Last month was open records month, but that doesn't mean you can't still go and view them.
In Iowa, most government records are open to the public.
For city records, you can go to the city clerk. Continue>>>
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Tag: Iowa
Editorial: Bills are an assault on Iowa’s public records law
Almost seven weeks into the legislative session, no fewer than 25 bills have been introduced that would affect open meetings, open records or public notice advertising in Iowa.
The bill that has received the most attention is one being fast-tracked that would seal data on Iowa's concealed weapons permit holders. But other bills are lurking in the wings that also would erode openness in our state's government.
Among them:
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The Register’s Editorial: After 5 years, we keep waiting for federal records
The Des Moines Register received a call last week from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Freedom of Information Act Office, which processes requests for public documents.
The call was a sobering reminder of the pace at which the federal government handles requests for information:
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P.E. Firms Fight Freedom Of Information Requests
Public pension funds have been a boon for private-equity firms, pouring billions into the industry in recent years. But some of the biggest p.e. firms are blanching at the transparency that such public investments can bring—and they are fighting back against it.
Public pensions have received public-records requests for documents covering their relationships with p.e. firms, notably about fees. But p.e. firms have been largely successful in avoiding such revelations, through lobbying and threats.
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IA Gov Branstad proposes expanded government accountability
Gov. Terry Branstad on Thursday proposed creating a Government Accountability Portal to make state government more open, transparent and accountable to Iowa citizens. Branstad said the new entity would be a 'one-stop shop' housed within the Iowa Public Information Board for Iowans to register comments, concerns, questions or suggestions regarding state government and its operations.
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State Public Information Board inundated with cases
Sitting in a modestly furnished conference room in the Wallace Building, with a bay window view of the State Capitol behind him, Bill Monroe reflects on the workload he expected in the first year with the state's Public Information Board.
The board was created by the state to handle complaints and violations related to open meetings and open records laws, and Monroe has served as its chairman from its inception in 2012, including the first year when it had no funding.
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Iowa agency ensures open government, transparency
Sitting in a modestly furnished conference room in the Wallace Building, with a bay window view of the State Capitol behind him, Bill Monroe reflects on the workload he expected in the first year with the state's Public Information Board.
The board was created by the state to handle complaints and violations related to open meetings and open records laws, and Monroe served as its chairman from its inception in 2012, including the first year when it had no funding.
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No agreement on whether personnel files should be made public
Whether Iowa's public records law should be amended to make public the reasons that government employees are fired sparked debate in a roundtable discussion Thursday at The Des Moines Register.
Advocates like Gov. Terry Branstad say citizens have a right to learn of a government worker's wrongdoing as a matter of public safety. Opponents like Sen. Matt McCoy worry changing the law would violate a person's privacy, unfairly jeopardize a fired worker's chances of future employment and potentially open the state to ongoing rounds of litigation.
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EDITORIAL: End secrecy with lawmakers’ trips
During the legislative session and when lawmakers are not in session, the Legislatureís website at legis.sd.gov provides a wealth of information about proposed laws, committee hearings and votes. But the website is only valuable if information that the public has a right to know is made available.
Despite claims by lawmakers and state government officials that South Dakota is taking great strides toward transparency, much of what public officials and elected representatives are up to remains hidden.
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Iowa’s largest paper tries to shift the state’s culture toward transparency
In its own polite, Midwestern fashion, The Des Moines Register is mad as heck and is not going to take it anymore. After Iowa officials refused to release records showing alleged abuses by state employees, the paper is pursuing dual lawsuits to force the records into public view. In one case, the Register is even suing the state’s new public information board, formed expressly to address years of complaints about records transparency.
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