Governor, lawmakers off limits under public records law
Steve Toth has lived his entire life in southwest Detroit, and his family home is among those expected to be demolished to make way for a new public bridge to Canada pushed by Gov. Rick Snyder. read more ...
Many FOIA bills on deck in Michigan Legislature
The battle over access to public records has had fits and starts in Lansing, with mixed results as the Legislature has taken up bills that would expand or restrict access. read more ...
Government Transparency Bill Stalled in MI Senate
It's been six months since the Michigan House passed House Bill 4001, but the Senate has taken no action on it apart from referring the bill to the Government Operations Committee. read more ...
Denial of newspaper’s FOIA request confirms investigation into health department
Federal investigators appear to be looking into actions of the recently dissolved Ford-Iroquois Public Health Department. Responding to a tip, the Paxton Record filed a Freedom of Information Act request on Sept. 5 seeking the disclosure of any feder ...
Report finds noncompliance with revised R.I. open records law
Two years after Rhode Island revised its open records law, compliance with the new rules is spotty, enforcement is rare and a culture of indifference, ìif not outright hostility,î prevails in the state, a newly released report says. read ...
Religion or Speech? Students, Teachers Differ on Most Important First Amendment Freedom
High school students and their teachers differ on which of the five freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment are the most important, but speech and religion are by far the top finishers, according to a new survey. Students, by 65 percent, say spe ...
Port Authority vows to follow N.Y., N.J. public information laws
Getting ahead of pending legislation intended to enhance transparency at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the agency today adopted a freedom of information policy that will abide by the laws of New York State and New Jersey. The Port Authority Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the new policy during this afternoon's monthly meeting, which was held in Jersey City under the agency's new policy of rotating meeting locations. read more ...
Expert: IL Gov. Quinn’s handling of request to release subpoena ‘stinks’
Despite having a new criminal subpoena in hand, Gov. Pat Quinn's administration dragged its feet in releasing the politically-sensitive public document -- a delay one expert called a gaming of the state open-records laws that 'stinks'. On Tuesday, the governor's office finally released the federal grand jury subpoena dated Aug. 27 that sought records related to Quinn's failed Neighborhood Recovery Initiative anti-violence program, but it did so only selectively. read more ...
Poll: Voters like open school district labor negotiations
A majority of those surveyed recently support Proposition 104, the ballot measure that would require school district contract negotiations to be held in public ...
Citizens United wants press exemption from CO campaign finance disclosure
The conservative organization credited – or blamed — for bringing a flood of money into politics argued in federal court Tuesday that it should be allowed to produce and advertise an anti-John Hickenlooper film without disclosing who paid for it ...