OUR VIEW Compromise keeps government open
All North Carolinians deserve to know when their local governments hold special meetings or plan public hearings. State lawmakers have a unique opportunity this year to preserve that right and save cities and counties some money in the process. W ...
Jackson, Michigan’s Open Data Portal Is on Groundbreaking Track
The city of Jackson, Michigan, has bold ambitions to make its website the first of its kind in the Great Lakes State to operate as an open data portal. Unfortunately, city officials announced they’ve hit a slight delay in the process, pushing ...
2015: Open season for California open data
2015 should be the year for open data in California. A new crop of state lawmakers and constitutional officers, combined with activity underway in state and local governments, are pushing California closer to a “tipping point” where the d ...
State agrees to adopt transparency initiative
On August 1, 2014, the New Jersey Libertarian Party (NJLP) formally petitioned the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) for a rule requiring municipalities and other local government units to specify an “up to” dollar amount i ...
Texts count as public records, judge rules
The city must preserve text messages sent and received in the course of public business as public records under the state Freedom of Information Act, a judge has ruled. Circuit Judge Jack Doyle made the decision in a lawsuit filed by People for the ...
Liberal group complains GOP lawmakers bar them from meetings
From The Colorado Independent's Pam Zubeck: ProgressNow Colorado has taken stands on candidates and issues, and mostly has come down on the left side of things. And for new Colorado Senate President Bill Cadman, that means he gets to tell the group to scram when it sends someone to cover Republican meetings. He didn't actually say that, but Cadman leads the Colorado Senate Republicans, who barred a ProgressNow reporter from its meeting recently where upcoming legislation was discussed. You know, we can't have any of those "liberal blogger" types listening in on a bunch of conservative lawmakers, right? So now ProgressNow is ...
Mesa County allows online records requests, raises research fee to $30 per hour
Journalists, researchers and curious citizens will be able to submit requests for access to Mesa County records online following approval of an amended open records policy ...
Senate Republicans bar liberal group from meeting
ProgressNow Colorado has taken stands on candidates and issues, and mostly has come down on the left side of things. And for new Colorado Senate President Bill Cadman, that means he gets to tell the group to scram when it sends someone to cover Republican meetings ...
Randy Petersen: Freedom of expression comes with a fine line
For journalists — especially those working in the realm of opinion — it's hard not to take the attack on the Paris offices of the satirical newspaper Charlie Hedbo personally. As a result, each of the editorial cartoonists regularly featured in the Post-Bulletin have weighed in on the subject. Charlie Hedbo was likely best known in the United States for featuring satirical depictions of religions, most notably featuring Muhammad, a fact that had produced threats from Muslim extremists. read more ...
FOIA among priorities for SC legislative session
It seems it was only a few days ago that Rose and I, along with our little guys, were heaving candy from the back of a pickup truck crawling down Calhoun Street during the Bluffton Christmas Parade. We have yet to finish taking down the Christmas dec ...
