This excellent look at the story behind the story of federal FOIA is a great read on Independence Day….
Filed under: 3. Access law, 8. Officials' perspectives | Tagged: federal FOIA, history | Leave a Comment »
A Great Look at Fed FOIA Logjams…
Posted on June 25, 2011 by Charles N. Davis
Today’s New York Times does a marvelous job of looking into the progress — or lack thereof – in implementing President Obama’s openness initiatives…this is the kind of reporting we need MUCH more of. cd
Filed under: 3. Access law, 8. Officials' perspectives | Tagged: federal FOIA, Obama, stonewalls | Leave a Comment »
Records: Burn ‘Em If You Got ‘Em, Ohio Pol Says…
Posted on June 20, 2011 by Charles N. Davis
A troubling legislative proposal in FOI-Land often involves an isolated example, coupled with narrow self-interest. Here is a beauty in Ohio, courtesy of IndieOnline.com: A movement by some state lawmakers to significantly curb the penalty for destroying public records comes in direct response to two Massillon-area men who, critics say, are trying to profit from [...]
Filed under: 3. Access law, 8. Officials' perspectives | Tagged: archives, attorneys fees, destruction of public records, legislative proposals, Ohio | Leave a Comment »
Legislative Calendars: Why A State Secret?
Posted on June 12, 2011 by Charles N. Davis
Nice piece on access to legislative calendars. Why the secrecy?
Filed under: 1. Records that matter, 3. Access law, 8. Officials' perspectives | Tagged: calendars, California, Davis | Leave a Comment »
DeMint Files FOIA Request Over NLRB’s Boeing Suit…
Posted on June 7, 2011 by Charles N. Davis
From a story in The Hill: Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) on Monday sent a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in an effort to “bring transparency” to what DeMint says was a partisan decision by the board to sue Boeing. “The public facts surrounding the complaint raise serious [...]
Filed under: 1. Records that matter, 2. Doc state of mind, 4. Finding records, 8. Officials' perspectives | Tagged: federal FOIA, Jim DeMint, NLRB, request letters | Leave a Comment »
Transparency: This Generation’s Magna Carta?
Posted on May 23, 2011 by Charles N. Davis
Daniel Schuman of the Sunlight Foundation — a great access advocate at a great access advocacy shop — attended the first Global Conference on Transparency Research at Rutgers University-Newark, which brought together two hundred transparency researchers from around the world. Thanks to a post-surgical travel ban, I missed it, doggonit, but I thought I’d pass along his great [...]
Filed under: 3. Access law, 7. Electronic records, 8. Officials' perspectives | Tagged: Academic research, Rutgers | Leave a Comment »
Good News From Wyoming…
Posted on April 23, 2011 by Charles N. Davis
Efforts to improve Wyoming public records and open meetings laws have moved from conflict to cooperation, members of a legislative committee learned here Friday. Officials from the Wyoming Press Association, the Wyoming Association of Municipalities and the Wyoming County Commissioners Association sat side by side before the Legislature’s Joint Judiciary Interim Committee and explained recent [...]
Filed under: 3. Access law, 8. Officials' perspectives | Tagged: FOI legislation, Wyoming | Leave a Comment »
Open Government at the Federal Level on the Chopping Block…
Posted on April 18, 2011 by Charles N. Davis
Short-sighted slashing in Washington… Government transparency advocates warn that spending cuts in the federal budget passed last week could close the door on President Obama’s ambitious “open government” goals and hamper efforts to open up federal agencies to closer public scrutiny. The budget deal slashes the Electronic Government Fund from a proposed $35 million to $8 million — not [...]
Filed under: 7. Electronic records, 8. Officials' perspectives | Tagged: IT Dashboard, Open government, USASpending.gov | Leave a Comment »
The Folks Behind the WWW Are Unhappy…
Posted on April 15, 2011 by Charles N. Davis
Steve Bratt is the CEO of the World Wide Web Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the web. The mission of the organization is to empower people through transformative programs that leverage the web as a medium for positive change. In his inaugural speech, President Barack Obama pledged support for open [...]
Filed under: 1. Records that matter, 3. Access law, 8. Officials' perspectives | Tagged: Data.gov, Open government, Steve Bratt, World Wide Web Foundation | Leave a Comment »
Illinois Poised to Hide Gun Registry
Posted on April 10, 2011 by Charles N. Davis
Hiding the identity of gun owners is always a political hot potato, as elected officials shrink from the ire of those who argue that there is a privacy right buried somewhere in the Second Amendment. I think there is a legitimate debate to be had here, but unfortunately, it seldom happens as few in position [...]
Filed under: 3. Access law, 8. Officials' perspectives | Tagged: Gun politics, Illinois, proposed exemptions, proposed FOI legislation, Second Amendment to the United States Constitution | Leave a Comment »
