llinois law says government officials' emails about taxpayer business are public records for all to see. But what if they're sent from private accounts or personal cellphones?
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Read More… from Emails on private devices, FOIA issue goes back to court
The city of Atlanta has announced the creation of three new websites that will give residents access to financial and departmental data.
The three websites, Data Atlanta portal, Atlanta Budget Explorer and FORAtlanta, are an effort to maintain transparency, officials said. Continue…
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Did a failed attempt by the Department of Treasury to redact part of an e-mail related to a Freedom of Information Act request expose a state government strategy of charging high fees to discourage requests for public information?
The liberal group Progress Michigan, which was quoted more than $52,000 for records it requested about communications with a state education adviser, says yes. Continue…
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Read More… from Michigan group says high fees used to conceal state records
Philadelphia school district officials and the City Council have signed an agreement to provide lawmakers with greater fiscal oversight and pave the way for the district to receive $25 million approved by Council over the summer.
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Read More… from Philly schools, City Council sign agreement to promote transparency
While Silicon Valley firms often preach about the value of transparency, a new study finds that top tech companies are among the least open about their “dark money” political contributions — funds funneled to nonprofits that can easily mask their donors.
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Read More… from Tech industry lags in political transparency
St. Paul, Minnesota, recently reinvigorated the debate over government transparency by adopting a new policy that automatically purges all city emails after six months. The city had previously kept email for three years.
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New text messages from Jacksonville City Council members obtained by The Florida Times-Union reveal the president of the firefighters’ union relayed communications between council members during a meeting last month as he worked behind-the-scenes to sway a vote, which is prohibited by Florida’s open government law.
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Revisions to Maryland’s Public Information Act law that went into effect this month was an important step toward restoring a presumption of openness in the state.
The bill passed unanimously and included six key ingredients. Continue…
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Groups sponsoring or fighting against referendum campaigns in San Diego, where such efforts have become increasingly common and divisive in recent years, must disclose their funding sources more quickly and completely under new city rules approved Tuesday.
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Read More… from More transparency coming for San Diego referendums
It’s a six-page document that takes about two clicks to find online, a boilerplate agreement disclosed by 12 law enforcement agencies in eight states.
Nevertheless, the Tacoma Police Department insists the public can’t see the details of its agreement with the FBI regarding the controversial Stingray surveillance. Continue…
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Read More… from Seattle group sues Tacoma police over Stingray agreement
