Police departments from Bakersfield, Calif., to Scranton, Pa., and beyond are piloting and deploying body-worn cameras (BWC) in increasing numbers, a movement happening just as privacy issues gain greater attention across the nation. While many hold out hope that BWCs will bring greater accountability and transparency of police actions, the technology also has the potential to cut into citizens’ […]
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No one told some Broward school board members they were filing a contempt-of-court case against the South Florida Sun Sentinel. No one except the Sun Sentinel, that is. The district’s chief lawyer, Barbara Myrick, asked a judge this week to hold the newspaper and two reporters in contempt of court for publishing an uncensored report […]
In a letter sent yesterday, the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University asked Facebook to amend its terms of service to establish a “safe harbor” for public-interest journalism and research focused on Facebook’s platform. The Knight Institute sent the letter on behalf of journalists and researchers who study Facebook but whose investigations are impeded […]
The Lee County school board decided Tuesday that it will allow the public to attend meetings that it has been holding in private for more than a year. The board started having the private meetings in April 2017. They were held after the board’s regular meetings in a break room at the Public Education Center. […]
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Jared Evans, a member of the Indianapolis City-County Council, is proud that the city is among 20 finalists for one of the most coveted prizes in the country: the planned second headquarters of Amazon. He does, however, have one small question: What financial incentives did his city dangle in front of Amazon? “What have I […]
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Two Spokane-area representatives were named to a group trying to develop rules for records the Legislature long believed could be kept private but a judge has ruled should be open to the public. Reps. Matt Shea, of Spokane Valley, and Mike Volz, of Spokane, are the House Republican Caucus choices to sit on a Public […]
News Release May 30, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Daniel Bevarly (239) 823-1811 · dbevarly@nfoic.org State/Local government FOI audits reveal administrative shortcomings Charging different fees for the same public record. Refusing to allow residents to use their cell phones to copy records and save money. The absence of online content to provide necessary information […]
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News Release May 4, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Daniel Bevarly (239) 823-1811 · dbevarly@nfoic.org NFOIC requests Google disable Gmail “self-destructing” feature for government communiqués New feature undermines open government and records retention laws The National Freedom of Information Coalition (NFOIC) has contacted Google about Gmail’s new “self-destructing” email feature. The […]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Report Documents Florida’s Lack of Accountability for Public Records Requests Percent of Requests with Fees and Amount Collected Varies Widely from County to County Gainesville, Fla., April 16, 2018 Despite having some of the most open public records laws in the country, Florida’s lack of accountability […]
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NEWS RELEASE March 23, 2018 Contact: Daniel Bevarly • 239.823.1811 dbevarly@nfoic.org Recent legislative actions in Kentucky, Iowa and Washington demonstrate urgent need for state FOI and open government reforms Existing laws directing state government transparency and accountability to residents are under threat. Three recent actions by state legislatures in Kentucky, Washington […]
