Welcome to SPJ Blogs Sign in | Join | Help

July 2007 - Posts

Friday, July 27, 2007 2:21 PM

Journalists asked to help stop move to close criminal records

Reporters Committee urges ABA to reject access limit on criminal justice records July 26, 2007 The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press urges the American Bar Association to reject proposed resolutions that would drastically
posted by JoelCampbell | 0 Comments
Wednesday, July 25, 2007 10:12 PM

FOI committee asks San Diego PD to restore credentials

July 25, 2007     Chief William M. Lansdowne San Diego Police Department 1401 Broadway San Diego, CA 92101 SENT VIA EMAIL, FAX AND MAIL   Dear Chief Lansdowne:   The Society of Professional Journalists,
posted by JoelCampbell | 0 Comments
Wednesday, July 25, 2007 1:44 AM

States rate low on governors' disclosure survey

The Center for Public Integrity reports 21 states failed to make basic information about the private financial interests of their governors available to the public, according to a six-month survey of state disclosure laws by the Center for Public
posted by JoelCampbell | 0 Comments
Tuesday, July 24, 2007 11:23 PM

HIPAA strikes again!

Illinois has rejected a request to provide information on a state-run children's insurance program. The reason? It's an invasion of privacy under a federal health privacy law. But the State Journal-Register didn't even ask for names, just general enrollment
posted by JoelCampbell | 0 Comments
Tuesday, July 24, 2007 11:09 PM

Seattle Times: Let FOIA reform bill go

The federal Freedom of Information Act is 41 years old and showing its age.Technology has changed the landscape in and out of government. The backlog of FOIA requests is huge — The Seattle Times has a pending request with the Department of Energy
posted by JoelCampbell | 1 Comments
Tuesday, July 24, 2007 10:53 PM

Unnamed until proven guilty?

Long-time SPJer and Tennessee Sunshine Chair Frank Gibson writes about a 34-year-old lawsuit that could keep police from releasing criminal defendants' names until they are found guilty. The case is a chilling and complicated one and raises some very
posted by JoelCampbell | 0 Comments
Tuesday, July 24, 2007 10:50 PM

Arkansas court sets bad FOIA precedent

A sharply divided Arkansas Supreme Court ordered Pulaski County Circuit Judge Mary McGowan to sift through some 600 e-mails of a former county employee to determine whether the e-mails were of a public nature or were personal correspondence. The
posted by JoelCampbell | 0 Comments
Monday, July 23, 2007 5:28 PM

NY Times: Let Sunshine In

The New York Time's David Carr cites the problems with the Freedom of Information Act, including a reference to SPJ's outing of Sen. Kyl on holding up the reform bill. (Registration may be required). See the article.
posted by JoelCampbell | 0 Comments
Thursday, July 19, 2007 1:21 AM

Michigan Senate posts staff salaries online

LANSING, Mich. -- The Michigan State Senate has posted the salaries of its employees on a Web site. The decision announced Monday came after the Lansing State Journal last month created an Internet database with salary information for state employees.
posted by JoelCampbell | 0 Comments
Thursday, July 19, 2007 1:08 AM

USA Today and Sen. Kyl offer opinions about FOIA reform

USA Today called for changes in the Freedom of Information Act while Sen. Jon Kyl tells why he thinks there is flaws in the bill that sponsors say would fix the act.
posted by JoelCampbell | 0 Comments
Tuesday, July 17, 2007 12:15 AM

Calif. media organizations seek to keep day laborer records open

Three California news organizations are seeking to join a court fight over whether to keep public the names of employers who hire day laborers in Vista. The Union-Tribune, Los Angeles Times and the California Newspaper Publishers Association want
posted by JoelCampbell | 0 Comments
Tuesday, July 17, 2007 12:12 AM

S.D. study: Records law needs work

South Dakota needs a better definition of public records, Attorney General Larry Long says in the summary of a year-long study of open government.Long said he’ll recommend that the Legislature make changes in state laws that deal with open and closed
posted by JoelCampbell | 0 Comments
Tuesday, July 17, 2007 12:06 AM

S.C. Supreme Court says superintendent search should have been open

A school district violated the state's Freedom of Information Act by not releasing information on the finalists for a superintendent job, the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled Monday. "FOIA must be construed so as to make it possible for citizens
posted by JoelCampbell | 0 Comments
Tuesday, July 03, 2007 12:20 PM

Four agencies have pending FOIA requests older than 15 years

Knight Open Government Survey by National Security Archive Finds agencies mislead Congress on oldest requests Freedom of Information Act audit finds systematic failures in tracking, processing, reporting, and no penaltiesFor More Information Contact:
posted by JoelCampbell | 0 Comments