FOI Focus Winter 2018 Newsletter Celebrating ‘Sunshine Month’ in Texas Perhaps you’ve heard of “Sunshine Week.” It’s a national event held each March to celebrate access to public information and the people’s right to know. We’re doing our part in Texas to raise awareness for Sunshine Week, which is […]
A bill that would have allowed limited use of medical cannabis oils in Idaho is now off the table after state Senators blocked its passage during an allegedly illegal closed-door meeting. The bill, which would have allowed those suffering from epilepsy to use and possess low-THC medical CBD oils, passed the state House with a […]
Read More… from Idaho State Senate Kills Medical Cannabis Bill in Allegedly Illegal Meeting
Maryland’s highest court voted unanimously Tuesday to restore the names of police officers to a statewide database of court records and for the fix to take place by the end of the week. The judges moved quickly to reverse a controversial decision that had blocked online public access to information previously available about arresting […]
Nebraska public records law tilts, with good reason, toward openness on governmental fiscal matters. Taxpayers deserve to know how their money is being spent. Under state law, public records should be “liberally construed when the fiscal records of a public body are involved.” This important accountability requirement applies to a range of public bodies, including […]
Read More… from Editorial: Nebraska Public utilities should make records public
OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed updates to the Public Records Act (PRA) Model Rules, reflecting changes in state law and helping the public and agencies navigate changing technology. The amended model rules are effective April 2, 2018. The model rules provide information about the PRA and some suggested best practices. They are advisory […]
Read More… from Washington Attorney General’s Office updates Public Records Act Model Rules
Every public agency in Kentucky has to follow the same state laws about sharing records with the public. But every public agency does not interpret these laws the same way — at least, that’s what the varied responses to Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting requests for documents tied to sexual harassment complaints appear to show. […]
Read More… from KY: Are Sexual Harassment Records Public? One Law, Many Interpretations
State Rep. Polly Lawrence is trying once again to make the administrative records of Colorado’s judicial branch subject to the Colorado Open Records Act. House Bill 18-1152, introduced earlier this week, is the Roxborough Park Republican’s third consecutive attempt to cover the judiciary under CORA. That doesn’t include her 2015 proposal to make the state […]
Read More… from Colorado Legislator Wants Judiciary Subject to Open Records Law
The state of Nevada refuses to divulge how much it has paid former employees for their unused sick and vacation leave. Since October, the Las Vegas Review-Journal has sought comprehensive information documenting how much money individual employees received when they retired, resigned or were fired. The request, if fulfilled in its entirety, would encompass employees […]
Read More… from Nevada continues to deny public records requests
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Following a public outcry, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee vetoed a bill Thursday that sought to exempt Washington lawmakers from the state’s Public Records Act and legislators agreed to not take another vote to override his action. The agreement came hours before the measure — contested by media groups and open government […]
Read More… from Washington Governor Vetoes Legislative Exemption Bill
The New York Post and 13 other news organizations are asking a Manhattan judge to keep open the public’s access to NYPD body-cam footage after the police union sued the city to keep the recordings private. “Because body-worn camera footage and other recordings provide an objective, first-hand account of police interactions with citizens, they can […]
Read More… from New York Post, media outlets sue to keep body-cam footage public
