NFOIC Names New Officers/Board Members at 2015 Annual FOI Summit
Jersey City launches new data platform to make city 'more transparent'
Jersey City officials announced today the launch of a revamped online portal that will provide residents easier access to public data.
The new Jersey City Open Data Portal, which gives residents access to a wide range of information -- from city budgets to maps of bike lanes -- includes enhanced data mapping and visualization features, and what officials describe is a more advanced software platform. Continue...
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Editorial: Tulsa's open data balancing act
In 2013, the city of Tulsa created its Open Tulsa website, which now has 35 datasets published.
The number of datasets, compared to cities that have released 10 times the amount, doesn’t adequately reflect the level of commitment by the city; it illustrates the lack of support and advocacy from stakeholders to demand more. Continue...
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Police body cameras reduce use of force, study finds
A first-of-its-kind, year-long study by the University of South Florida and the Orlando Police Department has found that body-worn cameras are an effective tool for reducing "response-to-resistance incidents" and serious external complaints.
The study, which ran from March 2014 to February, had 46 officers using cameras and compared that with 43 other officers who did not. Continue...
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Unmarked police vans with X-ray equipment could be health hazards, NYCLU contends
Unmarked police vans equipped with X-ray equipment looking for bombs could be health hazards and the public has a right to know more about them, the New York Civil Liberties Union contends in court papers.
The NYCLU has asked a state appeals court for permission to file a brief in a case where ProPublica, a nonprofit investigative news organization, is battling the NYPD over access to information about the vans. Continue...
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Is technology killing California's public records law?
The recent Cyber Dust secret text messaging scandal at the Fresno Unified School District is exposing gaps in California’s public records law.
The app allows users to send confidential text messages that are deleted as soon as they are read. Now open government advocates are asking a big question: Are we entering a new age of government officials using technology to hide from public scrutiny? Continue...
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D.C. lawmakers look at how to fix the city’s troubled contracting process
District lawmakers this week considered two proposals to overhaul the city’s procurement process, which they said has long been marred by corruption and poor transparency.
Lawmakers concerned about UNC system board’s closed meetings
The University of North Carolina system’s Board of Governors will meet Friday to hear a report on faculty compensation and take action on a legislative request – two weeks after giving controversial raises to chancellors in a lengthy closed session.
Editorial: America’s states are flunking the ethics test
When the class average is a D or lower, most of the pupils are probably witless dolts. All the worse for American taxpayers when those dullards are the 50 state governments — specifically, their laws on ethics and openness, and the legislators who make those laws.
Are the government's commitments on criminal justice open data enough?
The growing importance of criminal justice data in the context of government transparency was highlighted last month when the White House released its Open Government National Action Plan (NAP) to the public. This third iteration of the NAP was the first to include a section on "Justice and Law Enforcement" since the inaugural release in 2011.
Treasury rolls out open beta for new USASpending.gov
The Treasury Department rolled out an open beta of the new USASpending.gov, coming one step closer to meeting the requirements of the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act.
EDITORIAL: Pitbull's secret Florida contract a slap to the public
Mr. Worldwide is living up to his name by bringing some global attention to Florida's latest snub of the public's right to know.
The International Business Times noted in a story last week that the state's tourism agency, Visit Florida, is refusing to say how much it's paying rap artist Pitbull to promote the state as its new "ambassador."
Welcome to Florida, the land of sunshine, sand and secrecy. Continue...
EDITORIAL: Massachusetts public records reform can't wait
A final redraft of a long-in-the-works bill to improve access to public records in Massachusetts could be introduced to the House floor soon. It's about time.
People connected to the process are saying the bill’s language will provide timely access while taking into account agency and municipal concerns over aggressive deadlines and limits to recouping costs. A bill to satisfy all sides?
Open-meeting violations list grows in Idaho
There have been quite a few accusations of government entities big and small violating Idaho’s open meeting laws recently.
That’s not a trend journalists like to see. Continue...
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Your rights, responsibilities when seeking public records in Texas
If you’ve seen news reports on suspicious state contracts or chemical waste pits or officials’ text messages in the Waco biker shootout, you may notice a recurring theme: Government records obtained through the Texas Public Information Act.
Fortunately, our state’s public information law, created in the early 1970s, presumes government records are open unless a specific exemption in the law keeps the documents off limits.
PRESS RELEASE: Florida Sunshine Coalition to take action against open government attacks at Nov. 16 summit
Open government in Florida is under attack and the Florida First Amendment Foundation (FAF) is taking action.
Gathering in Orlando on Monday, Nov. 16, FAF and other members of the Florida Sunshine Coalition will discuss the issues and open government challenges Florida citizens face today and those the Coalition anticipates for the 2016 legislative session. They will decide on a platform for the Coalition and develop a plan for moving forward.
North Dakota Grand Forks Herald: University presidents need 360 reviews
The North Dakota higher education board has a clear interest in getting the fullest possible evaluations of the system's presidents.
That means the people of North Dakota have an interest in getting those evaluations, too, given that the board members are the people's duly appointed representatives. Continue...
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Washington: Group pushing for public records, more police accountability
When the Center for Open Policing recently reached a settlement with the city of Seattle that garnered it more than $30,000 and access to GPS data on the location of police vehicles, it was the latest in a string of legal victories for the shoestring organization.
Missouri Auditor finds Sunshine Law violations in closed meetings
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) - The most common Sunshine Law violations in Missouri include closed-session discussions on issues that should be open to the public, according to a report released Monday by state Auditor Nicole Galloway.
IRS Charged $239,400 for Fighting FOIA
SAN FRANCISCO (CN) - The Internal Revenue Service must pay $239,400 in attorneys' fees after losing a lawsuit over access to digital records, a federal judge ruled Friday.
Public.Resource.org, a nonprofit that makes government records accessible to the public, sued the IRS in June 2013 for failing to comply with a Freedom of Information Act request. Continue...