Journalists, have you ever spent hours searching through federal court websites or government databases for a story? What if you could use a website that could cut that time down to just mere seconds? That’s what Sqoop promises to do.
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Tag: government records
Illinois FOIA appeal process plagued by years-long backlog
After the scandal that sent former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to prison, lawmakers adopted a raft of reforms that included creating a referee to intervene when bureaucrats reject citizens’ requests for government records.
Five years later, the “public access counselor” in the attorney general’s office has yet to respond to more than 2,800 appeals of Freedom of Information Act requests for information that a government agency deemed secret, according to an analysis of records obtained by The Associated Press.
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Big costs to see public documents hinder access
The public's right to see government records is coming at an ever-increasing price as authorities set fees and hourly charges that often prevent information from flowing.
Though some states have taken steps to limit the fees, many have not:
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Big bills to view public documents discourage public access
The public's right to see government records is coming at an ever-increasing price, as authorities set fees and hourly charges that often prevent information from flowing.
Though some states have taken steps to limit the fees, many have not:
…