Connecticut Council on Freedom of Information
Minutes, Sept. 17, 2025
The regular monthly meeting was via Zoom.
Present: Michele Jacklin, Jacqueline Smith, Mary Connolly, Mike Savino, Mitch Pearlman, Chris Powell, Jeff Daniels, Karen Florin, Jodie Gil, Clare Dignan, Katherine Revello, Russell Blair.
The minutes for the June 18, 2025 and June 27, 2025 meetings were accepted.
Legislative report: The 2026 session will begin in February. The state budget and the impact of spending decisions in Washington will dominate the session. Blair reported it’s not yet clear if there will be problematic bills on FOI. As suggested previously by Liz Gemski, we need to consider a compromise on exempting the home addresses of public employees from disclosure. Political pressure is building for a change in the law, given numerous threats and actual violent actions against people involved in politics and public service. Daniels suggested our 2026 agenda address staff and funding needs so the FOI Commission can decrease the case backlog.
Treasurer’s report: Smith reported a balance of $5,837.
Annual awards event: Smith reported it was a successful evening but the event continues to be a financial loss for us because of the cost of the plaques and room rental and food. She suggested we do more to recruit attendance and plan a program for the event that will include some ads.
Change of monthly meeting day: Jacklin reported that David DesRoches’ schedule will not allow him to meet on Wednesdays. There was a brief discussion of changing our monthly meetings from Wednesdays to Fridays at 9 a.m. via Zoom. The change was approved.
Looking ahead: The next monthly meeting will be Friday, Oct. 17, at 9 a.m. via Zoom.