Category:March 2009

A

• A little push to open door to public
• Activist lawyer says City Council e-mail dispute is about transparency
• Adams filing lawsuit to obtain attorney records
• After FOIA battle with teacher, county schools relent
• Agency needs more time to respond to Chafin’s FOIA request
• Arizona ranks high for access to records
• Arkansas government corruption
• Arkansas sees FOIA win
• Attorney General Holder rescinds strict FOIA guidelines
• Attorneys' advice doesn't excuse Open Meetings Act violation

B

• Bedford County School Board admits it fell short on FOIA
• Bedford County School Board regrets secrecy of superintendent rollout
• Bellingham sues over public records about deadly train crossing at Boulevard Park
• Bensenville claims candidate's request are harassment
• Bluffton holds second closed session
• Board questioned on FOIA request, job reductions
• Broadalbin town officials weigh creation of Web site

C

• Carbon to seek tax owed via open records law
• Carcieri must turn over documents
• Chafin files FOIA over turnpike
• Chalfont Council gets Right to Know law
• City Colleges chided on secret stimulus action
• City Council gets order temporarily blocking publication of e-mails
• City Council Meets About Release Of E-Mails
• City school system releases public records
• City's public records procedures discussed today
• Claudet seeks to update public-records system
• Clearing up taxes
• Coalition seeks to open birth records in R.I.
• Column: True leaders respect the laws
• Complaint filed against Dupree
• Confession needed when seeking out wrongdoing at the polls, even with evidence of voter fraud
• Council, public deserve details
• County officials named in public records lawsuit
• CPS to learn today who wants top job

D

• Diamond City mayor suing aldermen
• Doyle's office responds quickly to records requests

E

• Eagle mayor releases list of people being considered for vacant council seat
• Editorial: Help with your open records
• Editorial: Open records legislation a step forward
• El Paso County's top-paid employee: $225K
• Enquirer sues Cincinnati schools
• Ethics Subcommitte hears complaints on records access
• Everett teachers claim district isn't complying with records act

F

• FOI case in Anderson moves forward
• FOIA request filed with Fayette schools

F cont.

• For state legislators, it's all about concealment
• Fresno State case leads to push to add open records

G

• GRAMA legislation

H

• Handgun permit data should be kept public

I

• Illinois open records law often a closed door
• Indiana must play catch-up in online records action
• Information will not destroy your life
• Inquiry into firings of 3 Surprise police officers kept secret
• Iowa gov starts using state e-mail after scrutiny
• It's YOUR government, so keep it open

J

• Jefferson FOIA request proves contentious
• Judge rules in favor of official in FOIA case
• Judge rules in favor of WWL-TV in public records case against Nagin administration
• Judge says state agencies are deliberately indifferent
• Judges Reverse Sealed Records Policy

K

• Kan. House advances bill on records exceptions
• Keep court audio open to the public

L

• Lagging in the Fight for Open Government
• Lawmaker Knudson honored for his work to open records
• Lawmakers criticized for shady legislation
• Lawmakers Move to Carve Out Public Records Exemption for Teachers
• Learn rights during this Sunshine Week
• Legislative leader posts names and salaries of employees
• Let taxpayers see where the money goes
• Let the sun shine, let public officials pay up

M

• Maine group asks local towns for financial data to post on Web
• Maine should improve online access to records
• Maryland's not as open as it could be
• Memphis paper uncovers problems with gun permits
• Mingo sheriff complains of average citizen treatment
• Mississippi last in survey of Internet records

N

• N.C. public records on Internet, study says, but some hard to find
• New bill to open up costs
• New FOIA finds local supporters
• New London Officials Want Line-By-Line Detail For New London School Budget Plan
• New open records law encounters a big snag
• Newspaper sues county clerk over FOIA
• Newspapers provide broadest access to public records
• Nine Oklahoma cities fail records law test

O

• Open Government Threatened by Recent Court Rulings
• Open Mississippi records
• Open-records law fuels spats with municipalities
• Opening Nevada public records
• Openness group doles out the honors
• Openness needed even for officials
• Our Opinion: Get involved with state government reform

O cont.

• Our views: Open government for everyone

P

• Pay cuts proposed for top Michigan officials
• Perez Vetoes FOI Board Appointee
• Public contracts subject to less public review under plan by Sen. Royce West
• Public records policy passes
• Publication sues Miss. to get prison phone records
• Public’s rights are the focus
• Push more public records to Internet
• Putting public records online

R

• Records Act 'sabotage' a Roundhouse mystery
• Records office uses inquiry as example office
• Records sought from EL, EL Police Chief
• Release of minutes ordered
• Rounds pleased with balance of open records bill
• Rounds to back open records

S

• Senate OKs measure to restrict release of some public records
• Sheriff denies C-J's request
• Shrewsbury Twp. man's open records appeal denied
• Sloppy bookkeeping or political axe job?
• Some public documents are easier to obtain than others
• Some, but not all Wash. government records online
• Spin vs. substance
• State lags in online access to public records
• State law hides from view many of governor's records
• State Lawmakers Work On Ways To Limit Access To Information
• State making more records available online
• State Sen. Rodney Ellis' private firm stands to profit from bond package he championed for HISD
• Study finds many Va. records online
• Suit costs official $86,000
• Sunland park city councilors press mayor on land deal
• Sunshine Week worth observing: Open records laws help us keep informed
• Sunshine Week: Muncie Police Department lowers fee for copies

T

• Tennessee not putting some public records online
• Thousands of unfiltered New Orleans City Council emails given to activist lawyer
• Times-Dispatch Freedom of Information reporting
• Township is withholding public records, suit says

U

• Use of closed sessions varies widely among Fox Valley governments
• Utah 6th in online access to government information

V

• Village in violation of public notice laws

W

• Weston passes ordinance to charge for viewing public documents
• WILLARD: Here's why cheers become jeers
• Wis. settles lawsuit over requests for voter data
• Wisconsin Rep. Molepske re-introduces Open Government Act
• Woman wins high court decision on school district e-mail records