Transparency News – February 2019

February 22, 2019

Washington State

• Public-records debate in Olympia may be decided in court
• Freedom Foundation sues Attorney General Ferguson over public records
• Port Angeles City Council to mull fees for public records
• Legislative records bill stalls in Washington Senate
• Editorial: Lawmakers still want to keep secrets from Washingtonians
• Editorial: Legislature misguided in latest public-records dodge

Outside Washington State

In the Courts

• California Police Transparency Law Applies Retroactively, Judge Rules – CA
• California AG Sued Over His Refusal to Release Police Records Under New Law – CA
• Sports website suing University of Northern Colorado over open records – CO

Laws, Legislation, Policy

• Lawmakers Approve Bill To Punish Government Workers Who Destroy Public Records – VA
• The OPEN Government Data Act is now law – USA
• Committee hears bill to withhold private historical collections from public – NE
• Some state legislators attempting to make even more official records off limits to the public – TN
• Public records harassment bill likely to be amended to back online transparency – TN
• Bill would open records of university foundation – NM

Transparency and Open Government

• Records ordeal reveals conflicts about dealing with racism – OR
• Amazon HQ2 v. NYC is a lesson on the importance of transparency
• ‘Old-school’ Philadelphia Mayor deleted years’ worth of cell phone text messages – PA
• Palo Alto police won’t release misconduct files despite new law – CA
• Interior Dept.’s Push To Limit Public Records Requests Draws Criticism – USA
• Atlanta City Council approves new task force on ethics, transparency – GA
• How the government shutdown crippled HUD’s public records system – USA

Privacy, Security, Technology

• Texas lawmakers look to the “cloud” for storing sensitive government data – TX
• Cisco joins Apple in calling for a US version of GDPR data protection and privacy laws

Records Management, Archives

• Disney’s archivist Dave Smith spent 40 years preserving the history of an American icon
• Poor record keeping keeps public in dark – Int’l (Cayman Islands)
• Archives law push must succeed for sake of good governance – Int’l (Hong Kong)

February 15, 2019

Washington State

• WACOG Legislative Update tracks 77 bills impacting open government
• Public records laws under scrutiny as lawmakers submit new changes
• Legislative committee to hear Washington lawmakers’ new public-records bill
• State reps seek privacy protection for agency employees (HB 1692)
• Court tags Tacoma police with $1.77 million in penalties for withholding public records
• Public Disclosure Requests Available Online in U.P.
• Washington state to see second bill extending public records act to legislators
• County Judge approves release of sexual harassment report regarding WWU professor

Outside Washington State

In the Courts

• Georgia files first criminal charges for open records violations – GA
• Appeals court affirms judges can release secret grand jury records – GA
• Bill seeks to restrict records access after Standing Rock reporting exposed law enforcement abuses – ND
• Town sued, will settle another public records lawsuit over animal shelter – NJ
• Judge rules in favor of releasing some police personnel records – CA

Laws, Legislation, Policy

• Bill Proposes More Transparency About State Judges – MD
• House lawmakers roll out bill to make court records free – USA
• Johnson County representatives split on the passage of bill closing public records – MO
• Politicians, most police oppose Cuomo’s arrest info bill – NY
• Police transparency advocates push bill to ease public release of officer discipline records – MD
• Body cameras, 911, and accident reports: How lawmakers want to change public records laws – TN

Transparency and Open Government

• GOP Warns That Releasing Trump’s Taxes Could Lead to More Transparency – USA
• How keeping electronic surveillance records sealed threatens journalists, source communications
• Cities taking cue from AG’s decision not to disclose police disciplinary files – CA
• HUD’s System for Processing Public Records Requests Died During the Shutdown – USA
• Debate Over Charter School Transparency Rooted In D.C.’s Struggle For Local Governance – DC
• MuckRock: Release of FOIA-a-matic tool and a chance to share your request ideas

Privacy, Security, Technology

• Why Email Has Become a Serious, and Costly, Risk
• Two bills filed to keep Arkansas lottery winners confidential – AR
• Microsoft Backs Facial Recognition Bill as Amazon Mulls Support 
• Why Security Breaches Just Keep Getting Bigger and More Expensive

Records Management, Archives

• File under Fascinating – the history of filing
• Preservation Acts: Toward an ethical archive of the web
• Archives law push must succeed for sake of good governance – International

