The Pentagon is refusing to comply with Freedom of Information Act requests for specific data on the volume of subcontracts awarded by any of the nation's twelve largest defense contractors participating in the 25-year-old Comprehensive Subcontracting Plan Test Program.
Porn threatens network security of public institutions
One inquisitive General Services Administration employee has threatened the US agency's security by his/her rather enthusiastic pornography consumption in the workplace. According to records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, said employee would access pornographic content and dating sites for two hours a day, resulting in a phishing attack on GSA email accounts.
Utility companies are tearing up thousands of city streets to make repairs without permits
Supreme Court of Canada: limits on government disclosure include policy options
Three big open government funders help launch new ideas
Releasing Drone Program Memos Is Fundamental to Government Transparency
On May 13, the Center for Effective Government joined other open government organizations in urging Attorney General Eric Holder not to appeal the decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York Times Co. v. Department of Justice. In April, the Second Circuit ruled that the government must disclose the legal analysis justifying the government's drone-based targeted killing program, in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by the Times.
Vermont’s open meetings work is not finished
Editorial: Vote YES on Prop 42 if you value open-government. Vote no if you prefer secrecy
Civic hacking is taking off
The best and brightest in open government at TransparencyCamp 2014
It's Open Government Week at Opensource.com, and the Sunlight Foundation is celebrating by bringing amazing people and projects together in open government, open data, and civic hacking. Join like-minded folks at TransparencyCamp in Washington D.C. on May 30 and 31.
TransparencyCamp has brought together hundreds of people to share their knowledge about how to use new technologies and develop policies to make our government really work for the people—and to help people work smarter with our government.
Op-Ed: Right to know compromised
Editorial: Expand public access
Short of rewriting the Virginia Constitution, there is no better way to recast the relationship between citizens and state government than overhauling the Freedom of Information Act. The law enables oversight of officials who operate on the people's behalf, spends public money and should be subject to scrutiny.
42 Mingo County (WV) employees have county-owned vehicles
Judge: Fort Smith Police, City Must Comply With Requests In Whistle Blower Case
Court backs disclosure of public retiree names
New York's highest court Tuesday ordered that the names of retired teachers, police officers and other government workers be released publicly in a case that tested the power of the state Freedom of Information Law.
In the unanimous decisions, the Court of Appeals decided it was not an invasion of privacy to identify retirees benefitting from the state's various pension systems for public workers. The court, however, said the addresses of the individuals shouldn't be made public.
White House Official Accused of Trying to Hide Communications
Cause of Action asks court to stop FTC abuse of FOIA fee waiver authority
How do the federal courts define who is a legitimate "representative of the news media"? According to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, that's "any person or organization which regularly publishes or disseminates information to the public."
But does a nonprofit watchdog group that advocates and litigates on behalf of the public's right to know what the government is doing also qualify as a representative of the news media?
Editorial: The Latest Benghazi Freak-Out in 10 Sentences
Lawmakers file bills bolstering Delaware's FOIA laws
Four pieces of legislation that could increase transparency in government and strengthen Delaware's Freedom of Information Act were filed by Democratic lawmakers Tuesday.
The bills tackle posting of meeting minutes, mailed FOIA requests, publishing of annual reports and require an annual seminar for the state's FOIA coordinators.