NYPD ‘secret’ classification for documents ‘means diddly’ in eyes of legal experts
From Huffington Post: NEW YORK -- Since at least 2003, the New York Police Department has been labeling some of its internal documents "Secret," a designation that has baffled government secrecy experts, journalists and civil liberties lawyers. [ ...
Group making request for public records detained by cops after staff felt ‘intimidated’ by cameras
From The Blaze: A group in a municipal office in Hialeah, Florida, making a request for public records was detained by police because employees felt “we had ‘invaded’ the city clerk’s office and ‘attacked’ them with our cameras, putting them ‘under threat’ and causing them to feel ‘intimidated,’” Carlos Miller from Photography Is Not a Crime wrote on his blog. In a separate incident the next day, a man making a request for records in Miami claims he was threatened with arrest. read more ...
Ohio Gov. Kasich orders tax-credit values given to companies to remain public information
From The Columbus Dispatch: Gov. John Kasich has ordered a state agency to end its new policy of keeping secret the estimated values of hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of tax credits given to companies each year. The Republican governor learned yesterday that the state’s Development Services Agency, which reports to him, recently had decided to consider the values of tax credits as “trade secrets” and would no longer release them to the public. read more ...
Sierra Club sues for public records in NE Ohio probe of illegal dumping of fracking wastewater
From The Republic: COLUMBUS, Ohio — An environmental group seeking documents related to alleged illegal dumping of wastewater from oil and gas drilling into a northeast Ohio storm sewer is suing the state for access to the records. The Sierra Club filed its suit Monday in the Ohio Supreme Court. The group alleges the Ohio Department of Natural Resources has not produced records responsive to a public records request sent six months ago. read more ...
Wisconsin Sen. Leah Vukmir tries to sidestep open records suit
From Journal Sentinel: Madison — State Sen. Leah Vukmir is trying to sidestep an open records lawsuit by claiming she can't be sued while in office — a legal argument that, if successful, would let all lawmakers ignore the open records law. read more ...
WCOG honors 2 from Tacoma
From The News Tribune: The Washington Coalition for Open Government honored two Tacoma men for their lifelong dedication to open government principles Friday morning at the Washington Athletic Club in Seattle. Dave Seago, a former editorial page ...
2013 FAF Sunshine Seminars registration is open
From Florida First Amendment Foundation: The registration for the 2013 FAF Sunshine Seminars is now open! Click on one of the links below to register for a seminar near you. Each seminar has been approved for the following credits: read more ...
‘Other guy’ theory won’t win FOIA production
From Courthouse News Service: WASHINGTON (CN) - A death row lawyer who says police got the wrong guy cannot access law enforcement records on the supposed true culprit, a federal judge ruled. Blythe Taplin, a lawyer with the nonprofit Capita ...
Senate panel approves definition of ‘journalist’
From Talking Points Memo: WASHINGTON (AP) — A Senate panel on Thursday approved a measure defining a journalist, which had been an obstacle to broader media shield legislation designed to protect reporters and the news media from having to ...
NFOIC’s State FOIA Friday for September 13, 2013
From NFOIC: A few state FOIA and local open government news items selected from many of interest that we might or might not have drawn attention to earlier in the week. While you're at it, be sure to check out State FOIA Friday Archives. Baltimore city open data read more ...
