Dec 22 2014

Our View: Government does not operate well in secret

You can do the wrong thing even for what sounds like a good reason. Just take a look at what the Maine Department of Public Safety has in mind for the upcoming legislative session.

News From NFOIC

Letter, signed by NFOIC, urges attorney grievance committee to make Giuliani’s disciplinary proceedings public April 19, 2021

The public should have access to all records related to disciplinary proceedings pending against Rudy Giuliani, given the substantial public interest in Giuliani’s role in challenging the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. So says a letter written by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. The National Freedom of Information Coalition and 31...More

Nebraska media outlets object to governor’s new rules for press credentials April 19, 2021

Media outlets in Nebraska have objected to an application process for press credentials, saying the governor’s new requirements appear arbitrary. “Failing to be transparent about what information tends to result in approval or denial disregards the importance of relating the questions in the application to a legitimate governmental purpose and, as such, smacks of arbitrariness,”...More

New York Times shares its story of using open-records laws to track COVID-19 and racial inequalities April 15, 2021

In an April 14, 2021, article, The New York Times shares insights on its use of open-records laws to gain information on COVID-19 cases. Editors say using state and federal FOI laws has allowed the Times to provide a comprehensive look at coronavirus cases nationwide, and has revealed racial inequalities regarding who has faced the...More

Brief, signed by NFOIC, urges the release of records from grand juries that investigated Pentagon Papers leak April 13, 2021

The National Freedom of Information Coalition and 38 other organizations signed on to a Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press amicus brief urging the release of records from grand juries convened to investigate the leak of the Pentagon Papers. Federal circuit courts have split on whether district courts can order disclosure of such records....More

Illinois residents name seven ways the state’s FOIA law should improve April 13, 2021

A Chicago Tribune overview of FOIA in Illinois includes a seven-item wish list of what people familiar with the law would like to see improved. The list includes limiting exemptions, modernizing access to digital records, and strengthening penalties for delayed responses....More

Letter, signed by NFOIC, calls for oversight hearing on agency compliance with FOIA April 12, 2021

The National Freedom of Information Coalition joined more than two dozen organizations in calling for a hearing on federal agency compliance with the Freedom of Information Act. An April 7, 2021, letter to leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee said a hearing was necessary to understand FOIA implementation by the Trump Administration and to seek...More