Failing to clarify a law exempting the state’s public power providers from making proprietary records public could affect ratepayers, representatives of those public utilities told the Legislature’s Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday. But media organizations said a proposal by Sen. Dan Hughes of Venango on behalf of the public power industry carved out too much…
Tag: nebraska open records
Editorial: Nebraska Public utilities should make records public
Nebraska public records law tilts, with good reason, toward openness on governmental fiscal matters. Taxpayers deserve to know how their money is being spent. Under state law, public records should be “liberally construed when the fiscal records of a public body are involved.” This important accountability requirement applies to a range of public bodies, including…
Nebraska AG’s office argues judge should dismiss lawsuit seeking release of information death penalty drugs
Photos taken in October of the packaging of Nebraska’s lethal injection drugs constitute attorney work product and should not be released to the public, an attorney for the state’s prison system has argued. In briefs filed in three lawsuits, Assistant Nebraska Attorney General Ryan Post said the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services denied public records…
Hastings city new laws take effect Friday
From KHASTV: Hastings, NE — There are a few new laws on the books today. As a result, local governments can’t overcharge for copies of public records. The law states that the fee can’t exceed what it costs the public agency.
As of Friday morning, the Hastings Police Department’s rates remain at $5.00 for a report or a copy of a photograph.
Visit KHASTV for more.
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Have you checked your public records lately?
From Beatrice Daily Sun:
I hate to keep harping on this subject.
Actually, I don’t. The longer I work at the newspaper and the more meetings I go to and information I request, I am becoming a believer that transparency in local government can be improved.
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Nebraska bill to provide reasonable access to public records advances
From Lincoln Journal Star:
A bill that would help to ensure the public can access government records and data at a fair cost jumped its first hurdle Monday in the Legislature.
But it took the promise of a compromise to advance the bill to a second stage of debate on a 35-1 vote.
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Nebraska calculates the cost of public records
From Watchdog.org:
Fifteen cents a page, a buck a page?
What’s a fair asking price for state records?
Well know this: Nebraska Watchdog reported in June that agencies are increasingly charging hundreds, even thousands, of dollars in fees for public records.
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When does private email become public?
NFOIC’s State FOIA Friday for September 14, 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:
Indiana jail records coming to smartphones
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Private flights cost foundation $80K
From TheIndependent.com:
The University of Nebraska Foundation spent more than $80,000 last year on 21 flights aboard its private aircraft, opting to use the twin-turboprop Beechcraft King Air instead of taking often less expensive commercial flights, according to flight records obtained by The Associated Press.
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