While much of the world runs on digital transactions, it takes an actual paper checkbook and a lot of travel to unlock open records in many small agencies and police departments. A Michigan editor, who is leading a reporting project into police responses at a music festival at which four people died, found herself driving […]
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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 […]
Four state heroes to be inducted into NFOIC’s Open Government Hall of Fame
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA, Sept. 16, 2021 — Four “Heroes of the 50 States,” representing Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, will be inducted Sept. 30 into the National Freedom of Information Coalition’s State Open Government Hall of Fame, as the Class of 2021. The inductees have backgrounds in law, journalism, and academia. The 2021 inductees are: Barbara […]
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Founder of Wisconsin group saw FOI as ‘a guarantee for the rights of people’
Robert H. (Bob) Wills, longtime editor of the Milwaukee Sentinel and founder of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, died July 22, 2021, in Madison, Wisconsin, at age 95, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “The role of the media is that of watchdog of government for the public. It follows that the guarantee of […]
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New York coalition insists on more transparency regarding Buffalo Bills football stadium plans
The New York Coalition For Open Government is demanding more transparency about negotiations to build a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. The New York coalition is urging Gov. Kathy Hochul to release a study regarding the need and cost of a new stadium, and to provide opportunities for public […]
Letter to Supreme Court: Make live audio streaming permanent, accessible
The National Freedom of Information Coalition and 75 other organizations signed a letter urging Chief Justice Roberts and the Supreme Court to permanently provide live audio access to oral arguments. “Providing live audio access to cases during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has convincingly demonstrated the public’s appetite to observe the operations of the Court,” reads […]
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Winners of research competition to present findings at 2021 FOI Summit
Five research papers have been accepted to the third annual National Freedom of Information Coalition FOI research competition, to be presented online Sept. 28, 2021, at the FOI Summit. In all, seven one-page proposals were entered and five selected through double-blind peer review for final consideration. Then, a team of eight expert judges rated the […]
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Letter, signed by NFOIC, urges New York governor to publish COVID data
Ten open government groups, including the National Freedom of Information Coalition, signed a Sept. 7, 2021, letter urging New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to publish COVID-19 data. “Publishing COVID data in a tabular, downloadable, machine-readable format would help restore trust in state government and help researchers, journalists and the public to better understand the dire […]
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Wisconsin court’s ruling strengthens fee-recovery provisions for requesters, attorney says
A recent Wisconsin court of appeals decision should be seen as good news because it strengthens the state’s fee recovery provision and puts records requesters in a stronger position. That’s the opinion of Christa Westerberg, vice president of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, a member of the National Freedom of Information Coalition. The appeals […]
States with coalitions for open government are more transparent, new study finds
A study published in the August 2021 edition of The Journal of Civic Information found that states with coalitions for open government are more likely to have counties that are more transparent, resulting in faster and more complete responses, as well as greater communication, in the public records process. Marquette University’s A.Jay Wagner based the […]
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