The wave of public outcry over incidents of police brutality has made it clear that citizens want their police departments to be held to a far higher level of public scrutiny than at any time in the past.
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Read More… from Editorial: Lawmakers should reject bill to shroud police misconduct
A bill that would change Pennsylvania's Right to Know law to require additional disclosures for state-related universities and curb some records access for prison inmates passed the Senate in a unanimous vote Wednesday.
The bill makes a number of changes to the law, including three key revisions. Continue…
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Read More… from Pennsylvania Senate approves open records changes
State employees working for the Maine Legislature have had their salary and benefits information shielded from a state-operated, public database that provides the same information on all other state workers.
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Read More… from Maine Legislature shields staff salaries from Open Checkbook disclosure
The state’s highest court is considering whether criminal defendants should be able to see the disciplinary records of law enforcement officers who arrested them.
The South Dakota Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in Vermillion in a case involving Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office personnel records. Continue…
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Read More… from South Dakota high court weighing release of deputy’s disciplinary records
Local governments around Minnesota are slimming email archives by setting strict limits on how long employees can keep messages.
Officials contend it’s about efficiently managing data received or sent by thousands of workers. But government watchdogs say it’s coming at the expense of transparency. Continue…
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Read More… from As Minnesota cities prune email archives, watchdogs worry
A new Texas website allows the public to access many of the details of every officer-involved shooting that results in injury or death.
The website was launched by the Texas Attorney General’s office in response to a new state law that requires law enforcement agencies to report all officer-involved shootings within 30 days from when the incident occurred. Continue…
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Read More… from Texas website allows public access to details of officer-involved shootings
With eroded powers and under continuing attack, Connecticut's first-of-a-kind Freedom of Information Act turns 40 on Thursday.
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Read More… from In Connecticut, open government foes are winning
The Idaho Legislature should require open meetings and open records trainings for all newly elected officials in the state — from legislators themselves down to county clerks and city councilmen — following a string of violations in the state.
Other states already have similar requirements, including Washington, Texas, Maine and Florida. Continue…
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Read More… from Editorial: Open government training should be required of Idaho elected officials
Weighing in on an open-records case involving some of Kentucky's most vulnerable residents, a divided state Supreme Court ruled Thursday that an advocacy group failed to qualify for access to documents related to the deaths of some people in the state's care.
The case pitted the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services against the nonprofit Council on Developmental Disabilities. Continue…
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Read More… from Kentucky high court rules against advocacy group in open-records case
In 1887, the Legislative Assembly of the Dakota Territory commanded that city councils "shall sit with open doors and shall keep a journal of their own proceedings."
Open meetings and open records have been a part of North Dakota law ever since. Now, it's time for an update of those laws—and North Dakota is asking for residents' help. Continue…
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Read More… from Editorial: Your opportunity to reform North Dakota’s sunshine laws
