The battle over access to public records has had fits and starts in Lansing, with mixed results as the Legislature has taken up bills that would expand or restrict access.
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Read More… from Many FOIA bills on deck in Michigan Legislature
Tag: Michigan Coalition for Open Government
Sen. Casey (MI) Presses State for Transparency In Effort to Purge Voter Rolls
U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) announced that he has sent a letter to Pennsylvania Secretary of State Carol Aichele pressing the state government to engage in a transparent process as it participates in an effort to purge voter rolls.
The state is participating in the Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program.
In his letter, Casey cited previous efforts by the state Administration to restrict access to the ballot through the state’s voter ID law in making the case for a transparent process that instills public confidence.
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Bills in Michigan State House Would Exempt Firearm Records from FOIA
The Michigan House will soon consider bills that exempt firearm records from the Freedom of Information Act.
The bills also set up a method for law enforcement to obtain the records if it's needed for investigation purposes, although the bill says they would have to detail "reasonable suspicion" before they could gain access.
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OpEd: State’s $62 billion unfunded liability demands transparency
Michigan is facing a looming problem that is already affecting our schools and all levels of state government. This problem is our state’s unfunded accrued liability (UAL), also known as “legacy costs.” These costs are the difference between the retirement benefits promised to or earned by public employees and the amount of funds available to provide them.
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Read More… from OpEd: State’s $62 billion unfunded liability demands transparency
Charles Hill: Bills would help keep Michigan government honest
From Detroit Free Press: Most government officials and politicians will agree in public that the work of government should be transparent so that citizens can judge whether money is being spent wisely and decisions are being made properly.
But the reality is that getting your hands on specific government information isn’t always easy, even when the law says it should be available.
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Read More… from Charles Hill: Bills would help keep Michigan government honest
Charles Hill: Bill would make government information easier and cheaper for public to obtain
From Michigan Coalition for Open Government: Most government officials and politicians will agree in public that the work of government should be transparent so citizens can judge whether money is being spent wisely and decisions are being made properly.
But the reality is that getting your hands on specific government information isn’t always easy, even when the law says it should be available.
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Mich. House committee votes to define ‘journalists’ and delay access to certain public records
From Michigan Capitol Confidential: The House Judiciary Committee on Thursday approved House Bill 4770, which among other things, attempts to define what a journalist is to restrict access to motor vehicle accident reports for a period of 30 days after the accident.
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IRS approves MiCOG as tax-exempt organization
From Michigan Coalition for Open Government: The Michigan Coalition for Open Government is proud to announce our new tax-exempt status.
We received notification on June 3, 2013, from the Small Business Clinic at Michigan State University’s Law College that our application has been approved by the IRS.
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Read More… from IRS approves MiCOG as tax-exempt organization
Improving Transparency in Michigan
From Sunshine Week:
Welcome to Sunshine Week, and no, I am not talking about the fickle weather in the state. I am talking about the public’s right and responsibility to keep an eye on what our government at the local, state and federal level are up to from our legislators to our bureaucrats, school boards, state universities, teachers, mayors, managers, department heads, council members, cops and others.
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