From Des Moines Register:
The state of Iowa will pay $30,500 in legal fees accumulated by a newspaper in a lawsuit over access to records from the University of Iowa.
…
Tag: iowa transparency
NFOIC’s State FOIA Friday for May 18, 2012
A few state FOIA and local open government news items selected from many of interest that we might or might not have drawn attention to earlier in the week:
Open meeting law needs looser definition
MASSACHUSETTS—At the risk of sounding like a geezer, I want to tell you a little about what it was like reporting on local government before there was such a thing as an open meeting law.
…
Branstad Expected to Sign Open Records Law Thursday
Senate backs law on open records
From TheHawkEye.com:
The Iowa Senate unanimously approved an overhaul of the state's open meetings and records law Monday in a plan designed to offer greater public access to government.
The plan now goes to Gov. Terry Branstad, who has been supportive of the concept but hasn't signed off on details. The proposal comes after years of debate about enforcing laws giving the public access to government meetings and records.
…
New agency to enforce open government OK’d
From DesMoinesRegister.com:
Iowa is getting a new state agency dedicated to enforcement of open government.
The Senate on Monday approved the bill, Senate File 430, on a 49-0 vote, sending the legislation to Gov. Terry Branstad, who championed the bill as one of his top legislative priorities this year.
…
House finally backs open government
From Press-Citizen:
You think a government board is trying to skirt the open meetings law by recessing for hours or days at a time, rather than posting the time and location for a new meeting 24 hours in advance. What do you do?
…
Legislature moves toward tougher open records law
From Radio Iowa:
An effort to put more teeth in Iowa’s “sunshine” laws is on Governor Branstad’s “must-do” list for legislators. “We feel strongly that’s something that’s needed,” Branstad says. “We need an enforcement mechanism for the open meetings/open records law. They should not adjourn without doing that.”
…
NFOIC’s FOI Friday for March 23, 2012
A few open government and FOIA news items selected from many of interest that we might or might not have drawn attention to earlier. Be sure to check out Sunshine Week 2012 News while you're at it.
Hacking as a Civic Duty
…