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,” […]

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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 […]

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Access to police-camera footage must improve, open-government advocates say

Government emails, metadata also top list of FOI-tech issues that leave us in the dark FOR RELEASE: March 14, 2022 Contact: Todd Fettig, NFOIC executive director  Phone: 352-294-7082   Email: nfoic@nfoic.org March 14, 2022 — The public too often is being denied access to police body- and dash-cam footage. This ranks as the most critical […]

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After police shot and killed her son, mother uses open records laws to find answers, spark change

From “A mother’s quest for openness provides map for spurring change,” published March 1, 2022 in The Journal: A Civic Issues Magazine. “When Sheila Albers, of Kansas, couldn’t get answers to the questions she had after her 17-year-old son was shot and killed by an Overland Park police officer while the teen was in the […]

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Helped by NFOIC and Knight FOI Fund, Colorado media entity sues for county records

With support from the National Freedom of Information Coalition’s Knight FOI Fund and members of the community, Delta County Citizen Report (DCCR), a nonprofit media organization, filed a lawsuit Feb. 8, 2022, against Delta County and Delta County Administration citing four violations of the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA). JoAnn Kalenak, President of DCCR, said […]

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Fourth annual NFOIC competition invites research proposals focused on FOI, technology

The fourth annual National Freedom of Information Coalition research competition welcomes one-page proposals for papers that shed light on freedom of information, particularly those focusing on technology and FOI. Top-three papers will earn cash prizes and will be guaranteed publication in the online Journal of Civic Information, published by the University of Florida’s Brechner Center […]

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Journalists banned from Iowa Senate floor; transparency advocates raise concerns

Republican leaders in Iowa have banned journalists from the Senate floor, a break from a 140-year tradition that raises alarms among freedom of information advocates, The Washington Post reported Jan. 8, 2022. During the state’s 2022 legislative session, reporters will be barred from press benches near senators’ desks. Reporters told The Post that proximity to […]

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Audit of Maine police agencies produces inconsistent results; 1 in 5 didn’t respond

When law enforcement agencies across Maine were asked to turn over records of complaints and discipline, some departments provided a bundle of records, some provided basic information — and one in five did not respond at all. That’s according to an audit conducted by the Maine Freedom of Information Coalition, a member of the National […]

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Kentucky coalition launches website, providing updates and opinions on legislation

The Kentucky Open Government Coalition has launched a website, which features blog posts on issues of transparency, updates and opinions on legislation, and information about the coalition and how to support it. The Kentucky coalition was established in 2019. “Our goal is to galvanize supporters of the public’s right to know how state and local […]

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