Secrecy creep: Great idea for an FOI story
An AP story in West Virginia is a great example of quantifying "secrecy creep" in your state. Research how many exemptions have been added to your state law since it was enacted.
West Virginia’s Legislature has carved out nearly 100 exceptions to
the state’s public records and open meetings laws since crafting them
three decades ago, a review by The Associated Press has found.
From
the results of regulatory probes to the location of endangered wild
animals and rare plants, lawmakers have steadily added limits to the
public’s right to know. Such additions are necessary, legislators say.
Open records advocates disagree.
Read the whole story in the Gazette-Mail.