Journalism relies on public records, but transparency laws are weakening nationwide, with longer response times, high fees and more frequent rejections. Agencies know that few newsrooms can research and push back on denials, and even fewer can litigate. This blocks Continue reading $1.25M Press Forward grant to help journalists obtain local government records
The Connecticut Foundation for Open Government will host its eighth annual “Stories Behind the Big Stories” discussion on Feb. 8 in West Hartford. The event will highlight work by journalists at NBC Connecticut, Hartford Courant, Connecticut Mirror, Hearst Connecticut Media Continue reading CFOG to discuss major news stories from 2023
On August 14, 2014 the Connecticut Council on Occupational Safety and Health received internal OSHA documents regarding the worker whistleblower program. The original request was made in order to determine how to improve protections for workers facing harassment and retaliation Continue reading ConnectiCOSH wins freedom of information appeal to obtain OSHA whistleblower documents
By Dan Klau On Monday the Connecticut Supreme Court released its unanimous decision in an important Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) case, Comm’r of Public Safety v. FOIC, which involved a 2008 request for arrests records by the New Haven Register. The Continue reading Can A Judicial Decision Be Both Right And Wrong At The Same Time? – Appealingly Brief Blog
By Paul Bass The State Supreme Court may have had no choice but to hand cops new powers to hide information from the public. But the state legislature can take action to rein in those powers. So said New Haven Continue reading Looney Vows To Fix FOI Ruling – New Haven Independent
Today U.S. PIRG released its 5th annual scorecard of state spending transparency, evaluating how well the fifty states provide online access to data about government spending. “Following the Money 2014: How the 50 States Rate in Providing Online Access to Government Spending Continue reading State spending transparency report ranks 50 states
Spurred by fears that images and sounds from the Newtown massacre would wind up on the Internet or in a rumored Michael Moore documentary, Connecticut lawmakers hastily passed a law last June that prohibits the release of any homicide scene Continue reading Post-Newtown Privacy Legislation Panned By CBA
By James H. Smith, retired editor and president of the non-profit Connecticut Council on Freedom of Information When Connecticut legislators met in secret last session, working with the families of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings, they came Continue reading Legislative task force in Conn. adopts look, listen but do not copy (without a trip to the commission) rule
The biggest threat to freedom of information in Connecticut resides at the moment on the Task Force on Victim Privacy and the Public’s Right to Know. The task force is supposed to advise the legislature by 12/31/13 on it’s hastily Continue reading Expert Testimony for the Task Force on Victim Privacy and the Public’s Right to Know
In the wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy, it’s understandable that government officials may look for quick fixes, especially those that might relieve some of the victims’ anguish. But emotion-charged quick fixes and knee-jerk responses often bring devastating unintended consequences. Continue reading Victim’s Rights Can’t Trump Necessity of Transparency
