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January 26, 2018
Washington State
- Legislature appeals to state Supreme Court in public-records case
- 9 Lindquist text messages are public records, judge rules, setting stage for more fines and payouts
- Editorial: Yes, lawmakers’ records are subject to public disclosure (Union-Bulletin)
- Editorial: Lawmakers should not fight ruling in public-records case (Seattle Times)
- Editorial: Legislature, listen carefully to the judge (Olympian)
- Editorial: Editorial: Judge rightly applies records law to legislators (Herald)
- Editorial: In Our View: Do People’s Work in Open (Columbian)
- Editorial: Score one for government transparency (News Tribune)
Outside Washington State
Laws, Legislation, & Policy
- Spaceport takes second try at privacy act, exemptions – NM
- Co-head of Virginia’s FOIA council introduces bill to make state’s court system even more opaque – VA
- Bipartisan bill would mandate right-to-know records be provided by email – NH
In The Courts
- Public citizen sues OSHA over workplace safety records – USA
- Property owner sues Mount Vernon for public records – NY
- Court decision bars disclosure of school district investigative costs – CA
- City sued overs sunshine law and texting – FL
- County sues AG to keep disappearance investigation records confidential – TX
- Delaware settles FOIA lawsuit with ex-treasurer over former Governor’s correspondence – DE
- Former top political aide found guilty of destroying documents in gas plants case – International (Canada)
Transparency & Withholding
- Iowa transparency board rejects Globe Gazette open records complaint – IA
- AG proposes three steps to reinforce Missouri’s open-records laws – MO
Privacy, Security, Technology
- Pentagon employees warned not to use personal email, texts for official business – USA
- FBI ‘failed to preserve’ five months of text messages between anti-Trump FBI agents – USA
- Should men’s salaries be made public to solve the gender pay gap? – International (Germany)
Records Management & Archives
- At HUD, it takes too long to find electronically stored documents and data – USA
- Citizen scientist’s historical records make him an accidental apostle among climate researchers
- The uncertain future of handwriting: Is cursive an evolutionary dodo?
- New technology reads ancient documents without opening them
January 19, 2018
Washington State
- Edmonds City Council moves forward with new fees for electronic public records
- Advocates probe WA State DOL’s relationship to ICE in FOIA Request
- City of Langley settles public records lawsuit; mayor takes issue with claim
- Opinion: Fight to keep lawmakers’ records secret is a dud case – and it’s costing taxpayers
Outside Washington State
Laws, Legislation, and Policy
- Representative seeks public records disclosure exemption for personal devices and accounts – AZ
- Private immigrant prisons in California now subject to Public Records Act – CA
- Fort Worth councilman doesn’t have to release results of website survey, AG rules – TX
- Opinion: Calling for broad Public Records Act reforms in Vermont – VT
- Senator wants to shield all court records from public view – VA
In The Courts
Transparency and Withholding
- The right to know might get you sued – OR
- Kentucky Governor fights release of Facebook page filter keywords – KY
- FOIC rules city violated open records laws by withholding Meriden city attorney’s letter of discipline – CT
- ‘The Post’: A reminder of the importance of the courts in defending the public’s right to know
- Local governments won’t say what they’re offering Amazon
Privacy, Security, and Technology
January 12, 2018
Washington State
- Attorney General says lawmaker records are subject to disclosure
- Legislators might not be able to hide things by refusing records requests
- Jefferson County sued over records delay
- UW to hold public hearing on governing access to public records, copying
- History of the PRA: How Richard Nixon and Unsoeld gave Seattle the power to open big tech’s ad books
- MRSC: PRA Case Law Updates webinar Jan. 17, 2018
- JLARC: Updated FAQs on public records data collection metrics
Outside Washington State
Laws, Legislation, & Policy
- Local state rep behind bill that would shield chamber’s use of public money from FOIA – SC
- Nonprofits take note: Open meeting and records laws may apply to you – OK
- Proposed state laws worry transparency advocates – FL
- Georgia Senate bill would allow public access to court recordings – GA
- Deadlock, delay mark explorations Of Mass. public records law changes – MA
In The Courts
- 49 Alabama sheriffs being sued for access to public records – AL
- Court strikes down Baltimore abortion disclosure law – MD
- Mission Impossible? Attorneys sue Governor over disappearing texts – MO
- Court limits OPRA’s scope in request over prosecutor’s office employee’s resignation – NJ
- Editorial: Tallahassee records lawsuit settlement points to better times coming – FL
- Alaska Supreme Court: State wrong to deny records request – AK
Transparency & Withholding
- Oregon appoints public records law panelists – Sunshine Committee – OR
- Oregon’s first public records advocate has worked on both sides of transparency laws – OR
- After legal threats, CA legislature will grant new access to sexual misconduct allegation records – CA
- Minnesota open records law needs a name equal to its purpose – MN
- Year in review: Top 10 Kentucky open meetings and records stories – KY
- You are guaranteed the right to public records – but how easy is it actually to get them? – MI
- MuckRock: A toast to public records officers that tirelessly worked for transparency last year
- Propublica: I’ve sent out 1,018 Open Records Requests, and this is what I’ve learned – IL
Costs, Fees, Burdensome Requests
- Governing: Social media’s pitfalls for government
- Following towing investigation, borough labels public records requests ‘disruptive’ – PA
- How Pat McCrory’s public records policies cost NC taxpayers $250,000 – NC
Privacy, Security, Technology
Records Management & Archives
- Developing a records management program: The people part
- Blog: Data breaches are records management problems