The National Freedom of Information Coalition endorsed a letter penned by Reinvent Albany, urging New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to make COVID-19 data more usable by the public. Reinvent Albany, an NFOIC member, thanked Hochul for publishing more COVID-19 open data, and it asked her to “please finish the job.” “The new COVID-19 webpage and […]
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Boosted by Knight FOI Litigation Fund, Florida resident compels county group to meet in public
An Osceola County, Florida, judge ruled Nov. 22, 2021, that the county violated the state’s Sunshine Law by holding Executive Policy Group meetings without public notice or opportunity for the public to attend. County resident Josh Meyers for 613 days challenged the county’s assertion that the Sunshine Law did not apply to the Executive Policy […]
When governments bow down to private vendors, they ignore public’s right to know, experts say
Governments in many states are shirking transparency laws and blocking the public’s right to know, choosing instead to protect the intellectual property rights of private vendors. “This is not a Kansas problem. It’s not an Oregon problem. It’s an everywhere problem,” Frank LoMonte, director of the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information, told KCUR-FM, Kansas […]
New York coalitions see signs of progress in new transparency laws signed by governor
Government transparency took a few legislative steps forward this fall in New York, where the National of Freedom of Information Coalition has two member organizations. Starting Nov. 18, 2021, public bodies must post their meeting documents online, to the “extent practicable,” at least 24 hours before a meeting. The New York Coalition for Open Government, […]
NFOIC endorses letter urging stronger protections for whistleblowers
A diverse coalition of about 150 organizations, including the National Freedom of Information Coalition, in a Nov. 10, 2021, letter urged Congress to protect contractors and grantees who blow the whistle on wrongdoing. “New government spending to address the devastating effects of COVID-19 and domestic priorities such as infrastructure spending could exceed trillions of dollars. […]
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Colorado coalition publishes online and searchable guide to state’s sunshine laws
The Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition has published its new guide to the state’s sunshine laws. For the first time, the guide is online, searchable and indexed by topic. “The guide is comprehensive, addressing the questions most frequently asked of CFOIC about the Colorado Open Records Act, the Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act, the Colorado […]
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California’s First Amendment Coalition hiring senior staff attorney, legal fellow
The First Amendment Coalition, a nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy organization headquartered in Northern California, is hiring for two legal positions to focus on government transparency and press freedom litigation and counseling. FAC is looking for an experienced lawyer to serve as senior staff attorney, directing FAC’s strategic litigation program. FAC also is recruiting its next legal […]
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NFOIC, Knight FOI Fund support efforts to release COVID data, county credit card details
The National Freedom of Information Coalition in October 2021 awarded two grants from the Knight FOI Fund in support of litigation to release public records. In Florida The Florida Center for Government Accountability, the NFOIC’s newest member, was awarded a $5,000 grant to support its lawsuit against the Florida Department of Health, which has stopped […]
Wanting to keep Google’s water use a secret, Oregon city sues news organization
A city in Oregon is suing a news organization, hoping to keep secret how much water Google will use to cool server farms. The city of The Dalles filed suit in state court in October 2021, seeking to overturn the ruling of a county district attorney, who said Google’s water use is a public record. […]
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Online 2021 FOI Summit promotes greater inclusion, sets attendance record
The 2021 FOI Summit, hosted by the National Freedom of Information Coalition, set an FOI Summit attendance record, bringing together 304 total attendees, including 72 speakers. The 2021 Summit saw a 95% increase in attendance over the 2020 Summit, which drew 156 total attendees. The NFOIC switched to an all-online Summit in 2020, because of […]
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