News

Esri To Enable Thousands Of Government Agencies To Open GIS Data To The Public

A debate in the technology world that's been simmering for years, about whether mapping vendor Esri will allow public geographic information systems (GIS) to access government customers' data, finally has an answer: The mapping software giant will take an unprecedented step, enabling thousands of government customers around the U.S. to make their data on the ArcGIS platform open to the public with a click of a mouse. read more ...

Wisconsin legislator nixes UW record exemptions

The head of the state Assembly’s colleges committee said Monday he won’t allow the panel to vote on a bill that would largely keep University of Wisconsin System research activities secret, defusing a looming fight between the system and ...

Which Party Will Grab the Mantle of Transparency?

Let's face it. Both parties need new ideas. read more ...

From Poynter: FOIA lessons from Gawker Editor John Cook

Last January, Ann Coulter expressed her anger about The (Westchester County, N.Y.) Journal-News’ gun-permit map, which it assembled from public records. “I want them for Manhattan!” Coulter told Sean Hannity. “I want to know h ...

Hawaii launches “WHO’S YOUR LEGISLATOR?” apps

The State of Hawaii has launched two applications, “Your 2014 Hawaii State Senate” and “Your 2014 Hawaii State House”, as a response to requests from the members of the public during an Open Government workshop at the Hawaii D ...

Nicholas Co. (W VA) Commission gets lesson in ethics & open meetings law

Public business must be carried out in the open. That’s self-evident, but it still does not always happen. The latest example of the failure of a local government in West Virginia to be open about the public’s business comes from the Ni ...

Getting Ready for Sunshine Week

Sunshine Week is less than six weeks away! Agencies, what are you doing to prepare? Last year, Archivist of the United States, David Ferriero sent a message during Sunshine Week to National Archives’ staff reminding them that FOIA is everyone ...

Peace Corps for Geeks’ in Lexington to focus on more effective, interactive city

Three fellows from Code for America – the “Peace Corps for Geeks” – arrived in Lexington today to begin a 10-month partnership focused on improving neighborhood quality of life through more effective and interactive city gover ...

Chicago lays out next steps in Open Data Plan

City of Chicago officials released a report Friday laying out a next set of goals for routine publication of data from city agencies. The first annual City of Chicago Open Data Report resulted from a December 2012 executive order of Mayor Rahm Eman ...

Editorial: Connecticut should repeal law that weakens FOIA

During the legislative session that begins Thursday, Connecticut’s General Assembly will consider whether to uphold, repeal, scale back or expand exemptions to the state’s Freedom of Information Act that the Assembly recklessly passed las ...