Governor launches a program to push staff emails online
From Miami Herald: Gov. Rick Scott launched a new open records program Thursday dubbed "Project Sunburst," designed to give the public -- and the media -- access to the emails to and from the governor...
View ArticleOpen government and Florida's Project Sunburst
From Sunlight Foundation: Two weeks, Florida’s Governor Rick Scott held a press conference, announcing the launch of an ambitious project that will allow online access to much of his email...
View ArticleRoundhouse Roundup: Las Vegas emails and 'leaking' public records
From The Santa Fe New Mexican: Gov. Susana Martinez isn't the first New Mexico politician to cause controversy by using private email accounts to communicate about public policy. Three years ago in...
View Article115 new Sebring emails released on judge's ruling
From The Des Moines Register: Additional email exchanges between former Des Moines schools superintendent Nancy Sebring and her male lover became public Friday after a Polk County judge refused to...
View ArticleCity prevails in former employee's public records lawsuit, Florida
From The Gainesville Sun: A circuit court judge has ruled that the city of Gainesville did not violate the state's public records law by requiring that a former employee pay some $40,000 in advance to...
View ArticlePersonal calendar reveals DeMaio met with Manchester, Ca.
From I-Newsource: San Diego mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio keeps a private calendar that shows he had appointments with newspaper owner Doug Manchester in December and in May, despite his office...
View ArticleEditorial: "E" in "email" should not stand for "evasion"
By Kenneth F. Bunting from NFOIC: COLUMBIA, Mo. – Soon after getting the first CNN producer’s message asking about my availability for a live, next-morning segment with their anchor, I responded...
View ArticleNMFOG urges public officials to use official email accounts
Position piece from New Mexico Foundation for Open Government's executive director Gwyneth Doland: It has long been our understanding that a public record is a public record no matter where it is...
View ArticleD.C. Open Government Coalition FOIA lawsuit prompts change in D.C. Council...
Council changes rules, issues new interpretation to settle FOIA case D.C. Councilmembers and staff cannot avoid the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by doing business on personal, rather than...
View ArticleNew Mexico solons claim right to keep official emails private
From The Washington Examiner:SANTA FE -- It may be Sunshine Week -- a nationwide initiative focused on the importance of access to public documents and information -- but New Mexico lawmakers are...
View ArticleAccidentally released text messages give peek at O'Malley discussions
From The Baltimore Sun: The text messages were pinging to and from Gov. Martin O'Malley's BlackBerry. It was the latter part of October, and Election Day was just around the corner. [...]read more
View ArticleThe government can’t hide behind Gmail
From San Diego City Beat: I love public records laws like a firefighter loves his ax. I love the heft of the federal Freedom of Information Act (or the California Public Records Act) when I slam it...
View ArticleOfficials wrestle with disclosure requirements for private emails
From East County Magazine: May 2, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – The First Amendment Coalition has issued advice to public officials in light of a court ruling that found private e-mails used by San...
View Article#FOISummit brief: Digital Dodges and the Email Sleight of Hand
Robert Becker, Lori Mince and Joey Senat discussed best practices and best outcomes when issues related to email and digital communications are legislated or litigated in states. The panel was...
View ArticleTop political appointees use secret email accounts
From Yahoo: WASHINGTON (AP) — Some of President Barack Obama's political appointees, including the secretary for Health and Human Services, are using secret government email accounts they say are...
View ArticleNewly released emails show EPA director’s extensive use of fictional alter ego
From The Washington Times: Richard Windsor never existed at the EPA, but the agency awarded the fictional staffer’s email account certificates proving he had mastered all of the agency’s technology...
View ArticleU.S. chief records officer details federal e-mail record-keeping programs
From The Washington Post: After the Associated Press reported this month that some Obama Cabinet officials have used alternative e-mail accounts in addition to government addresses to conduct federal...
View ArticleNFOIC's State FOIA Friday for June 28, 2013
A few state FOIA and local open government news items selected from many of interest that we might or might not have drawn attention to earlier in the week. While you're at it, be sure to check out...
View ArticleCounty transit district (Cal.) set to change email retention policy
From inewsource: In the midst of an inewsource investigation and with state and federal agencies eyeing its practices, the North County Transit District is considering a policy change that would...
View ArticleSheriff turns emails over to feds after Story County resists
From Des Moines Register: Story County Sheriff Paul Fitzgerald has provided more than 7,100 of his emails to a federal agency as part of a legal dispute with the U.S. government that involves a $7...
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