This strikes me as an odd time for truly horrific FOI legislation to hit the books, but… Changes to the state’s Freedom of Information Act allow government agencies to delay response times to individuals who are deemed to have made too many requests. The “recurrent requester” provision of the law signed by Gov. Pat Quinn [...]
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Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin signed into law Wednesday a public records bill championed by open records advocates who say the changes are long overdue for a state that has consistently received poor transparency rankings. The legislation, H.B. 73, awards attorneys fees and costs to those who fight public records denials in court and win, and creates a [...]
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The State Journal-Register has the story: People who frequently file Freedom of Information Act requests would have to wait longer for their requests to be fulfilled under a bill that passed the Illinois Senate on Monday. House Bill 1716 allows public bodies to take up to 21 days to respond to FOIA requests by people [...]
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From Delaware Online comes some good legislative news: The University of Delaware and Delaware State University would be forced to lift a cloak of secrecy surrounding their operations under a bill expected to be introduced in the General Assembly today. Citing several recent gripes with each university, a contingent of lawmakers wants to redefine UD and DSU as [...]
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Today’s update from Utah (thanks, Brooke!) is full of all kinds of news, not the least of which is training and an ombuds… A lot of ideas are still in flux, but one has gained consensus: More education would help requesters, responders and government officials alike understand how Utah’s Government Records Access and Management Act [...]
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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 [...]
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Think a few organized citizens can’t shake up the world? After enduring two weeks of public fury, Utah lawmakers voted overwhelmingly Friday to repeal a bill that would have restricted public access to government records. While Senate President Michael Waddoups accused the media of lobbying on the issue and others blamed the press for biased [...]
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The hits just keep coming, people… Representative Joseph Cervantes’ bill to ensure fair and equal access to public databases was derailed Monday morning by opposition from the state Taxation and Revenue Department. The House Appropriations and Finance Committee tabled HB 406 by a 9-5 vote, effectively killing the bill. Representatives Conrad James, Patricia Lundstrom, James Smith, [...]
Filed under: 3. Access law | Tagged: databases, FOI legislation, New Mexico | Leave a Comment »