February 8, 2019

Washington State

• Lawmakers propose limits on scope of Public Records Act for Legislature
• Wapato agrees to $130k in payouts as administrator accuses requesters of shakedown tactics
• Border Patrol arrests kept secret
• Lawmakers propose new bill, still largely exempting themselves from public records law
• Secrecy Round 2: After last year’s showdown over closing public records, what now?
• Peninsula legislators comment on public disclosure, suicide bills
• Opinion: Peekaboo transparency won’t do
• Transparency reforms gaining some traction
• Editorial: New legislative records proposal fails on public transparency

Outside Washington State

In the Courts

• Idaho judge urged to force disclosure of execution drugs – ID
• Newspaper sues secretary of state for access to full voter database – RI
• Opinion: It shouldn’t take audits and lawsuits for government to be transparent – HI

Laws, Legislation, Policy 

• Bill could keep child abuse information and state’s response to it hidden – IN
• Governor issues transparency directive amid public records push – MI
• Baltimore legislation would black out city officials’ addresses in ethics filings – MD
• Proposed legislation requires greater transparency from Army Corps to protect public health
• Public Comments Pour In About Interior Department’s Plan For New FOIA Limitations – USA
• Oak Park reverses public records change; reinstates village clerk as chief FOIA official – IL
• Bills involving public records raise cost, expunction issues – NM
• State Police refuses to disclose union rep pay records, adding to list of hidden public records – MA

Transparency and Open Government

• Portland let e-scooter companies dictate withholding of public records – OR
• Cops are battling journalists over California’s new police transparency law – CA
• Updated public records database could improve government transparency – VT
• UK forum hands out records request-dodging guidance to over 100 government agencies – Int’l
• Opinion: House GOP caucus is a public body, should release records – SC
• UI racks up public record denials; requests improperly blocked 63 percent of the time – IL
• Rhode Island ACLU highlights exemption in access to public records – RI
• Should D.C. charter schools follow the same rules as traditional campuses? – DC

Privacy, Security, Technology

• Why security breaches just keep getting bigger and more expensive
• Opinion: Law restricting disclosure of victim’s names working as intended – FL

Records Management, Archives

• WA Archives: Browse and search historical publications with new Digital Newspapers website
• National Archives Grant Opportunities
• National Archives: African American History – USA

February 1, 2019

Washington State

• After showdown on legislative transparency in Olympia, Seattle senator offers a compromise
• New Washington State privacy bill incorporates some GDPR concepts
• Legislative public records subject of new bill in Washington
• Federal court in Seattle will begin disclosing surveillance records
• Legislative Update – Washington Coalition for Open Government

Outside Washington State

In the Courts

• Trial begins in lawsuit over Idaho execution records – ID
• County judge delays release of police misconduct records at request of deputies’ union – CA
• Google settlement case prompts concerns over interpretation of public-records act – RI

Laws, Legislation, Policy 

• House gets bill to withhold names of victims – NM
• The United Utah Party pushes for all legislative bills to be made public – UT
• Scramble to produce a new public records bill bears fruit – WY

Transparency and Open Government

• Transparency advocates push email changes for public leaders – WI
• Missouri lawmakers wrestling with ballot measure’s transparency requirement – MO
• Public business, private email – MI
• Newspapers argue for release of pill data – WV
• In Panama, Pope calls for ‘culture of greater transparency’ among public officials – International
• Chief calls for balance under new Police Records Transparency Law – CA

Privacy, Security, Technology

• Decision to withhold Florida bank victim names tests new law – FL
• One Man’s Obsessive Fight to Reclaim His Cambridge Analytica Data
• Citing privacy concerns, OSHA to roll back electronic record-keeping requirements
• 14 Ways to Create a Secure Password in 2019 (That you’ll Remember)

Records Management, Archives

• Why You Should Switch from Microfiche and Microfilm to Digital
• Majority of Iceland’s Regional Archives Not Prepared for Disaster – International
• Ghana Public records to be digitized – International 
• Disclosure of Era Naming Records Remains Uncertain after Date Revision – International (Japan)
• Plans for priceless Indigenous audio/video archive purchased for $1 – International (Canada)
• Foreign Office admits to destroying files regarding uprising in Sri Lanka – International (Britain)

