MONTPELIER, VT.—State Treasurer Beth Pearce this week was named a recipient of the President’s Award from the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers, or NASACT, at their annual conference held this year in Chicago.
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Read More… from Vermont State Treasurer Pearce Wins Transparency Award
Sponsors of legislation that would create an Ethics Commission in Vermont say they're optimistic that their proposal will become law during the 2016 session.
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Read More… from Vermont Government Needs Transparency, Supporters Of Ethics Commission Say
Vermonters deserve good government —and that includes an open and transparent government.
We are proud of our state and our collective ability to overcome any difficult issue we may encounter. As Vermonters, when we see a problem, we know we can fix it through hard work and a dose of common sense. We expect the same of our government.
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Read More… from Vermont needs an ethics law for public officials
The Vermont League of Cities and Towns is on a mistaken tack by pushing to limit liability for violations of the state's open meeting law. The lobbyist's unrelenting efforts to choke off transparency and accountability in local municipalities should alarm any Vermonters who cares about open government.
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Vermont's new open-meeting law asks too much of small-town technology, the head of the Vermont League of Cities and Towns says.
Some towns don't use email. And posting meeting agendas and minutes on a town website, as required under law, is a tall order, said VLCT executive director Steven Jeffrey.
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Read More… from Lawmakers consider relaxing open meeting law
Government transparency is a favorite — and necessary — topic of the fourth estate. The push and pull for a more open government is constant here in Vermont and across the nation.
On Monday, a victory in this battle was won as the Senate passed The FOIA Improvement Act of 2014, a bill aimed at easing disclosure of records under the Freedom of Information Act. The bill was introduced by Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.
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We discussed open government in the Ethan Allen Room of the Vermont State House during the recent Digital Economy Summit (Sept. 23). His statue stood there, arm raised for recognition to speak of timeless Vermont.
I felt lonely as a grass-roots Vermonter among so many public officials and authorities contemplating their status quo. Open government is a nationwide concern and movement that we did not discuss. Is Vermont that different?
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As he signed a new open meetings bill into law, Gov. Peter Shumlin expressed "serious concern" about parts of it, including a do-over provision that allows government bodies a chance to fix violations without penalty.
Now some open government advocates are asking for a do-over on the entire law, and a key legislator says lawmakers will likely revisit some aspects of it next year.
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Read More… from Misgivings come with new Vermont open meetings law
For decades Vermont has been at the bottom of the list of states for the public’s right to know the truth about government operations, records and meetings.
Two years ago, with the strong support of Gov. Peter Shumlin, Secretary of State Jim Condos and others, the legislature passed a new public records law that improved public access to government documents. Since then, the state has seen steady improvements in its rankings for open government.
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Read More… from Vermont’s open meetings work is not finished
For decades Vermont has been at the bottom of the list of states for the public’s right to know the truth about government operations, records and meetings.
Two years ago, with the strong support of Gov. Peter Shumlin, Secretary of State Jim Condos and others, the Legislature passed a new public records law that improved public access to government documents. Since then, the state has seen steady improvements in its rankings for open government.
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