California governor orders end to shredding of sex offenders’ parole files

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered state officials to make the files of sex offenders available to the press and public. The order comes after a paroled sex offender was arrested for allegedly murdering a 17-year-old girl in San Diego County and the reluctant release of the parole files of the man who allegedly kidnapped a [...]

Leading gubernatorial candidates Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown need to show voters, by their own actions, that they are committed to transparency in government. Promises won’t cut it.

BY PETER SCHEER—As California voters begin the process of selecting the next  Governor of the ungovernable Golden State, the leading candidates owe them a demonstration of their commitment to government transparency.
All politicians are supportive of open-government “in principle;”  the question is whether they are committed in practice. The best test for that is a candidate’s [...]

California: Decision in favor of disclosure in kidnapping case adds starch to publics’ right to government records

A Superior Court  judge strengthened the Public Records Act by ruling that the press and the public had the right to access government records to answer questions about why parole officers did not check on registered sex offender Philip Garrido who had kidnapped a 12-year-old girl and held her captive for 18 years. -db
Contra Costa [...]

Watchdog group accuses VA of destroying documents on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among soldiers

The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed a Freedom of Information Act request in May of 2008 for records regarding PTSC among soldiers but has not received the relevant e-mails and records and now fear that the VA destroyed the documents. -db
AllGov
February 28, 2010
By Noel Brinkerhoff
After learning that the Department of Veterans Affairs [...]

California: Child welfare agencies stonewalling on children who died on their watch

The California Newspaper Publishers Association may sponsor revisions to current law requiring disclosure of children’s deaths to address the growing trend among state and county child welfare agencies to withhold information. -db

California Newspaper Publishers Association
February 22, 2010
There is a growing trend among the state and at least one county child welfare agency to withhold information [...]

Federal judge rules that Department of Justice must release memos for terrorist trial

In the case of the first Guantanamo detainee to be moved from military commission system to Article III court for trial on terrorism charges, a federal judge ruled that the Department of Justice must release their memos pertaining to the transfer of the accused terrorist. -db
New York Law Journal
February 25, 2010
By Mark Hamblett

Prosecutors must produce [...]

Federal government agencies: Transparency watch group assesses open data web pages

OMB Watch designated “leaders and laggards” after it conducted a study of government web pages designed to give citizens access to crucial information. -db
OMB Watch
February 23, 2010
Complying with requirements of the Open Government Directive (OGD), federal agencies launched transparency pages on their websites Feb. 6. The content and functionality of the pages varied from non-compliant [...]

Pennsyvania court fires on local agency for withholding names of Homeland Security contractors

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review will have access to the identities of contractors who supplied first responder equipment to local agencies. In making the records public, the commonwealth court said it found no reasonable public safety argument in favor of withholding the names. -db

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
February 11, 2010
By Cristina Abello

A Pennsylvania agency [...]

Federal appeals court orders disclosure of names of telecom lobbyists

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the government must reveal name of lobbyists who working for retroactive liability protection for telecom companies who participated in warrantless surveillance of U.S. citizens after 9/11. -db
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
February 10, 2010
By Sherri M. Okamoto
The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday ruled that the government was required [...]

UC Santa Barbara student newspaper staff asks for law requiring transparency in UC student government

Blocked from reporting on student government spending decisions and irresponsible acts at UC Santa Barbara, the student newspaper staff wrote a letter to California state officials and the legislature asking for a law to hold UC student governments to open government standards. -db
Daily Nexus
February 9, 2010
By Nexus Staff
To Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, UC President Mark Yudof, [...]

News organizations hopeful about obtaining parole documents of alleged kidnapper

A Sacramento judge tentatively ruled that the state must hand over Phillip Garrido’s parole records. Garrido has been charged with the kidnap of an 11-year-old girl and keeping her in captivity for 18 years. -db
The Sacramento Bee
February 5, 2010
By Sam Stanton
A Sacramento judge issued a tentative ruling Thursday that would require state corrections officials [...]

Supreme Court scuttles plan for televising Prop 8 trial

In another 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that given the notoriety of the same-sex marriage trial and that the public had insufficient time to comment on the decision to televise the trial, there would be no live telecasts or delayed broadcasts on YouTube. The Court did not rule on whether any federal trial [...]

Public has right of access to publicly-funded research

It seems obvious that the public should have free access to studies funded with their tax dollars. EFF senior staff attorney Corynne McSherry says the public needs to express its support for a new initiative from the Obama administration to allow taxpayers access to research supported by a wide range of government agencies. -DB
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Opinion
January [...]

Atherton: Pay-out to former police officer not reported to residents

In settling a claim by a retired police officer involving sexual harassment and disability, Atherton officials failed to make the settlement public until a month later. -DB

The Almanac
January 6, 2010
By Andrea Gemmet
Atherton officials said that the failure to inform residents about a $230,000 pay-out to a former police officer was an oversight, and one that [...]

