Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker opened the monthly Tribal Council meeting last week with a call for more transparency in government and strengthening of the tribe’s Freedom of Information Act, according to a tribe news release. ...

When Barack Obama was first inaugurated, he promised that his administration would “usher in an era of open government.” Instead, requests for documents under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) are increasingly being challenged or igno ...

Before open data, there was FOIA. Beginning in 1967, the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) empowered the public to request access to government documents. Unfortunately, some branches of government quickly began to push back, and within the decade the infamous phrase "can neither confirm nor deny" had been devised to avoid releasing information. read more ...

State law requires districts to report discipline and safety information at schools, but a joint investigation by The Denver Post and KMGH-Channel 7 found that the school safety information offered to parents lacks state oversight and varies wildly from one district to the next. Some schools fail to report assaults that police would consider felonies, while others document even the smallest scuffle between elementary students ...

When the governing board that oversees the City for Champions projects meets, it will be in open and all of its records will be subject to the Colorado Open Records Act ...

SUN staff filed a Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) request with Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District (PAWSD) this week following receipt of two emails substantiating that the district’s board of directors held discussions constituting a meeting via email, in violation of the Sunshine Law ...

The SUN received an email from PAWSD Board Director Glenn Walsh, revealing that a quorum of PAWSD directors (three or more) discussed public business through a chain of emails that were not within the scope of the public arena. Discussing public business outside of a public meeting or public work session is illegal ...

Mountain west states – including Colorado – have higher suicide rates compared to the rest of the country. In January, Weld County reported 49 suicide deaths in 2013, marking a 10 year high. Crafting a local suicide prevention campaign can be very difficult though, if you don’t know who is the most at risk ...

The Pentagon is refusing to comply with Freedom of Information Act requests for specific data on the volume of subcontracts awarded by any of the nation's twelve largest defense contractors participating in the 25-year-old Comprehensive Subcontracting Plan Test Program. read more ...

One inquisitive General Services Administration employee has threatened the US agency's security by his/her rather enthusiastic pornography consumption in the workplace. According to records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, said employee would access pornographic content and dating sites for two hours a day, resulting in a phishing attack on GSA email accounts. read more ...