public records

The Iowa Legislature has passed House File 706, a bill that would add a new exemption to keep Capitol security camera footage confidential. On the plus side, the bill raises fines for open meetings violations — from $100–$500 to $500–$2,500 — and increases penalties for knowing violations to $5,000–$12,500. It also requires…

A West Virginia bill that was set to make last-minute changes to the state’s freedom of information law, allowing more copy fees, longer delays, and more secrecy, died this month before it reached Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s desk. According to reporting from West Virginia Watch, House Bill 3412 passed out of the…

A bill clarifying aspects of Arkansas’ public meetings law has passed the Senate and is now heading to the governor’s desk. Senate Bill 227 specifies what city councils, quorum courts, and school boards can discuss outside of a public meeting. It also allows courts to nullify decisions made by a…

Iowa House representatives are moving forward with legislation that aims to increase training for local officials on open meetings and public record laws, and to raise penalties for open meeting violations According to a report from Iowa Capital Dispatch, the passing of House File 706 marks the second year that…

Federal agencies should improve the FOIA process by utilizing data tools more effectively to identify records to proactively post, according to a white paper issued Feb. 24 by the Data Working Group of the Chief FOIA Officers’ Council.  The working group interviewed representatives from 10 federal agencies to find that…

A new bill could bring public access back to the selection process for Florida’s public university and college presidents.  According to reporting from The Daytona Beach News- Journal, Republican state Sen. Alexis Calatayud and state rep. Michelle Salzman filed identical bills, SB 1726 and HB 1321, to remove the public…

Cities that post on Facebook basic news, without political messaging, demonstrate more online engagement with their citizens, according to a study in Government Information Quarterly.  Hyacinth Balediata Bangero, a researcher from Bowling Green State University, analyzed the content of Facebook posts for 25 cities in the Philippines, finding that cities…

A recent survey of 2,500 U.S. city department heads suggests that there are varying attitudes toward public data transparency nationally.   Published in the latest issue of the Government Information Quarterly, the survey, led by Mary Feeney of Arizona State University, found that city department heads were generally in favor of releasing…

A new bill is making its way through the Wisconsin State Legislature that could bring the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) under the state’s public records and open meetings laws.  According to reporting from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, State Rep. Cindi Duchow and Sen. Cory Tomczyk are co-sponsoring the legislation,…

CHESTER COUNTY, Penn. – The growing use of chat apps like Google Chat by school districts across the U.S. is raising concerns about transparency and public access to government meetings and records.  First reported by the Delaware Valley Journal, concern is rapidly emerging in Pennsylvania as school districts, including the…

The Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications is training hundreds of journalists during the summer of 2024 on how to more effectively acquire government records for helping their communities better self-govern. On June 29, Director David Cuillier spoke at…

David Cuillier, director of the Brechner Freedom of Information Project, is quoted in “Would Direct Payments to College Athletes be Public Records?” posted on deseret.com on May 31. The article focuses on direct payments that college athletes will be able to receive from Name Image Likeness endorsements (NIL). Under question is…