transparency – Page 8 – National Freedom of Information Coalition

When publishing open data, cities and states have variety of platform choices

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The Louisville Metro Government in Kentucky started its open data efforts in 2011 with a homegrown Web portal, and is now automating the publishing processes and using the data for performance improvement.

As it does so, Louisville is working with a handful of vendors specializing in open data catalog publishing. “We are at a crossroads,” said Jason Ballard, director of the Department of Information Technology.

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California needs better open data on state government spending, lawmakers say

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California lawmakers this week called for more transparency in state government, noting the federal government, local entities and other states have implemented open data initiatives that provide detailed accountability of how public money is spent.

“I feel like government is just so opaque and so complicated,” Assembly member Ling Ling Chang, R-Diamond Bar, told an audience at Open Data Day held Tuesday in Sacramento. “There’s so many layers of bureaucracy to get the right information,” Chang added.

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Idaho public records exemption to be softened

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A bill that would expand an exemption in Idaho’s public records law is expected to be amended to address the concerns of reporters and open government advocates.

House Bill 447 was written by the city of Idaho Falls. Mayor Rebecca Casper, City Attorney Randy Fife and Idaho Falls Power General Manager Jackie Flowers were in Boise on Wednesday to advocate that the Senate State Affairs Committee recommend the law be passed.

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Nebraska bill on grand jury transparency advances to Legislature

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A bill that would make Nebraska grand juries report their proceedings to the public will be debated by the full Legislature.

An eight-member committee unanimously advanced the measure by Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha on Tuesday.

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Do universities, research institutions hold the key to open data’s next chapter?

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Government produces a lot of data — reams of it, roomfuls of it, rivers of it.

It comes in from citizen-submitted forms, fleet vehicles, roadway sensors and traffic lights. It comes from utilities, body cameras and smartphones. It fills up servers and spills into the cloud. It’s everywhere. And often, all that data sits there not doing much.

A governing entity might have robust data collection and it might have an open data policy, but that doesn’t mean it has the computing power, expertise or human capital to turn those efforts into value.

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Flint water crisis highlights why FOIA should apply to governor, Democrats say

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Gov. Rick Snyder released thousands of pages of staff emails over the weekend pertaining to the Flint water crisis, but Democratic leaders say that information doesn't supplant the state's need for a more robust Freedom of Information Act that applies to the governor and legislature.

Currently the governor's office is specifically exempt from having to disclose records under Michigan's FOIA. The legislature is exempt via an Attorney General opinion.

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Delaware’s ‘troubling’ lack of oversight of police’s secret cash

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A secret stash of money – seized from citizens and then used to fund Delaware police agencies' wish lists – is lacking not only public review, but also state oversight that's required under the law.

A News Journal investigation in November found that state law shields police and prosecutors from having to tell taxpayers how they spend money from the state's Special Law Enforcement Assistance Fund, comprised of money and property seized from citizens suspected but not necessarily charged with a crime.

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Money woes, political distractions in New Mexico kept ethics on the sidelines this session

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State legislators passed a budget, created a REAL-ID driver's license fix, cracked down on DWI and child porn and advanced bail reform. But did they do anything to reverse the tide of indicators that New Mexicans have lost faith in state government?

Guests on the KUNM Call In Show argued Thursday that lawmakers' achievements this session were limited by New Mexico’s budget crisis—and political distractions— making it difficult to focus on anything else.

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Washington lawmakers opt to pursue study of public records requests

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Cities, counties and school districts won't be getting the changes to Washington's public records act that they asked lawmakers to make this session.

This week it became clear that a House bill allowing local governments to limit the time spent processing public record requests and to prioritize handling of those requests would not be voted on.

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Editorial: Colorado legislature deals a double blow to public access

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A state Senate committee this week decided that a non-profit may function as a surrogate government agency, with 85 to 95 percent of its funding consistently coming from public sources, and yet will not have to honor requests under the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA).

A bill that would have subjected such entities to CORA was tabled under heavy fire.

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