Washington won’t say how much damage Snowden leaks did
The National Security Agency has repeatedly stated that leaks by former contractor Edward Snowden about its surveillance programs have compromised national security and harmed American foreign policy...
View ArticleNew York Times Gets Stellarwind IG Report Under FOIA
The secrecy surrounding the National Security Agency’s post-9/11 warrantless surveillance and bulk data collection program hampered its effectiveness, and many members of the intelligence community...
View ArticleNorth Dakota Grand Forks Herald: University presidents need 360 reviews
The North Dakota higher education board has a clear interest in getting the fullest possible evaluations of the system's presidents. That means the people of North Dakota have an interest in getting...
View ArticleWashington: Group pushing for public records, more police accountability
When the Center for Open Policing recently reached a settlement with the city of Seattle that garnered it more than $30,000 and access to GPS data on the location of police vehicles, it was the latest...
View ArticleMissouri Auditor finds Sunshine Law violations in closed meetings
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) - The most common Sunshine Law violations in Missouri include closed-session discussions on issues that should be open to the public, according to a report released Monday by state...
View ArticleIRS Charged $239,400 for Fighting FOIA
SAN FRANCISCO (CN) - The Internal Revenue Service must pay $239,400 in attorneys' fees after losing a lawsuit over access to digital records, a federal judge ruled Friday. Public.Resource.org, a...
View ArticleArkansas Law Prof Sues Law School Over Admissions Data
What would cause a law professor to sue the school he’s working for? Okay, eliminate the obvious employment law-related causes of action, and what are you left with? And is this a case of biting the...
View ArticleEditorial: Colorado voted ballots still too hard to access
Coloradans achieved the important right to review voted ballots as open records through a costly legal battle culminating in a state court of appeals victory in 2011. And the legislature affirmed this...
View ArticleEditorial: The FAA’s Drone Registry Shouldn’t Be Exempt From FOIA Requests
When its proposed national drone registry comes online, the Federal Aviation Administration will be poised to collect the names and street addresses of recreational drone users across the country. Who...
View ArticleWyoming Commissioner files Freedom of Information request on commission
At the regular Natrona County Commission meeting last week, Commissioner Steve Schlager accused the commission’s chairman and vice chairman of withholding information and making decisions outside of...
View ArticleEditorial: Data on teacher performance in Virginia should be available to the...
Brian Davison, a parent in Loudoun County, may be a bit of a gadfly. But he's on point with his insistence that parents have more information about the performance of their public schools.read more
View ArticleMassachusetts public records bill gets mixed reviews
Under a new bill, Massachusetts would join 47 other states that allow people to recoup legal fees after successfully suing for access to public records. The legislature’s first move in more than 40...
View ArticleChattanooga plans effort to get rid of decades of stored records
In the dim light of a smartphone, the lettering on the side of the 10-odd white storage boxes is faintly legible: "Confidential Medical Information. Medical Personnel Only." A few feet away, in this...
View ArticleMany Virginia officials ignore state sunshine law
State law might say some government records must be disclosed, but that's not the way many Virginia officials see things. A statewide test by 13 newspapers to see what happens when Virginians ask...
View ArticleAppointees to key positions in Nevada remain little-known to taxpayers
Nevada's Public Employees Retirement System, with more than $34 billion in assets, is overseen by a panel of seven public-sector workers appointed by the governor. But as a recent nationwide report...
View ArticleIllinois police, public library settle public records lawsuit for $67k
The Orland Police Department in Illinois has settled a lawsuit, paying out $12,000 for violating and not responding to Freedom of Information Act requests by local watchdogs. Also, the Orland Park...
View ArticleReport: New York's regional councils lack transparency
New York's regional council process that has awarded nearly $3 billion since 2011 for economic development lacks transparency and doesn’t adequately report on the outcome of various projects,...
View ArticleEditorial: Open data grows in 2015 (but not enough)
As 2015 winds to a close, we can look back on a year of success stories and failures when it comes to transparency in government. At the start of the year, the federal government began releasing its...
View ArticleEditorial: Disclosure on lump sum payments in Texas
Lump sum payments from campaign and political action committees to consultants are blocking the public view of Texas campaign spending. At the moment, the public is being asked to trust that these...
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