The Iowa Supreme Court heard a case yesterday that could result in a powerful blow to open meetings regulations in the state of Iowa.
The Warren County Board of Supervisors laid-off twelve county employees in March 2014. Instead of deliberating in a public meeting, the three supervisors communicated through the county administrator which positions would be eliminated. Continue…
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From The Gazette: Times sure have changed since the first public meeting convened in the Senate Chamber of the Old Capitol in Iowa City.
Many of the dozen or so attendees at the Iowa Public Information Board meeting there on Thursday were messing around with some electronic devices.
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This technology is more than a distraction, it’s pushing at the boundaries of Iowa Open Meeting Law first drafted back in 1978.
Visit The Gazette for more.
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Read More… from Opinion: Technology pushes the boundaries of Iowa sunshine laws
From NFOIC: A few state FOIA and local open government news items selected from many of interest that we might or might not have drawn attention to earlier in the week. While you're at it, be sure to check out State FOIA Friday Archives.
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Read More… from NFOIC’s State FOIA Friday for September 13, 2013
From Iowa Freedom of Information Council: The annual newletter from Iowa FOI Council is out.
Among many things of interest is notice of the 15th edition of the Open Meetings/Open Records Handbook.
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Read More… from Iowa FOI Council 2013 edition of annual newsletter
From The Des Moines Register: A new Iowa board may help resolve decades of tension between public records advocates and government officials.
On one side are officials who say that some Iowans have made dozens — even hundreds — of public records requests in recent years that have become so burdensome that at least one city office can’t function properly at times.
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Read More… from Dueling sides seek help of Iowa Public Information Board
From The Des Moines Register: Open-government advocates are sponsoring three workshops next month to help Iowa citizens become more engaged, according to a news release.
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Read More… from Public meetings and records are focus of Iowa workshops
From KCAU-TV.com: Iowa's three public universities are naming new transparency officers to oversee public records and public hearings.
The Iowa Board of Regents said Monday the transparency officers have been appointed in response to recommendations approved last week to improve responses to public records requests and access to information.
They are University of Iowa vice president Mark Braun, Iowa State University assistant to the president Shirley Knipfel, and University of Northern Iowa controller Gary Shontz.
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Read More… from Transparency officers named for Iowa universities
From Des Moines Register: The Iowa Department of Public Safety now says it will not charge The Des Moines Register the overtime rate for an employee to gather data in response to a public records request.
The decision came a day after the newspaper filed three complaints with the Iowa Public Information Board over record costs and access issues involving the departments of Public Safety and Human Services.
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Read More… from Iowa Department of Public Safety reduces charge for public records
From NFOIC: A few state FOIA and local open government news items selected from many of interest that we might or might not have drawn attention to earlier in the week.
While you're at it, be sure to check out State FOIA Friday Archives.
Maine CDC official resigns over public records flap
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From Des Moines Register: Iowa Public Radio is subject to state open-records laws and likely must adhere to public meetings laws, the state attorney general’s office said in an informal opinion.
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Read More… from Attorney general: IPR ‘likely’ subject to open meetings laws
