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 […]
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News Release – State/Local government FOI audits reveal administrative shortcomings
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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NFOIC requests Google disable Gmail “self-destructing” feature for government communiqués
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 […]
Report Documents Florida’s Lack of Accountability for Public Records Requests
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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Recent legislative actions in Kentucky, Iowa and Washington demonstrate urgent need for state FOI and open government reforms
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 […]
National Freedom of Information Coalition to Relocate to the University of Florida
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE National Freedom of Information Coalition to Relocate to the University of Florida NFOIC joins a renowned FOI Center and First Amendment Project at the College of Journalism […]
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Editorial – Here’s how the Legislature can make Kansas a better place to live in 2018
Kansas legislators will gather Jan. 8 in Topeka for one of the most crucial legislative sessions since — well, since 2017. The truth is Kansas has faced one governmental crisis after another for much of this decade. Much of the blame lies with Gov. Sam Brownback and his conservative allies, who pushed through a tax cut in 2012 that […]
Evanston (IL) High School board slams door on public access to communications
A confidentiality rule approved by the board of Evanston Township High School District 202 (ETHS) on Dec. 11 unlawfully reverses the presumption of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), according to an attorney on the board who voted against it. “The presumption under FOIA is that all government communication is public with some narrow areas […]
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Editorial – Texts to student phone numbers obtained via FOI request not a violation
Students at several of the commonwealth’s public universities got a surprise on their cell phones last fall: A text message urged them to register to vote, and to support the local Democrat running for the House of Delegates. The students’ cell phone numbers were obtained through a Freedom of Information request made by NextGen Virginia, […]
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Wilton (TX) school district admits to violating Freedom of Information Act
Superintendent of Schools Kevin Smith recently testified at a Freedom of Information Commission hearing that the district “inadvertently” violated the Freedom of Information Act by failing to properly notice the public of preschool committee meetings. The hearing was held on Dec. 12, in response to a complaint Alex Ruskewich filed in February against the district […]
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