open records – Page 4 – National Freedom of Information Coalition

Texas officials’ personal email addresses open to public, court says

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Public officials who use private email accounts to conduct official business cannot conceal their personal email addresses when releasing public information, a state appeals court ruled Friday.

The question dates back to 2011, when The Austin Bulldog, an independent online news site, filed several open records requests asking for all emails regarding city business between the Austin mayor, city council members and the city manager, according to court papers.

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Washington’s high court OKs releasing names of low-level sex offenders

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The personal information of thousands of low-level sex offenders could soon become public after Washington’s highest court ruled in favor Thursday of releasing a statewide database to a Franklin County woman.

The Supreme Court’s 7-2 decision reverses a ruling in King County Superior Court that the State Patrol couldn’t release the names, addresses and other information of Level 1 sex offenders to Donna Zink.

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Oklahoma House votes to keep secret names of armed school personnel

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The identities of school personnel who carry weapons could be kept secret under legislation passed Monday by the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

Senate Bill 1036, by Sen. Jason Smalley, R-Stroud, exempts records containing those names from the Oklahoma Open Records and Open Meetings Acts.

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Georgia open records advocates blast change for college sports

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College athletic departments in Georgia would have 90 days – instead of three – to respond to almost all open-records requests under a bill that has swept through the state’s legislature.

Lawmakers approved the exemption to the current law Tuesday night.

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Who gets to see police body camera footage? California lawmakers may decide this year

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With police departments across California continuing to equip their officers with body cameras, state lawmakers are trying again to set rules for their use, including one of the thorniest policy issues: who gets to see the footage and when.

The debate will force legislators to weigh deep transparency and privacy concerns that don’t have clear ideological answers, as is evidenced in the details that have emerged from two competing bills within the Democratic caucus.

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US government sets record for failures to find files when asked

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The Obama administration set a record for the number of times its federal employees told disappointed citizens, journalists and others that despite searching they couldn't find a single page requested under the Freedom of Information Act, according to a new Associated Press analysis of government data.

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Poynter: Here are 13 of the best open-records stories so far this year

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In honor of Sunshine Week, investigative reporter Kelly Hinchcliffe asked fellow journalists on Twitter to share their favorite open government stories from around the country.

Here are some of their top picks along with a few of her favorites, including a story she worked on with several news organizations in North Carolina.

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Open records settlement shines light on blacked-out government records

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In advance of Sunshine Week, Wisconsin Watchdog and the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty are pleased to announce a victory for open records and open government.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department has agreed to settle an open records case by turning over unredacted copies of requested incident reports and paying WILL’s attorney fees and costs.

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Open records: New Mexico lawmakers rarely use work email

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New Mexico legislative leaders rarely, if ever, communicate by work email and keep private the details of breakfast and dinner appointments with industry and special interest groups, according to records obtained by The Associated Press.

The Legislature’s four top leaders provided their appointment calendars and hundreds of emails from the first week in February in response to the records request. Nearly all of the emails came from constituents; only three were outgoing messages.

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Audit: How open record laws are applied in state legislatures

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Lawmakers in every state have adopted laws requiring most government meetings and records to be open to the public. But in some states, lawmakers have exempted themselves from complying.

The Associated Press sent open-records request to the top lawmakers in all 50 states and most governors, seeking copies of their daily schedules and emails from the government accounts for the week of Feb. 1-7.

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