Federal court upholds secrecy on surveillance records

A federal appeals court ruled that the government could refuse to confirm or deny the existence of electronic surveillance records as an exception under the Freedom of Information Act. Former Guantanamo Bay detainees had requested records of the warrantless surveillance. -DB

JURIST
January 01, 2010
By Christian Ehret
The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit [official [...]

Federal judge orders military to produce documents on gravesite of Taliban fighters

A federal district judge ordered the U.S. Central Command to find documents on a mass gravesite of Taliban fighters who surrendered in 2001 but died of asphyxiation and other causes while being transported to prison. -DB
Courthouse News Service
December 31, 2009
By Avery Fellow
A federal judge ordered U.S. Central Command to dig deeper in its search for [...]

Obama administration releases September White House visitor logs

In a move that signals a change in practice from a year ago, the Obama administration released its log of White House visitors for September 16-30 along with 2,000 records from before September 16. -DB

Sunlight Foundation
Commentary
December 30, 2009
By Daniel Schuman
Today the White House released its log of White House visitors for the period of September [...]

Federal judge orders release of government evidence pertaining to ‘no-fly list’

A federal judge in San Francisco ordered the Transportation Security Administration to disclose evidence showing that a Malaysian Muslim studying at Stanford University belonged on the federal government’s no-fly list. She was denied entry to the U.S. and lost her student visa. -DB

Courthouse News Service
December 21, 2009
By Annie Youderian

A federal judge in San Francisco ordered [...]

Freedom of Information Act request garners oversight report of alleged illegal intelligence activities

In response to its FOIA lawsuit in July, the Electronic Frontier Foundation saw the government release an intelligence oversight report that reveals intelligence activities some believe are illegal. -DB

Electronic Frontier Foundation
December 16, 2009
By Nate Cardozo
Today the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of State, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the National [...]

New rule allows public access to administrative records of California courts

The California Judicial Council approved a new Rule of Court this week giving the public a right of access to administrative records of Superior and Appellate courts and the Administrative Office of the Courts. The rule will be in effect January of next year and is modeled after the California Public Records Act. -DB

Legislative Bulletin
California [...]

California politicians pay for campaign reporting violations

California’s Fair Political Practices Commission fined a number of political candidates and committees for among other things failing to report contributions and expenses. -DB

Courthouse News Service
December 15, 2009
By Elizabeth Banicki
California political candidates, commissioners and committees were fined from $200 to more than $100,000 for campaign reporting violations, including failing to report contributions and expenses, making [...]

Government task force proposes new policy for limiting distribution of unclassified but sensitive information

An Obama administration task force has released a report suggesting replacing more than 100 different markings now used to curtail the distribution of sensitive but unclassified information. Recommended changes would reduce inconsistency in practice across agencies and over-protection of information. -DB

Secrecy News
Federation of American Scientists
Opinion
December 15, 2009
By Steven Aftergood
The government should replace the more than [...]

Millions of missing Bush administration e-mails turn up

White House computer technicians discovered 22 million e-mails lost during the Bush administration. Two groups had filed Freedom of Information Act requests for the e-mails in connection to the firing of U.S. attorneys and the Valerie Plame-CIA scandal. -DB
Wired
December 14, 2009
By Kim Zetter
White House computer technicians have found 22 million e-mails that were believed to [...]

Congress investigates whistle-blower site WikiLeaks

After publishing a number of high-profile leaks on its site, WikiLeaks has been made the target of Congressional investigations and possible criminal charges. -DB

Citizen Media Law Project
Opinion
December 11, 2009
By Kimberley Isbell

The holiday season is in full swing, as evidenced by the marked uptick in the number of gift-giving guides clogging up my browser.
We here [...]

Experts say Posterous and Tumblr may promote government transparency

Some praise the speed and ease of social media such as Posterous and Tumblr and suggest that government agencies could use them to attract more readers to important government studies. But one open government expert urges caution in that Posterous and Tumblr are closed, proprietary systems, and there is no substitute for the government publishing its primary [...]

Court rules campaign for California’s Prop. 8 prohibiting same-sex marriage does not have to reveal memos

Citing First Amendment concerns, a federal appeals court ruled that backers of Proposition 8 banning same-sex marriage do not have to give up campaign strategy documents. Prop. 8 opponents had tried to gain access to internal memos and e-mails to show that the campaign exploited prejudice against gays and lesbians. -DB
San Francisco Chronicle
December 12, 2009
Chronicle [...]

Obama administration unveils 20 open government initiatives for federal agencies

The Obama administration announced that each of 20 federal agencies would provide an initiative to open government records to the public helping to fulfill an inaugural address promise for greater transparency in the federal government. -DB

Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
December 10, 2009
By Miranda Fleschert

Each of the 20 cabinet departments has unveiled a new open [...]

