Court backs disclosure of public retiree names

New York's highest court Tuesday ordered that the names of retired teachers, police officers and other government workers be released publicly in a case that tested the power of the state Freedom of Information Law.

In the unanimous decisions, the Court of Appeals decided it was not an invasion of privacy to identify retirees benefitting from the state's various pension systems for public workers. The court, however, said the addresses of the individuals shouldn't be made public.

Tuesday's decision is a win for the Empire Center for New York State Policy, which is a fiscally conservative think tank that researches spending of taxpayer money and fiscal policies of governments. "Today's decision is a huge win for the public's right to know," said Timothy Hoefer, the Empire Center's executive director. Continue>>>
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