State legislators introduce new measure to extend CORA response deadlines
A state senator is trying again to curb what she has referred to as the “abuse” of the Colorado Open Records Act by certain records requesters.
public records
Court of Appeals: Disciplinary records of Colorado school administrators are off-limits to the public
A Denver Gazette reporter is not entitled to inspect the disciplinary records of Denver school administrators because a state statute protects the confidentiality of educator evaluations and all documents “used in preparing” those reports, the Colorado Court of Appeals decided.
Taking another look at Ohio’s low-cost process for resolving open records disputes
In 2018, this blog reported on a then-two-year-old process in Ohio that gives requesters of public records a low-cost way to fight denials in court. A new research paper prepared for the National Freedom of Information Coalition looks at how well the process works.
It’s almost 2025. Why are we still writing checks to pay for public records?
A quarter of the way into the 21st century, should Coloradans still have to write paper checks to pay for public records?
Wrap-up: Tally of open-government losses in 2024 Colorado legislative session could’ve been higher
It could have been worse. While open-government losses far outnumbered wins in the 2024 session of the Colorado General Assembly, the death of a burdensome Colorado Open Records Act bill in the closing days helped make the final tally a little less one-sided.
Colorado House bill lets governments label records requesters as ‘vexatious,’ take longer to comply with requests, withhold records that ‘invade’ privacy
Records custodians would have the power to deem someone a “vexatious requester” and bar that person from obtaining public records for 30 working days under a bill introduced in the Colorado House that also lets government entities take longer to fill most requests made under the Colorado Open Records Act.
CFOIC’s 2023 year in review: Denver school board, Red Rocks, disappearing messages, CORA changes, livestreamed courts and a theater surveillance video
Several key rulings in 2023 showed why courts matter so much for enforcing and interpreting Colorado’s open government laws.
12 ways to improve Colorado’s open government laws
Lawmakers did not, however, tackle the No. 1 barrier to obtaining public records in Colorado — exorbitant fees. And that problem will only get worse on July 1, 2024, when inflation boosts the maximum-allowable hourly rate to process CORA requests from $33.58 to a whopping $40 or $41.
Colorado court holds that public officials’ text messages on cellphones are public records
On October 30, 2023, a Colorado state court judge determined that two Denver city officials had improperly withheld public records from a TV reporter when they refused to disclose text messages stored on their personal cellphones in which they discussed the city’s public business.
Denver improperly withheld text messages about Red Rocks hailstorm, judge rules
A judge ordered Denver to disclose city officials’ text messages about last June’s severe hailstorm at Red Rocks Amphitheater, ruling the communications were improperly withheld from 9NEWS reporter Steve Staeger.