February 15, 2019

Washington State

• WACOG Legislative Update tracks 77 bills impacting open government
• Public records laws under scrutiny as lawmakers submit new changes
• Legislative committee to hear Washington lawmakers’ new public-records bill
• State reps seek privacy protection for agency employees (HB 1692)
• Court tags Tacoma police with $1.77 million in penalties for withholding public records
• Public Disclosure Requests Available Online in U.P.
• Washington state to see second bill extending public records act to legislators
• County Judge approves release of sexual harassment report regarding WWU professor

Outside Washington State

In the Courts

• Georgia files first criminal charges for open records violations – GA
• Appeals court affirms judges can release secret grand jury records – GA
• Bill seeks to restrict records access after Standing Rock reporting exposed law enforcement abuses – ND
• Town sued, will settle another public records lawsuit over animal shelter – NJ
• Judge rules in favor of releasing some police personnel records – CA

Laws, Legislation, Policy

• Bill Proposes More Transparency About State Judges – MD
• House lawmakers roll out bill to make court records free – USA
• Johnson County representatives split on the passage of bill closing public records – MO
• Politicians, most police oppose Cuomo’s arrest info bill – NY
• Police transparency advocates push bill to ease public release of officer discipline records – MD
• Body cameras, 911, and accident reports: How lawmakers want to change public records laws – TN

Transparency and Open Government

• GOP Warns That Releasing Trump’s Taxes Could Lead to More Transparency – USA
• How keeping electronic surveillance records sealed threatens journalists, source communications
• Cities taking cue from AG’s decision not to disclose police disciplinary files – CA
• HUD’s System for Processing Public Records Requests Died During the Shutdown – USA
• Debate Over Charter School Transparency Rooted In D.C.’s Struggle For Local Governance – DC
• MuckRock: Release of FOIA-a-matic tool and a chance to share your request ideas

Privacy, Security, Technology

• Why Email Has Become a Serious, and Costly, Risk
• Two bills filed to keep Arkansas lottery winners confidential – AR
• Microsoft Backs Facial Recognition Bill as Amazon Mulls Support 
• Why Security Breaches Just Keep Getting Bigger and More Expensive

Records Management, Archives

• File under Fascinating – the history of filing
• Preservation Acts: Toward an ethical archive of the web
• Archives law push must succeed for sake of good governance – International

February 8, 2019

Washington State

• Lawmakers propose limits on scope of Public Records Act for Legislature
• Wapato agrees to $130k in payouts as administrator accuses requesters of shakedown tactics
• Border Patrol arrests kept secret
• Lawmakers propose new bill, still largely exempting themselves from public records law
• Secrecy Round 2: After last year’s showdown over closing public records, what now?
• Peninsula legislators comment on public disclosure, suicide bills
• Opinion: Peekaboo transparency won’t do
• Transparency reforms gaining some traction
• Editorial: New legislative records proposal fails on public transparency

Outside Washington State

In the Courts

• Idaho judge urged to force disclosure of execution drugs – ID
• Newspaper sues secretary of state for access to full voter database – RI
• Opinion: It shouldn’t take audits and lawsuits for government to be transparent – HI

Laws, Legislation, Policy 

• Bill could keep child abuse information and state’s response to it hidden – IN
• Governor issues transparency directive amid public records push – MI
• Baltimore legislation would black out city officials’ addresses in ethics filings – MD
• Proposed legislation requires greater transparency from Army Corps to protect public health
• Public Comments Pour In About Interior Department’s Plan For New FOIA Limitations – USA
• Oak Park reverses public records change; reinstates village clerk as chief FOIA official – IL
• Bills involving public records raise cost, expunction issues – NM
• State Police refuses to disclose union rep pay records, adding to list of hidden public records – MA

Transparency and Open Government

• Portland let e-scooter companies dictate withholding of public records – OR
• Cops are battling journalists over California’s new police transparency law – CA
• Updated public records database could improve government transparency – VT
• UK forum hands out records request-dodging guidance to over 100 government agencies – Int’l
• Opinion: House GOP caucus is a public body, should release records – SC
• UI racks up public record denials; requests improperly blocked 63 percent of the time – IL
• Rhode Island ACLU highlights exemption in access to public records – RI
• Should D.C. charter schools follow the same rules as traditional campuses? – DC

Privacy, Security, Technology

• Why security breaches just keep getting bigger and more expensive
• Opinion: Law restricting disclosure of victim’s names working as intended – FL

Records Management, Archives

• WA Archives: Browse and search historical publications with new Digital Newspapers website
• National Archives Grant Opportunities
• National Archives: African American History – USA