The battle over access to public records has had fits and starts in Lansing, with mixed results as the Legislature has taken up bills that would expand or restrict access.
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Tag: State Legislature
Government Transparency Bill Stalled in MI Senate
It's been six months since the Michigan House passed House Bill 4001, but the Senate has taken no action on it apart from referring the bill to the Government Operations Committee.
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Freedom of Information laws a public atrocity
Our View: Public officials need to respect the freedom of access granted by the Oklahoma Open Records Act and honor their duty to fulfill such requests.
Freedom of Information laws are intended to allow the public access to records they have rights to review and posses. Additionally, the laws encourage bureaucratic transparency and accountability. These laws exist to ensure freedom of access to records and meetings that are public information. Naturally, we become suspicious when public officials try to skirt Freedom of Information laws and obscure requests.
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Oklahoma transparency laws drawing national attention
Last month I received some great news. A report titled ìState Open Data Policies and Portalsî was released by the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Data Innovation and ranked Oklahoma as one of the top six top-scoring states for its open data policies.
This is just the latest in a series of national recognitions of the transparency advancement for which we have spent years working toward.
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Ohio Treasurer looks to gain suppor for state checkbook transparency
State Treasurer Josh Mandel has been on a personal mission over the last few weeks, visiting organizations across Ohio in an attempt to garner support for H.B. 175, which, if passed, would place "Ohio's checkbook" online, making it accessible to all.
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Opinion: Senate report on Caltrans speaks to culture of open government
The recent state Senate investigative report into Caltrans and the Bay Bridge does more than deal with troubled decision-making and construction work. It also includes a strong push for greater public transparency throughout state government.
The report commissioned by Sen. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord, and his Senate Transportation and Housing Committee ends with 16 conclusions and recommendations. The first among them is this: “Transparency in the affairs of the public is paramount and leads to accountability, which leads to better results.”
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A four-minute primer on open government
Maybe the wisest thing state lawmakers did this year was require that Washington officialdom learn some fundamentals about open government.
All elected policymakers and records officers must now get formal training on the state’s Public Records Act and Open Public Meetings Act within 90 days of taking office. They also have to take a refresher every four years.
Here’s a quick primer from an open-government point of view:
• If a member of the public asks for a public record, turn it over. The public owns it, not your agency. Really.
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Last-minute pension law change skirts transparency
These are the kind of backroom deals that make people angry and distrustful of government.
In the final hours of the legislative session, state lawmakers crafted a pension law change that gives Louisiana's state police superintendent and one other trooper a sizable retirement boost, with no public debate of the implications or the cost. The price tag is estimated to be $300,000.
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PA legislator making headway toward a more transparent and accountable state government
State Sen. Lloyd Smucker is making headway in his efforts toward a more transparent and accountable state government.
Smucker, a West Lampeter Township Republican, is chairman of the Senate State Government Committee.
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