Below are the winning research papers accepted to the fourth annual National Freedom of Information Coalition FOI research competition. They will be presented online Oct. 19, 2022, at 3 p.m. (ET) during the NFOIC virtual summit. In all, seven one-page proposals were entered and selected through double-blind peer review for final consideration. Four complete papers were…
Category: Uncategorized
2022 National FOI Summit, virtual
The 2022 National FOI Summit will again be held virtually this year. We are frequently updating information about the summit, including panelist information, panel topics, vendors, sponsors and registration. Check back often, and check out the links below. NFOIC members: Register here on Whova Non-NFOIC Members: Register here on Whova Schedule of events and panel…
2021 Summit Agenda
Tuesday, September 28, 2021 12:00 PM-9:00 PM Welcome Video: FOI Summit 2021 Speakers: Todd Fettig (he/him), Erika Benton 1:00 PM-2:00 PM Government transparency: Lessons from the pandemic Speakers: Tom Verdin, Gunita Singh, David Snyder, Tonu Basu Join experts in public records, open meetings and press access to discuss how the pandemic changed the way governments respond to…
Transparency organizations raise concerns about Uniform Law Commission’s redaction initiative
A letter from government transparency organizations urges the Uniform Law Commission to prioritize the public’s right to know when it studies the redaction of personal information from public records. The June 17 letter was written by Sarah Brewerton-Palmer, legislative chair of the Georgia First Amendment Foundation, and was edited and endorsed by Todd Fettig, the…
Save the dates for the 2022 FOI Summit, and watch this space for updates
Please save the dates for the 2022 FOI Summit: Oct. 18-20. This year’s summit will be online, similar to last year. Please watch this space for more details in the coming weeks. The NFOIC also soon will start accepting nominations for the State Open Government Hall of Fame. Please see eligibility details at this link. …
Deadline is extended to May 20 for NFOIC’s fourth annual FOI Research Competition
David Cuillier, Ph.D.NFOIC Board President The National Freedom of Information Coalition’s fourth annual FOI research competition deadline for proposals will be extended two weeks, until May 20, to account for the continuing demands from the pandemic and other distractions. Winning papers in the competition earn cash awards, and authors of all accepted papers receive free registration to…
Study finds more tax-subsidy transparency, but still ‘room for improvement’
Public disclosure of tax subsidy programs is improving generally, but more than a third of state economic development agencies still keep deals secret as they lure big business. That’s according to an April 2022 study by Good Jobs First, which reported that 62% of agencies that administer business incentives disclose reasonable information about companies receiving…
As he tries to save lives of those in recovery, Virginia advocate is denied the state data he needs
By Lila GreenbergStudent research assistantBrechner Center for Freedom of Information at the University of Florida Michael McDermott is locked in a legal battle with the state of Virginia in his quest to publish overdose response incidents and shed light on the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of state programs battling drug addiction. His efforts, he says, will…
New Jersey township backtracks, drops lawsuit against woman, 82, for filing records requests
A New Jersey municipality that had sued an 82-year-old woman for seeking a “burdensome” number of public records has dropped its lawsuit, after a wave of media attention and backlash. Irvington Township in 2021 sued Elouise McDaniel for filing numerous requests under the state’s Open Public Records Act. “They were trying to intimidate Ms. McDaniel,”…
NFOIC begins transfer of admin duties to Virginia coalition, renews focus on members
The following note was sent March 24, 2022, to members of the National Freedom of Information Coalition. Dear coalition leaders and members: We write today with an update regarding the future operations of the National Freedom of Information Coalition, as it transitions from a university-supported organization funded by one or two large grants, to a…