State Government – Page 6 – National Freedom of Information Coalition

Transparency issues cloud campaigns in governor’s race

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Transparency. Open government. Sunshine. Virtually every candidate for elected office embraces these themes while campaigning, promising to minimize government secrecy. It certainly was part of Republican Susana Martinez's successful campaign for governor in 2010. The same was true of Democrat Gary King's successful campaigns for attorney general in 2006 and 2010.

But both Martinez and King, now running against each other for governor, have had clouds over some of their sunshine efforts. Both have been sued for alleged violations of state public records laws.

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Valdosta Daily Times leading way in open government

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The state's first Open Government Symposium will be held in Macon Friday. The free event kicks off a series of symposiums to be held around the state of Georgia in an effort to incubate a culture of government transparency, according to organizers.

Valdosta Daily Times Editor Jim Zachary, who is director of the Transparency Project of Georgia, and colleague Holly Manheimer, who is the director of the Georgia First Amendment Foundation, have organized the symposium and will provide the training while sharing their experiences in open government advocacy.

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IA Gov Branstad proposes expanded government accountability

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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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Editorial: This Right-to-Know bill may set back transparency in PA

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A bill before the state House of Representatives aims to mend gaps in Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know law. It actually may do more harm than good.

The bill was passed by the Senate on Sept. 24. Including today, there are six days left in the legislative session, and Senate Bill 444 is now before the House. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

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State Tax Department worker researched GOP official who filed FOIL request

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A state tax official conducted a background research on a Republican party official after receiving a public information request, the Daily News has learned.

Without mentioning his job, Joe Uddo, who is the political director for the state GOP, had filed a ìFreedom of Information Law' request on Aug. 22 with the tax department seeking to understand why some taxpayers had been disqualified from a property tax exemption program.

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Iowa agency ensures open government, transparency

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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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Editorial roundup: Pass bill to improve FOIA

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No agreement on whether personnel files should be made public

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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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COLUMN: State less than transparent on budget

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So how much of your dollars are being spent on providing free college educations for state workers? We don't know ó and that should outrage you. We know that in past budgets the state has spent $5 million on the program known as Upward Mobility.

But if you take a careful look at this year's state budget you'll find that the program has been 'zeroed out' meaning that it appears the state is no longer spending a dime on the program. But appearances can be deceptive, especially when it comes to Illinois state government.

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Online videos help hold OK state government accountable

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At first glance, it was just like many other emails sent by area residents. The writer, a constituent of South Logan County, expressed his frustration with the regulatory actions of a large state agency. While I understood the writer's frustration and his valid description of a legitimate abuse, I was excited to realize that his email contained a validation of one of the most important transparency tools, a tool that allowed this South Logan County resident to demonstrate an error by a large state agency.

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