NFOIC – Page 85 – National Freedom of Information Coalition

Guest Column: In support of transparency and due process in Colorado

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A strong bipartisan majority of Colorado legislators came together during the 2017 legislative session to pass HB 1313 – Civil Forfeiture Reform.

The bill, which adds necessary transparency and due process protections to the asset forfeiture practices of Colorado law enforcement, passed out of both chambers by a combined 81-19 vote and is awaiting signature by Gov. John Hickenlooper.

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Oregon State Government’s $278 Million Self-Promotion ‘PR’ Machine

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Oregon state government, agencies and commissions are shelling out hundreds millions of dollars to public relations firms. Eighty-seven state agencies spent $278 million dollars to convince taxpayers to spend more taxpayer dollars on bigger government, higher taxes – and more regulations from 2012 through 2016.

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Virginia’s baby steps toward transparency (editorial)

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It took a liberal policy group, ProgressVA, to accomplish through public shaming what good-government advocates in Virginia have failed to accomplish over the years through reasoned arguments and rational discussions: force the Virginia General Assembly to take action that opens up the legislative process.

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South Carolina Public records law was a step forward (Editorial)

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Proponents of legislative reforms to improve South Carolina’s Freedom of Information Act didn’t get everything they had hoped for in the bill that passed on the last day of the session. But the bill came close, and it should be regarded as a victory for open government and citizens’ ability to gain access to public information.

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Texas Senate unsticks proposals to plug public records “loopholes”

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With looming deadlines threatening to kill a slew of proposals aimed at bolstering access to public records in Texas, a state senator on Thursday muscled them closer to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk — all at once.

Sen. Kirk Watson’s maneuver came as senators took up an open records bill that had already cleared the House: Watson and Rep. Eddie Lucio’s House Bill 2328, which would give government entities — with employees trained in open records law — an option to expedite information requests under Texas public records law.

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Virginia House, Senate to stream some meetings

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The Virginia General Assembly will stream some committee meetings over the Internet next session, a milestone for a body that has resisted this sort of technology.

The Senate announced its plan Thursday to stream from two main committee rooms next year, and the House followed up with an announcement from Speaker of the House William Howell that the chamber has worked toward committee streaming "without fanfare for the last several months."

Continue…

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Florida First Amendment Foundation: Judge rules for Gulf Stream in battle over public records lawsuits

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In what may become a powerful weapon for governments to use to block people from filing frivolous public records lawsuits, a Palm Beach County judge this week said he will consider imposing sanctions against a Gulf Stream man who has buried the tiny town with hundreds of requests for information.

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California water info can remain secret, court rules

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Crucial details about the location and depth of certain California water wells can be kept secret, and out of the hands of an environmental group, a top federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.

Although targeting a specific request for California information, the ruling by what’s sometimes called the nation’s second-highest court could shape at least a few of the other Freedom of Information Act requests nationwide. More than 700,000 FOIA requests were filed in Fiscal 2014, and the question of what can be denied recurs often.

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From CFOIC: Colorado legislature approves open-records modernization, sends bill to governor’s desk

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An 18-month push to update Colorado’s open-records law for the digital age culminated Wednesday in the final passage of a bill that clarifies the public’s right to copies of electronic government records in useful file formats that permit analysis of information in those records.

Senate Bill 17-040 heads to Gov. John Hickenlooper’s desk after passing the House on a 39-26 vote and then repassing the Senate unanimously, all on the last day of the 2017 legislative session.

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Government Watchdog Groups Say Congressman’s FOIA Letters Set “A Troubling Precedent”

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A group of government watchdogs sent a letter to Congressman Jeb Hensarling Tuesday afternoon urging him to rescind the letters he sent government agencies informing them about Freedom of Information guidelines.

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Author: NFOIC

Posts by NFOIC

Guest Column: In support of transparency and due process in Colorado

Oregon State Government’s $278 Million Self-Promotion ‘PR’ Machine

Virginia’s baby steps toward transparency (editorial)

South Carolina Public records law was a step forward (Editorial)

Texas Senate unsticks proposals to plug public records “loopholes”

Virginia House, Senate to stream some meetings

Florida First Amendment Foundation: Judge rules for Gulf Stream in battle over public records lawsuits

California water info can remain secret, court rules

From CFOIC: Colorado legislature approves open-records modernization, sends bill to governor’s desk

Government Watchdog Groups Say Congressman’s FOIA Letters Set “A Troubling Precedent”