Massachusetts – Page 3 – National Freedom of Information Coalition

Massachusetts: Voters could demand transparency

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BOSTON — Voters could decide next year if lawmakers must comply with the state’s open government laws — a move that watchdogs say is long overdue.

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Massachusetts: New State Police policy keeps drivers’ names secret

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Kelly Young was driving down Route 28 when a sedan traveling in the other direction rear ended another car and veered into Young's lane, hitting his car head on, police say.

Young, 56, a father of two and son of a former state lawmaker, died from his injuries. Continue>>>

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Massachusetts: Governor Baker unveils new rules for public records requests

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Governor Charlie Baker unveiled sweeping new rules Thursday for how the executive branch will handle public records requests. Previously, every agency had its own procedure for handling requests.

The move comes as several state agencies have come under fire for the way they handle requests. Continue>>>

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Massachusetts: Lawmakers back open government reforms – but not for themselves

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BOSTON — Reform of the decades-old public records law is getting strong support on Beacon Hill, but many lawmakers balk at lifting exemptions to open-government laws that shield much of their work from public view.

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In Mass., public financial disclosure reports are not so public

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At least 29 states post financial disclosure reports for lawmakers and other public officials on the Web, making it easy to see their investments and potential sources of conflicts with a few clicks. Most other states make the filings readily available for free to those who show up in person.

But not Massachusetts, which has set up a virtual gantlet to see the filings, even though the whole point of collecting the financial information is to inform the public.

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Brockton City Council cleared of violating Open Meeting Law

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The state has found that the City Council did not violate Open Meeting Law when meeting in private about a $68 million power plant lawsuit.

The Attorney General’s office ruled last week that the council appropriately entered into executive session last winter to discuss the federal lawsuit and the possibility of a settlement.

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Editorial: A citizens’ guide to the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law

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Two spokespeople from the Attorney General’s Office came to the Sharon Community Center on March 26 to hold a free educational forum on the Open Meeting Law. Here is an overview of what Sharon citizens need to know:

The state’s Open Meeting Law (OML) ensures public access to the work being done by boards and commissions by requiring sufficient advanced notice of meetings, open deliberation during those meetings, and public access to those meetings, according to the attorney general’s office.

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Local officials pan Massachusetts Open Meeting Law at municipal conference

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The state's Open Meeting Law is "unfair and undemocratic." It "puts cold water on the process and stifles innovation." The law is used to "harass local officials," and its agenda is to make things easier for the press, "who have done nothing to deserve it."

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Opinion: Massachusetts’ problem with transparency

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If you want to see your government in action, just take a seat in the gallery high above the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

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Editorial: Open government is worth fighting for

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It sounds like something out of a spy novel: clandestine after-hours meetings, burner phones, even encryption. But it isn't. Instead, it's a description of some of the steps that reporters covering the federal government must take to try to protect their sources.

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