public records – Page 10 – National Freedom of Information Coalition

Proposal by NMSU would limit access to public records

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New Mexico State University plans to propose extensive changes to restrict the reach of the state’s public records law – amendments that transparency advocates call “troubling” and vow to fight.

A document prepared by NMSU and obtained by the Journal describes a litany of proposed exemptions to the Inspection of Public Records Act, including some that would make secret much of the public sector hiring process and certain law enforcement activities.

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Changes to Michigan’s FOIA drops cost of public records

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Public records will become cheaper and easier to access under changes to Michigan's Freedom of Information Act.

Government agencies will not be allowed to charge more than 10 cents per page for copies of public records; they can face increased fines for delaying responses, and people seeking the records now can sue if they consider the fees to be exorbitant.

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Opinion: Keep PR officials out of Freedom of Information Act requests

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I've written multiple times over the years about the importance of freedom of information laws, and the need to help the public understand that access to information about government is a right for all citizens, not just journalists.

Too often, people think (or they're erroneously told by government officials) that they can't obtain certain information unless they're a reporter.

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Cuomo’s office tightly controls public records

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo took office four years ago promising the most transparent administration in history, but journalists and advocacy groups say his office instead tightly controls requests for public records on anything controversial and routinely delays or denies their release.

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Ruling a victory for transparent government

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The Indiana Supreme Court's ruling that causes of death are public records and must be available at county levels is a decision worth applauding. That we, as The Tribune's Editorial Board, favor the ruling probably comes as no surprise. As journalists, we vigorously defend the concept of transparency in government. But the unanimous ruling released recently, which reversed the lower courtsí decisions, is one that is in the best interests of all Indiana residents.

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Ferguson, Missouri, demands high fees to provide government files after Michael Brown shooting

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Officials in Ferguson, Missouri, are charging nearly 10 times the cost of some of their own employees' salaries before they will agree to turn over files under public records laws about the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown.

Missouri's attorney general on Monday, after the AP first disclosed the practice, contacted Ferguson's city attorney to ask for more information regarding fees related to document requests, the attorney general's spokeswoman said.

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R.I. AG says town violated public records access law

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Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Kilmartin filed a lawsuit on Thursday against the town of Warren for allegedly violating the Rhode Island Access to Public Records Act (APRA).

Joelle Sylvia Esq., an attorney with the law firm Kelly & Mancini, made an APRA request on March 11 to the town of Warren seeking various documents. The town initially extended the time to respond to the request, but it allegedly failed to provide a response and/or the documents that were requested.

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Access To Public Records Isn’t A Fundamental Right — But It Should Be

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Tax Analysts recently requested, under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, “copies of all field audit manuals and audit training manuals.” The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration sent back a misguided response. Revenue Legal Counsel Joel DiPippa, who wrote the letter denying Tax Analysts’ request, said Arkansas law limits the inspection and copying of public records to “any citizen of the State of Arkansas.” Neither the reporter who requested the audit manuals nor Tax Analysts is an Arkansas citizen.

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NJ judge finds state wrongly denied man seeking requests for public records

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A New Jersey judge ruled Monday that Gov. Chris Christie's administration must honor an activist's public records requests for requests filed by others.

The decision from Superior Court Judge Mary Jacobson finds fault with the state's recent strategy of denying such requests on the grounds that people who ask for government records have a privacy right. A state government lawyer said that people can use government records requests to explore lawsuits or dig up dirt on political opponents — things that Jacobson said need not be confidential.

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NY Towns miss deadline on FOI request

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Freedom of Information requests submitted April 15 to the towns of Ridgeway and Shelby (NY) for public records related to the proposed dissolution of the Village of Medina have yet to be fulfilled even though the deadline to do so has elapsed.

The records request was filed by the Medina Journal-Register, which publishes its last edition on Friday. Both towns acknowledged receiving the detailed request and said they would strive to respond in a timely manner.

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