Databases, nonprofit records, wage theft transparency on legislature’s 2016 agenda
Colorado lawmakers will consider at least four measures to expand public access to information during the legislature’s 2016 session, which convenes Jan. 13.
Colorado Legislature
CFOIC looks back: Transparency highlights and lowlights in 2015
The private emails flap was one of many transparency-related stories we highlighted in 2015 or broke ourselves.
A 21st-century open-records law for Colorado
If you’re lucky, you’ll have no problem getting public information in a format that allows for searching, sorting and aggregating. Too often, however, database records are released in a format that makes analysis difficult, or they’re not released at all.
Proposed 2016 bill would open records of nonprofits serving people with disabilities
Prompted by the recent financial troubles of a nonprofit that serves people with disabilities, a state lawmaker plans 2016 legislation to open the records of all such agencies in Colorado that receive more than half their funds from public sources.
Rules for judicial branch records look more like CORA, but groups ‘less than completely satisfied’
The Colorado Supreme Court quietly adopted new rules for accessing administrative records of the Colorado Judicial Branch, incorporating several recommendations made by the public and news media earlier this fall.
Supreme Court testimony: Records rules for the state judicial branch ‘do not inspire trust’
The Colorado Supreme Court heard from a state lawmaker and members of the public who are concerned about proposed regulations that will govern access to the administrative records of the Colorado Judicial Branch.
Proposed 2016 legislation would ease access to the judicial branch’s administrative records
A bipartisan trio of state lawmakers announced plans for a bill that would require the Colorado Judicial Branch to ease access to its administrative records by using rules similar to those in the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA).
State-appointed panel begins to examine police body-worn camera issues
A newly appointed state task force began work on a host of issues surrounding the use of body-worn cameras by police officers. Some important considerations concern public records: How long should body camera videos be retained and at what cost? What determines whether a video can be released to the public? Should portions of a video be blurred before the public sees it?
CFOIC’s Zansberg named to state panel on police body cameras
Steve Zansberg, president of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, has been appointed to serve on a new state committee that will study and report on issues related to the use of body-worn cameras by police officers in Colorado.
Arvada asks Colorado Supreme Court to review reinstatement of secret ballots lawsuit
The Colorado Supreme Court has been asked to review a state Court of Appeals decision that reinstated an Arvada resident’s lawsuit against his city for using secret ballots to fill a city council vacancy.