Fish: Getting precinct-level election results from Park County ‘like a goofy cartoon’
The Park County clerk’s ban on cellphones and laptops made getting precinct-level election results seem like a goofy cartoon for journalist Sandra Fish.
Public Records Laws
District bills parent $438 to see her son’s school records, $129 for copies
Connie Sack was stunned when she received two invoices from the Kennesburg school district after asking to inspect records regarding her 16-year-old son, Logan. The fee for research and retrieval: $438. The fee for copies: $129. Total charges: $567.
Government employee records in Colorado: What’s confidential, what’s not?
Colorado’s open-records law is clear: A government employee’s personnel file is off limits to the public. But which records, exactly, are part of that confidential file?
Governor signs CCB transparency bill at Rocky Mountain Human Services
Parents and advocates celebrated the signing of SB 16-038 at the Denver-based community-centered board whose financial woes motivated state lawmakers’ efforts to impose transparency measures on the 20 nonprofits that coordinate services for Coloradans with disabilities.
Elbert Co. still hasn’t released minutes of ‘Jerry Springer-like’ commission meeting from 2015
Six months after a controversial, contentious meeting of the Elbert County Commission, county residents are still waiting to read the meeting minutes.
Open-government wins and losses in the 2016 Colorado legislative session
On matters affecting public information, the General Assembly did little during this year’s session to improve access. The most significant legislative win for government transparency doesn’t actually affect governments.
Senate committee kills measure to open records on wage-law violations
With no discussion, a Senate committee killed legislation that would have allowed the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment to disclose whether a company has cheated its workers.
Amended bill requires public disclosures for nonprofits serving people with disabilities
Although nonprofits serving people with disabilities in Colorado won’t be subject to the state’s open-records law, it appears they will be required to provide the public with certain financial information and other documents.
House votes for disclosure of independent spending on ads touting political parties
The Colorado House voted to require independent groups or individuals to disclose expenditures when they buy ads, billboards and mailings that mention only political parties.
CFOIC wins SPJ’s ‘Top of the Rockies’ First Amendment and blogging awards
The Society of Professional Journalists’ Colorado chapter honored Jeff Roberts, executive director of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, with its 2016 First Amendment award. Roberts also won a first-place award for blogging in SPJ’s four-state “Top of the Rockies” contest, which honors journalists in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.