A useful filter for evaluating a public policy idea is to ask whether the idea serves the interests of the public or serves the interests of government.
House Bill 4001 is a good example of a policy that serves the interests of the public while facing opposition from government agencies.
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Read More… from Opinion: Senate should promote accountable government with FOIA bill
LANSING – Progress Michigan learned today that the Michigan Department of Community Health has illegally purged department head communications from its databases.
Three departments within Gov. Rick Snyder’s administration are using stall tactics, illegal maneuvers and unnecessary staff reviews to keep communications between department directors and top officials in the Governor’s office secret.
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Read More… from Michigan Snyder Admin Destroys Emails Sought Through FOIA
When asked whether he would support broadening Michigan's Freedom of Information Act laws to include his office and the Legislature, Gov. Rick Snyder told the Free Press: "As governor, it's good to have people you can talk to … when you're coming up with brainstorming ideas or thought processes, talking about difficult issues."
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Read More… from Why do governor, Legislature operate in secret?
Steve Toth has lived his entire life in southwest Detroit, and his family home is among those expected to be demolished to make way for a new public bridge to Canada pushed by Gov. Rick Snyder.
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Read More… from Governor, lawmakers off limits under public records law
The battle over access to public records has had fits and starts in Lansing, with mixed results as the Legislature has taken up bills that would expand or restrict access.
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Read More… from Many FOIA bills on deck in Michigan Legislature
It's been six months since the Michigan House passed House Bill 4001, but the Senate has taken no action on it apart from referring the bill to the Government Operations Committee.
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Read More… from Government Transparency Bill Stalled in MI Senate
Today the group "Progress Michigan" plans to release documents they say shows conversations between Governor Rick Snyder's office and the Department of Corrections.
Group members say they obtained more than 100 pages through the "Freedom of Information Act." Governor Rick Snyder has been under pressure to end the state's contract with Aramark.
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Read More… from Group To Release Documents On Aramark & State Prisons Contract
Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act guarantees “all persons, except those persons incarcerated in state or local correctional facilities … full and complete information regarding the affairs of government and the official acts of those who represent them as public officials and public employees.”
But the way the University of Michigan handles requests for such information flies in the face of this spirit of transparency and erects nearly impenetrable roadblocks for investigative journalists and concerned citizens alike.
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Read More… from Why does the University of Michigan insist on secrecy? (guest column)
According to the City of Ann Arbor’s log of FOIA requests submitted between January 2013 and May 2014 519 FOIA requests were submitted to the Ann Arbor City Clerk’s office. Thirty-three of the 519 requests came from The Ann Arbor News and the online news site AnnArborChronicle.com. The A2Indy, launched in October 2013, filed five requests. The Ann Arbor Observer filed no FOIA requests. Fewer than a dozen FOIA requests came from local bloggers. Former Annarbor.com lead blogger Ed Vielmetti is one of those local writers.
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