FOIA reform, infrastructure on table for next session
Our recent election was exciting on both the local and national levels. I was honored to be re-elected to serve District 120. Running unopposed does take some of the anxiety out of the electoral...
View ArticleEditorial: The People's Law Turns 40
The other day, a local woman approached a Gazette editor and regaled him with tales of her experience trying to get information from a local government. She complained that her request for information...
View ArticleOpinion: Illinois' Freedom of Information Act Must Remain Functional to...
Ever since Illinois rewrote and bolstered its Freedom of Information Act in 2010, government officials of all stripes have done their best to chip away at it. Such is the case with a bill vetoed this...
View ArticleLast Minute Rush To Change Freedom Of Information Act
Illinois residents could have a harder time accessing government information under new legislation before the General Assembly. The plan, SB2799, makes it harder for people to get repaid legal costs...
View ArticleOpinion: Attack on the Freedom of Information Act
In a state where four of the last seven governors have been convicted of things such as corruption, bribery and fraud, you'd think the general consensus would always be: The more transparent your...
View ArticleEditorial: a cloud over Florida’s Sunshine Laws
In Florida we pride ourselves on our policy of government in the sunshine. We expect all aspects of lawmaking and enforcement to be transparent so voters can see and participate in our democratic...
View ArticleFOIA Firestorm Sparked
Advocates for government transparency still have a fight ahead over the state's Freedom of Information Act. That's despite a temporary reprieve yesterday. Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, of Chicago, caught...
View ArticleEditorial: Lawmakers want to dismantle Freedom of Information Act
Your lame-duck Legislature is fiddling with the Illinois Freedom of Information Act again. No good can come of that. Before they leave town this week, lawmakers with nothing to lose could be asked to...
View ArticleEditorial: Government transparency can always improve
Closed sessions are simply a fact of life for governmental bodies. If you haven’t witnessed a board going into closed session, you simply haven’t attended enough meetings. Lately, the Rowan County...
View ArticleOpen data partnership between city and county of Durham, NC
Open data has found the most innovation at the local government level. While not taking away from the efforts of data.gov and the state initiatives, local data has more impact on the day to day lives...
View ArticleEDITORIAL: City did the right thing in improving citizen access
We all say we want transparent government, but each legislative session, numerous bills are introduced to limit what you can learn about government operations. Every week, legitimate requests for...
View ArticleIs a Public Official’s Calendar a Public Record?
It’s a pretty simple question for a public official: “What exactly do you do with your time?” Sometimes, the best way to answer that question is to obtain the official’s calendar, through the state’s...
View ArticleState agrees to adopt transparency initiative
On August 1, 2014, the New Jersey Libertarian Party (NJLP) formally petitioned the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) for a rule requiring municipalities and other local government units...
View ArticleJackson, Michigan's Open Data Portal Is on Groundbreaking Track
The city of Jackson, Michigan, has bold ambitions to make its website the first of its kind in the Great Lakes State to operate as an open data portal. Unfortunately, city officials announced they’ve...
View ArticleOpinion: Project X disclosure: Open government does not come with caveats
Silence is not always golden. In fact there are times when it can be outright dangerous. Such was the case Monday when the the Washington County officials refused to name the intended beneficiary of a...
View ArticleGovernments aren't the only ones who keep agency records
More than a month ago, the Democrat and Chronicle filed what seemed like a simple records request with the city of Rochester. The newspaper asked for records of ticket sales, concessions and team...
View ArticleNIAGARA COUNTY: Legislature passes measure requiring IDA members to file...
The Niagara County Legislature has passed a resolution requiring members of the Niagara County Industrial Development Agency to file financial disclosures that would be publicly accessible through...
View ArticleIn Portsmouth, OH, Sunshine training routine among boards, city lacking
With the revelation that most members of Portsmouth City Council have not taken Sunshine Laws training to understand the need for all things to be done in open sessions so the public can know what is...
View ArticleJudge rules town of Waverly (VA) violated FOIA
At a Wednesday afternoon hearing, Sussex County Circuit Court Chief Judge W. Allan Sharrett found that Waverly’s mayor and town clerk had knowingly violated the state’s Freedom of Information Act and...
View ArticleLocal government officials make use of private email systems
As former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s use of a personal email account has recently come under scrutiny, Charlottesville Tomorrow has evaluated the email practices of Charlottesville’s...
View ArticleLocal government officials make use of private email systems
As former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clintonís use of a personal email account has recently come under scrutiny, Charlottesville Tomorrow has evaluated the email practices of Charlottesvilleís...
View ArticleTennessee Sen. Jim Tracy sends open records bill to summer study
Legislation allowing local governments to charge fees for access to public records was pulled from debate this session for summer study designed to prepare a comprehensive open records bill. State...
View ArticleOpen government group urges Delaware Governer Markell to respond to FOIA...
The head of a local open government group called on Governor Markell to respond to Freedom of Information Act requests for information about a "secret" state email account. Delaware Coalition for Open...
View ArticleEditorial: Can transparency, open data help fix the land zoning process?
Perhaps no other process of government that has such a significant impact on people’s lives is as opaque and less understood as establishing the rules for land use. To systematically evaluate how land...
View ArticleLocal governments hide public records, face few consequences
While much media attention is focused on federal government secrecy, secretive practices of state and local governments often get less scrutiny but frequently have a more immediate impact on...
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