Watchdog group seeks access to long sought White House visitor logs

Judicial Watch is suing the Secret Service for access to unreleased visitor legs requested under the Freedom of Information Act. The government cited national security concerns for some of the logs. -DB

Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
December 10, 2009
By Miranda Fleschert

Mere weeks after the White House began publishing select visitor logs online, the conservative [...]

Ventura: Citizens trying to save library claim information withheld about city finances

A group of Ventura citizens is asking the Grand Jury to investigate whether the city deliberately withheld information that showed there was sufficient money to keep the H.P. Wright Library open. The citizens also claim the city violated the Brown Act, the state’s open government law. -DB

Ventura County Reporter

December 10, 2009
By Paul Sisolak
After a sit-in [...]

City government data released to public mined for useful information

Cities around the country are now releasing large amounts of data to programmers and the public. In Washington, D.C., a web site “Stumble Safely” uses public data to plot safe ways home for customers of bars and restaurants. -DB

The New York Times
December 7, 2009
By Claire Cain Miller
SAN FRANCISCO — A big pile of city crime [...]

Connecticut Catholic diocese forced to release documents of allegations of priests’ sexual abuse

After losing a seven-year fight to keep documents of priests’ sex abuse sealed, the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut released the documents that reveal graphic descriptions of abuse and the failure of the Diocese to act on parents’ complaints about the priests. -DB
The Hartford Courant
December 2, 2009
By Dave Altimari, Edmund H. Mahony, Matthew Kauffman and Alaine [...]

Major tech firms helping to advance open government

Adobe, Google and Microsoft are putting up both money and tech resources to help the Obama administration improve government transparency. -DB

OMB Watch
November 24, 2009
In addition to nonprofit organizations, educational groups, and individual advocates, corporations have recently begun to stake out positions in the ongoing open government dialogue. Among these private sector actors are Adobe, Google, [...]

Expenditures of Congressional representatives go online

For the first time, the public will be able to examine online House of Representatives records to see what their Congress men and women have been spending with the potential of greatly increasing trust and accountability. -DB

Sunlight Foundation Blog
November 30, 2009
By John Wonderlich
The U.S. House is expected today to release the quarterly Statement of Disbursements online [...]

ACLU argues hiding torture photos weakens democracy

ACLU Blog Manager Suzanne Ito says that in keeping the torture photos secret, the Obama administration is setting a dangerous precedent by preventing public scrutiny of government misconduct and stifling ideas that could make government operations more just and effective. -DB

American Civil Liberties Union
Opinion
December 1, 2009
By Suzanne Ito

Yesterday, the Supreme Court sent back to an [...]

Citizen sets deadline for school district in delivering overdue salary records

Under California law, government agencies have ten days to fulfill public information requests, but as of last week, in response to a citizen’s inquiry, the Glendale Unified School District has not supplied full records of employees who make more than $100,000. -DB
Glendale News Press
November 23, 2009
By Max Zimbert

GLENDALE — Brian Ellis’ months-long quest for a [...]

Obama administration working to derail declassification order

The Obama administration wants to delay an order to declassify historical records at least 25 years old to allow government agencies time to review the records. -DB
Secrecy News
Federation of American Scientists
Commentary
November 23, 2009
By Steven Aftergood

Development of a new executive order on classification of national security information is now proceeding at an accelerated pace in order to [...]

A&A: Denial of access to records during business hours

Q: On at least four occasions , I have gone to the Park and Recreation Department to review public records (on site, in the building) during normal business hours and I have been sent away. If at all possible, I would like to file a motion this week to force the department to allow me [...]

Secretary of Defense blocks release of torture photos

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates used powers granted to him under new legislation passed last month to exempt the photos of abuse of detainees from the Freedom of Information Act. The new law provides exemptions for records deemed harmful to national security. -DB

American Civil Liberties Union
Press Release
November 14, 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a brief filed late [...]

Treasury Department charges over half million dollars to supply FOIA documents

In one of the largest bills ever for a FOIA request, the Treasury Department is asking a Missouri attorney to pay $522,886 for records he requested four years ago. The records concern the frozen assets of a former Libyan-backed company in the United States who Wood says owes his law firm legal fees. -DB
Wired
November [...]

Redding newspaper sues fire district for records on investigation of ex-fire chief

The Redding Record Searchlight has asked the county superior court to release documents on alleged mismanagement and misconduct by an ex-fire chief. The chief resigned last July. -DB

Redding Record Searchlight
November 10, 2009
By Jim Schultz

The Record Searchlight on Monday sued the Anderson Fire Protection District to obtain an investigator’s report on the conduct of its former [...]

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