Secrecy Tracker

A proposed change to Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has hit a roadblock after concerns raised by Fairfax County officials prompted state lawmakers to reconsider the bill. According to reporting from FFX Now, the measure, which aims to enhance transparency in local government decision-making, passed the Virginia Senate unanimously…

After more than three decades of resolving disputes over public access to records, the Utah Legislature may soon consider a bill that would dismantle the State Records Committee.  According to reporting from the Salt Lake Tribune, Utah Senate Majority Assistant Whip Mike McKell is working on a proposal that could…

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,…

The Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (UFCJC) launched today a national Secrecy Tracker to help identify legislation that threatens the public’s access to government records and meetings.  The tool allows anyone for free to see what bills are…

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, has signaled that expanding the state’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to include top government offices is not a priority for him.   Michigan is one of only two states that fully exempts the governor and lawmakers from public records requests. …

House Bill 100 proposed in the Montana Legislature sounds good on the surface, touted as streamlining the process. But the details indicate otherwise.  The legislative sponsors say the legislation will help set deadlines and fees. However, based on our research, several key provisions of the bill would make access to…

HELENA, Mont. — The Montana Supreme Court has ruled 4-3 that Gov. Greg Gianforte may withhold certain documents from the public, including those related to policy development and internal deliberations.  Reported by Montana Public Radio, the case began when a group of news organizations, including the Montana Standard, filed a…

LANSING, Mich. — Michigan lawmakers are working to expand the state’s Freedom of Information Act to include the governor’s office and state legislators, a move advocates say would strengthen government transparency and accountability.  According to reporting from the Detroit Free Press, the legislation, which passed the Senate with a 36-2…

A study conducted through the Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project sounds the alarm on the perfect storm of factors coalescing to restrict student journalist independence on college campuses.  The article, “Sounding the alarm: Legal implications of evolving college media independence,” was published in the latest issue of Communication…

Nonprofit groups engaged in the public records group could benefit themselves, government agencies, and the public by collaborating more, according to a research article published in the latest issue of the Journal of Civic Information. A team of researchers from the University of Washington, led by doctoral candidate Itza Carbajal,…

The spread of “confidentiality” laws throughout the states threatens to lock up government employees for potentially unconstitutional reasons, according to a new study by the Brechner Freedom of Information Project. The Brechner FOI Project is located at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. The paper, “Secrecy on Steroids: How…

David Cuillier, director of the Brechner Freedom of Information Project, is quoted in “Out-of-State Public Records Experts Weigh in on a Louisiana Bill that is Drawing Lots of Criticism” published on fox8live.com on April 19. The story focuses on a bill that would exempt Louisiana’s public records law of “any records…