From The Columbus Dispatch: Gov. John Kasich has ordered a state agency to end its new policy of keeping secret the estimated values of hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of tax credits given to companies each year.
The Republican governor learned yesterday that the state’s Development Services Agency, which reports to him, recently had decided to consider the values of tax credits as “trade secrets” and would no longer release them to the public.
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From The Republic: COLUMBUS, Ohio — An environmental group seeking documents related to alleged illegal dumping of wastewater from oil and gas drilling into a northeast Ohio storm sewer is suing the state for access to the records.
The Sierra Club filed its suit Monday in the Ohio Supreme Court. The group alleges the Ohio Department of Natural Resources has not produced records responsive to a public records request sent six months ago.
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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 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.
Sunshine Law proponents sue city of Groveland
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Read More… from NFOIC’s State FOIA Friday for September 6, 2013
From Dennis Hetzel, president of Ohio Coalition for Open Government: As most of you know, major revisions happened to Ohio’s laws involving public notices in 2011, and we still get a lot of member questions. This is a subject that never goes away, and that makes sense.
First of all, there is a reason why the word “public” is in public notices.
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Read More… from ONA completes thorough revise of ‘Public Notice FAQ’
From Dennis Hetzel, executive director of the Ohio Newspaper Association: For numerous reasons that should be obvious to ONA Bulletin readers, we think it is important to find ways to raise the profile of the Ohio Coalition for Open Government, which is a non-profit group under the umbrella of our Ohio Newspapers Foundation.
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Read More… from Ohio Coalition for Open Government is on the move
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.
Toledo mayor refuses to release a police department gang-turf map
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From Cleveland.com: Government in Ohio is supposed to conduct business for the people in public, but several measures being considered by the General Assembly would dim the spotlight that keeps public officials’ actions illuminated.
One open government advocate estimates that lawmakers have proposed at least 10 measures that would affect Ohioans’ ability to keep watch on their government.
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Read More… from Changes pending could reduce Ohioans’ access to public records and meetings
From the Ohio Coalition for Open Government: The Ohio Newspaper Association has begun pushing four suggestions to improve Ohio’s open records laws.
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From The Columbus Dispatch: The latest effort by state lawmakers to close public records in Ohio would eliminate the ability for journalists to view concealed-handgun-license records.
Sen. Joseph Uecker, R-Loveland, said other states are moving toward closing off access to concealed-carry-license information. Journalists currently are the only members of the public with any ability to view the records in Ohio.
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