National Freedom of Information Coalition
Protecting Your Right to Open Government

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Mayor asks AG for clarity on releasing officers’ disciplinary reports

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Santa Fe Mayor Javier Gonzales has asked the state attorney general for clarification on whether New Mexico’s public records law requires the city to release information concerning internal disciplinary proceedings against police officers, or whether such proceedings should be kept from public view. In a letter to state Attorney General Hector Balderas, Gonzales says he […]

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Editorial: New York government is still far from transparent

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There’s been an amazing push the past month by newspapers, good government groups, citizens organizations and lawmakers for Gov. Andrew Cuomo to sign a bill that would require judges to force government bodies to pay court and attorneys fees when a citizen is unreasonably denied access to a public record. We’re among those who think […]

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New law in San Diego firms up government transparency

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The San Diego City Council voted unanimously Monday to fix a vaguely worded law requiring anyone doing business with the city to disclose their identities. The action follows an inewsource investigation that began 16 months ago that showed the law was being ignored. “This has been important to me,” said Councilwoman Barbara Bry, “to make […]

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Missouri Gov. Greitens’s use messaging app that leaves no trace raises concerns

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  JEFFERSON CITY — Gov. Eric Greitens and his senior staff use an app that deletes text messages after they’ve been read, raising concerns among transparency advocates that it could be used to subvert Missouri open records law. The app, called Confide, allows someone to send a text message that vanishes without a trace after […]

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Nashville council members, labor groups push bill for economic development transparency

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A group of Nashville council members and labor organizers are pushing for more accountability and transparency as Metro government awards business subsidies. Their bill before the Metro Council would require companies to file a report before subsidies are awarded, detailing the quantity and quality of anticipated jobs. It would also make companies file quarterly progress […]

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Hustonville admits open meetings error, AG rules newspaper appeal ‘moot’

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HUSTONVILLE — After four city council members were seen gathered outside of city hall and heard discussing public business, a complaint was filed by The Interior Journal alleging the gathering violated the state’s Open Meetings Act. The complaint, which was filed on Oct. 17, detailed what the newspaper called an “in-person meeting of members in […]

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Judge denies Randy Travis’ request to keep DUI footage private

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal judge has denied a request by country singer Randy Travis to stop the state of Texas from releasing footage of him naked and ranting during a 2012 DUI arrest. The ruling on a request for a preliminary injunction issued Thursday paves the way for the Texas Department of Public […]

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Wisconsin Supreme Court hears arguments about union vote records

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The Wisconsin Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday in a challenge by Madison Teachers Inc. to a state agency’s decision to withhold union recertification records — a case that could have broader implications for the state’s open records law. The case stems from a 2015 decision by the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission to deny the […]

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Orlando Sentinel Commentary: Why does Winter Park shun the sunshine?

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recent back-and-forth between the First Amendment Foundation and Winter Park city officials has highlighted a troubling issue for supporters of Florida’s “Government in the Sunshine” laws: the questionable legality of one-on-one meetings between elected officials. Winter Park Mayor Steve Leary, referring to his meeting with Commissioner Gregory Seidel on Nov. 29 and Seidel’s one-on-one with […]

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Complaint logged against closed-door meetings regarding relocation of the James Brown Arena

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COLUMBIA COUNTY, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) — A complaint has been lodged against Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority and Attorney J. Edward Enoch for a closed-door meeting regarding the relocation of the James Brown Arena as a violation of the Georgia Open Meetings Act. But what is the Georgia Open Meetings Act? According to Georgia law, all meetings […]

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