As the General Assembly concludes its business for the year, it is time to take stock of changes made to North Carolina's sunshine laws.
So far lawmakers have approved, and Gov. Pat McCrory has signed, seven new exemptions to the Public Records Law. Three more lurk in the recently finalized budget bill. Continue>>>
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Read More… from Editorial by Jonathan D. Jones: Government transparency is being lost in N.C.
From wsoctv.com: INDIAN TRAIL, N.C. — Proposed changes to the public records policy in Indian Trail are raising questions about government transparency.
Tuesday evening, the Town Council will vote on the proposal, which civil rights experts said could limit citizens’ access to information.
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Under the new policy, residents would have to prepay a 75 percent deposit for any records requests that could exceed $100.
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Read More… from Changes to Indian Trail public records policy raises questions
From Times-News: GRAHAM — An attorney representing the Alamance News has filed a motion in response to the U.S Department of Justice’s argument against providing documents covered by a joint confidentiality and protective order in its lawsuit against Sheriff Terry Johnson.
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Read More… from Press attorney contests DOJ argument to keep records confidential
From Port City Daily:
One week after Port City Daily sent public records requests to five municipal law enforcement agencies, only one agency fully complied with the public records request.
On Friday, March 8, Port City Daily sent a public records request to Wilmington, Leland, Wrightsville Beach, Surf City and Carolina Beach police departments.
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Read More… from Only one law enforcement agency fully complies with public records request
North Carolina’s open government laws are good. But enforcement is weak.
A Republican state senator from Wilmington is trying to add muscle, proposing a bill to make it a misdemeanor for public officials to unlawfully close meetings or deny access to records.
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From CaryCitizen:
Cary, NC – Sunshine Week (March 10-16, 2013) is a national initiative with the goal to both celebrate and focus on government transparency, open government and improving your access to government information.
The term “sunshine” comes from a quote from Justice Louis Brandeis (of Brandeis University fame) who, in 1913 wrote, "…sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants."
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From Port City Daily:
The day before Port City Daily filed requests for records of beach town leaders’ recent out-of-town expenses (related story), it tapped the City of Wilmington for information on its top-paid employees.
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Read More… from Sunshine Week: City of Wilmington’s top-20 salaries
From Port City Daily:
The state’s Open Meetings Law requires boards that “exist solely to conduct the people’s business,” do so openly—including hearings, deliberations and actions.
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From PortCityDaily.com:
Saying government employees and bureaucrats can “break the law with impunity” when it comes the state’s open meetings and public records laws, Sen. Thom Goolsby, a Wilmington Republican and trial attorney, wants to give the law some teeth.
And by teeth he means up to 20 days in jail.
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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:
Indiana jail records coming to smartphones
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Read More… from NFOIC’s State FOIA Friday for September 14, 2012
