April 13, 2018, Statement of Robert S. Becker – On behalf of the D.C. Open Government Coalition, Before the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety – Council of the District of Columbia, Budget Oversight Hearing – Board of Ethics and Government Accountability, Office of Open Government I am Robert Becker, the D.C. Open Government Coalition’s government […]
AMARILLO, Texas – A lawsuit against the City of Amarillo claims city council members and the mayor violated the Texas Open Meetings Act multiple times. Claudette Smith and Michael Fisher filed a complaint with the Potter County District Clerk claiming that city council members Place Two Freda Powell, Place Three Eddy Sauer, and Place Four […]
Some Florida lawmakers received better grades this year when it came to transparency in government, but erosion of the state’s famed “Sunshine Laws” continued with more exemptions passed. Lawmakers passed 12 bills creating new exemptions this year, including measures to block access to building plans for health care facilities; U.S. Census Bureau address information; data […]
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Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt has used four separate agency email addresses since taking office, according to Senate Democrats and an EPA official, prompting concerns among agency lawyers that the EPA has not disclosed all the documents it would normally release to the public under federal records requests. Two Democrats on the Senate Environment […]
Read More… from Scott Pruitt has three email addresses, raising questions about EPA FOIA disclosure
TRENTON – A backlash across the country against sexual misconduct by those in positions of power has resulted in dozens of state lawmakers being reprimanded or forced out of office. But in New Jersey, lawmakers said they had no publicly available records of any such claims or punishment over the past decade. The Associated Press […]
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Gov. Ralph Northam has signed two bills that forbid public schools and colleges from releasing a student’s email address or phone number without written consent. Release of such information is currently discretionary. But the Democratic governor last week signed Senate Bill 512 from Sen. David Suetterlein, R-Roanoke County, a bill that will become one of […]
Following a lawsuit brought by two freelance journalists represented by attorneys from the Reporters Committee, the public will have access to more information about how the Charlottesville Police Department and Virginia State Police planned for the August 2017 “Unite the Right” rally. The rally left 19 injured and led to the death of 32-year-old Heather […]
The Arkansas Freedom of Information Act Task Force on Monday voted on four proposed tweaks to the public-records law, erring on the side of more disclosure and transparency in each case. The committee — tasked with making recommendations to the Arkansas General Assembly on amendments to the state Freedom of Information Act — discussed bills […]
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After trying for three years to make the state judicial branch subject to the Colorado Open Records Act, Rep. Polly Lawrence finally notched a victory Thursday when a legislative committee passed an extremely limited version of her perennial bill. “It certainly doesn’t go as far as I’d like, but it’s a step in the right […]
Denver Police Department Chief Robert White insulted his officers, used poor communication when responding to an open records request and runs a department described as having “dysfunctional relationships,” but he will not face discipline after two internal investigations concluded he did not violate any department policies. Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said Monday he will not […]
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