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Read More… from OpEd: Transparency still lacking in Md. government
Tag: Maryland Public Information Act
Maryland hiring ombudsman for public records controversies
Wanted: Public records expert with a willingness to jump into fights between the news media and government officials.
Maryland's attorney general is now hiring an ombudsman to mediate disputes over access to public information, a post that was created by lawmakers but had been unfilled.
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Government transparency job left vacant in Maryland
When a Towson University student journalist asked for emails about how school officials dealt with allegations that someone had videotaped the swim team getting undressed, university officials asked him to pay more than $2,000 for the records request.
The student, Cody Boteler, asked to have the fees waived. When the university did not promptly respond, the senior wrote a scathing editorial in the Towerlight student publication, saying it was "asinine" to ask a student journalist to pay so much.
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Editorial: In Maryland, let in the sunshine
Revisions to Maryland’s Public Information Act law that went into effect this month was an important step toward restoring a presumption of openness in the state.
The bill passed unanimously and included six key ingredients. Continue…
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New legislation would update Maryland Public Information Act, improve access to public records
When Maryland adopted its public information policy 45 years ago, email hadn't been invented yet, commercial laser printers were being refined for the market and the ink on the federal Freedom of Information Act was barely dry.
On Tuesday open government advocates began their push to update the Maryland Public Information Act of 1970.
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NFOIC’s State FOIA Friday for July 26, 2013
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.
Wisconsin DOJ sets 3 seminars on public records, meetings
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Seeing like a citizen: How activists are making state laws legible
From Tech President: The Open Government Foundation announced Friday that it had released MarylandCode.org, a web-friendly and restriction free publication of the Maryland Code of Public Laws.
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NFOIC supports newspaper in legal action
Press release from NFOIC: COLUMBIA, Mo. (May 9, 2013) – A small daily newspaper has been awarded a $12,500 litigation grant from the Knight FOI Fund after being rebuffed and stonewalled for months in its efforts to get email distribution lists from the board of commissioners in a rural Maryland county.
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Accidentally released text messages give peek at O’Malley discussions
From The Baltimore Sun:
The text messages were pinging to and from Gov. Martin O’Malley’s BlackBerry. It was the latter part of October, and Election Day was just around the corner.
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Read More… from Accidentally released text messages give peek at O’Malley discussions
Maryland public records ruling could let more sunshine in
From The Baltimore Sun:
The Maryland Court of Appeals ruled recently that state police personnel files are not completely off-limits under the Maryland Public Information Act, a finding that could broaden access to a whole range of information, experts say.
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Read More… from Maryland public records ruling could let more sunshine in