Todd Fettig – Page 7 – National Freedom of Information Coalition

What fills the void when public information is concealed? Maybe conspiracy theories

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For more than a year, Craig Mauger, a state government reporter for The Detroit News, has been waiting on a request for State of Michigan documents related to nursing homes during the pandemic. He told WDET he’s also waiting on documents related to a sudden change in leadership at the Michigan Department of Health and […]

Frosty Landon, NFOIC Hall of Famer, remembered for ‘heroic’ efforts to promote open government, establish state coalitions

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Frosty Landon, a one-time president of the National Freedom of Information Coalition board who was instrumental in advising new NFOIC coalitions in the 2000s, is being remembered as a hero and advocate for open government. Landon died July 19, 2021, at age 87. Landon, longtime editor of the Roanoke Times & World-News in Virginia, was […]

NFOIC Board approves budget, extends staff positions, looks for sustainable long-term model

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The National Freedom of Information Board of Directors on July 16 voted to approve its FY2021-22 budget, including the extension of the outreach coordinator position to June 30, 2022. The NFOIC will dip into reserves to extend the outreach coordinator position, which would have ended Nov. 30, 2021, with the end of a grant that […]

NFOIC supports Puerto Rico coalition in brief calling for financial board transparency

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The National Freedom of Information Coalition’s Puerto Rico affiliate, Espacios Abiertos, filed an amici brief in a public records appeal in the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. In solidarity with Espacios Abiertos, the NFOIC, the Iowa Freedom of Information Council and the Nevada Open Government Coalition also signed the brief. The […]

Study examines: Does a state constitutional right to know make a difference?

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State constitutional rights guaranteeing access to information can’t hurt, and may help, when judges balance the interests of disclosure and privacy. But there’s little evidence that a constitutional right to access produces better results directly for requesters. That’s, in part, because many variables influence the outcome of a request, particularly the state’s political culture. Those […]

Knight FOI Fund provides ‘meaningful vote of support’ to California man seeking Marine emails

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By Todd FettigNFOIC outreach coordinator For six years, Dennis Buckovetz worked alone, from the back bedroom of his house, uncovering the details of possible wrongdoing at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego. Buckovetz, who served in the Vietnam War as a Marine, was working as administrative director of Marine Corps Community Services at […]

Texas city violates Open Meetings Act in session to teach … Open Meetings Act

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An Odessa, Texas, “workshop” on the state’s Open Meetings Act was itself a violation of the Open Meetings Act, experts said. Alan J. Bojorquez, an Austin-based attorney who lead the workshop, said the meeting was exempt because it was for informational purposes, the Odessa American reported. Bojorquez also claimed it was a private meeting because […]

Nevada coalition, one of NFOIC’s newest members, is applauded for advocacy

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The Nevada Press Association is applauding the efforts of the Nevada Open Government Coalition, one of the newest members of the National Freedom of Information Coalition. The Nevada Open Government Coalition “had a significant impact” in the 2021 session of the Nevada Legislature. The coalition and the press association advocated for amendments that removed a […]

Coalition leads project seeking records related to university’s hiring of Nikole Hannah-Jones

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The North Carolina Open Government Coalition is leading a project to educate the public and encourage collaboration among journalists covering the University of North Carolina. The coalition, partnering with journalists, professors and nonprofit organizations, filed eight requests with the university, seeking records related to the hiring of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones as the Knight […]

University is not above the law, should honor transparency, Oklahoma coalition leader says

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The executive director of Freedom of Information Oklahoma is calling on the University of Oklahoma to be more transparent after the school refused to release reports regarding donor data and allegations of sexual misconduct by a former university president. “The University of Oklahoma has neither the responsibility nor the right to determine what is in […]

Author: Todd Fettig

Posts by Todd Fettig

What fills the void when public information is concealed? Maybe conspiracy theories

Frosty Landon, NFOIC Hall of Famer, remembered for ‘heroic’ efforts to promote open government, establish state coalitions

NFOIC Board approves budget, extends staff positions, looks for sustainable long-term model

NFOIC supports Puerto Rico coalition in brief calling for financial board transparency

Study examines: Does a state constitutional right to know make a difference?

Knight FOI Fund provides ‘meaningful vote of support’ to California man seeking Marine emails

Texas city violates Open Meetings Act in session to teach … Open Meetings Act

Nevada coalition, one of NFOIC’s newest members, is applauded for advocacy

Coalition leads project seeking records related to university’s hiring of Nikole Hannah-Jones

University is not above the law, should honor transparency, Oklahoma coalition leader says