawsuit is concerning, Iowa transparency advocate says
The executive director of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council has raised concerns about court filings in which the attorney general’s office suggests the state’s freedom of information law is not standing policy, the Iowa Capital Dispatch reported Aug. 20, 2021. “I am worried that the state’s legal arguments … will be viewed by government […]
NFOIC supports Puerto Rico coalition in brief calling for financial board transparency
The National Freedom of Information Coalition’s Puerto Rico affiliate, Espacios Abiertos, filed an amici brief in a public records appeal in the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. In solidarity with Espacios Abiertos, the NFOIC, the Iowa Freedom of Information Council and the Nevada Open Government Coalition also signed the brief. The […]
Iowa stymies public information requests in pandemic
COVID-19 has Iowans wanting more information from federal, state and local governments to guide life-or-death decisions raised by the unprecedented pandemic. Is it safe to go to the store? Do masks prevent spread of the virus? Should my kids go to school in the fall? At a time when Iowans need accurate and complete information, […]
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Iowa is denying the public access to some records of its COVID-19 response
Gov. Kim Reynolds’ administration has denied some requests for information about Iowa’s preparedness and response to the novel coronavirus by citing a broad exemption in the state’s public records law. Two Iowa agencies have denied Des Moines Register requests this month seeking documentation of the state’s pandemic response plan and daily reports regarding the state’s response to the virus and COVID-19, […]
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Judge orders city to give up full video in case of Iowa mom killed by cop
A federal judge has ordered Iowa to release video and other records in the 2015 police shooting death of Burlington mother Autumn Steele, a ruling that could open more law enforcement video to public inspection. Burlington Police officer Jesse Hill accidentally shot Steele after he responded to a report of a domestic dispute during which […]
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Federal judge lets Iowa watchdog intervene in wrongful death lawsuit
A federal judge in a wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Burlington granted a request by an Iowa watchdog group to intervene in the case. U.S. Senior Judge James Gritzner on Friday granted the request to intervene by the Iowa Freedom of Information Council, but has deferred the watchdog group’s request to unseal police […]
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Des Moines Register gets a win in an uphill fight for transparency
Not long after taking over as editor of the Des Moines Register in 2014, Amalie Nash told CJR that she was determined to uphold the paper’s “longstanding tradition of standing up for public records.”
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Iowa: Celebrating a Free Press and Open Government
The fourth annual Celebrating a Free Press and Open Government Banquet, titled "Forty Years, Freedom of Information: The Fight Continues," will celebrate the forty-year anniversary of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council and will feature White House Advisor Cori Zarek as guest speaker.
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