Author: NFOIC

For Immediate Release (09/12/2019) Contact: Daniel Bevarly Executive Director, NFOIC dbevarly@nfoic.org 352-294-7082   Open, accessible and accountable government with freedom to public information without interference from governing bodies — or elected officials — is essential to our democratic republic. But that fundamental value may be at stake in Oregon, where the newly appointed Office of […]

Read More… from NFOIC urges independence for Oregon’s Public Records Advocate

(TNS) — GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Mayor Lauren Poe and other city officials in this college town spent part of their day on July 18 exchanging emails about proposed development projects, replying to resident complaints, discussing changes to local laws and more. Anyone with an Internet connection could follow along. The city posts their emails online. […]

Read More… from Email Transparency Efforts Backfire in Gainesville, Fla.

It is deeply disturbing that a public agency — whose compliance with state transparency laws is found by the Kentucky Auditor of Public Accounts to fall “drastically short” — concludes its response to the auditor’s examination with the statement that it “compl[ies] with all governing statutes to the extent possible.” This is how the Kentucky […]

Read More… from Guest columnist: KRS offers troubling excuse for lack of transparency on investment contracts

During the 2018-2019 school year, four public school districts in Oklahoma hired contract lobbyists. In addition to raising concerns about government accountability and indirect funneling of taxpayer dollars to political campaigns, schools’ use of contract lobbyists may also reduce government transparency and sidestep open-records laws. Under Oklahoma law, most written communications sent to lawmakers by public school […]

Read More… from Schools’ Lobbying raises open-records concerns

For Immediate Release (09/05/2019) Contact: Daniel Bevarly Executive Director, NFOIC dbevarly@nfoic.org 352-294-7082 The National Freedom of Information Coalition is pleased to announce the publication of its latest white paper, “Portal to Compliance: A Qualitative Analysis of Online Public Record Request Services in Major U.S. Cities.” The paper examines the varying capabilities of online portals hosted […]

Read More… from NFOIC’s latest white paper focuses on technology and transparency

Kenosha County Board has unanimously passed a new ordinance focused on improving transparency within local government. Behind a yearlong initiative from Board Supervisor Zach Rodriguez, the county recently adopted an ordinance that will lessen the cost of obtaining Kenosha County public records in response to the Wisconsin Department of Justice Office of Open Government’s suggested […]

Read More… from County lowers costs for copies of public records

Two bills were passed in the final days of the legislative session which change the way the public can access information we are entitled to as taxpayers. They are Senate Bills (SB) 224 and 287. Ostensibly, both bills were intended to grant easier access and provide consequences for not providing that information. And, for the […]

Read More… from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

No Connecticut governor may have ever rushed to the defense of the public’s right to know faster than Governor Lamont did last week when his public health commissioner, Renee Coleman-Mitchell, said she would not release school-by-school data on the vaccination of students. Within a few hours the governor overruled the commissioner. The governor’s spokesman said […]

Read More… from Lamont rushes to the rescue of public’s right to know

KANKAKEE — For the third time in a year, the city of Kankakee has decided to release public records after the Daily Journal appealed its decisions to keep them secret. In the latest case, the city was keeping under wraps a grievance filed by Kankakee police officer Logan Andersen. But a city attorney wrote a […]

Read More… from City reverses itself on public records secrecy

Nearly three months after Volcano Bay visitors and employees were mysteriously shocked by an electric current at the water park, Universal Orlando and city-owned OUC have worked in tandem to withhold records that might shed more light on what happened that day. When the Orlando Sentinel requested documents on June 6, Orlando Utilities Commission attorney […]

Read More… from Universal Orlando, OUC shield records after electrical shocking of Volcano Bay visitors, staff in June