Welcome to SPJ Blogs Sign in | Join | Help

October 2007 - Posts

Wednesday, October 31, 2007 2:29 PM

Some improvement being made in Pennsylvania open records bill, but it's still lacking

SPJ Pennsylvania Sunshine Chair Susan Schwartz reports today that headway is being made in improving the Pennsylvania open records bill. The House amended the bill Tuesday by stripping the exception for "burdensome" requests and they moved the open records
posted by DavidCuillier | 2 Comments
Tuesday, October 30, 2007 2:08 PM

Dallas e-mails regarding city business ruled public even when sent on personal Blackberry

A state district judge ruled that the city of Dallas must release e-mails regarding city business sent from city officials' personal accounts or hand-held devices. The Dallas Morning News had requested the e-mails in 2005 and had to take the city to court
posted by DavidCuillier | 0 Comments
Monday, October 29, 2007 4:27 PM

Georgia legislator proposes making violation of Open Records Act a felony

Here's an open records proposal with teeth. State Rep. Jill Chambers, R-Atlanta, said she plans to introduce a bill that would make it a felony, with a possible fine of up to $5,000, for violating the state Open Records Act. See story by The Associated
posted by DavidCuillier | 1 Comments
Monday, October 29, 2007 3:16 PM

Pa. governor countermands order hiding list of voting places

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell rescinded the state policy that kept secret the locations of polling locations around the state. Earlier, the Department of State refused to release the list citing the potential for terrorists to disrupt the election. A Rendell
posted by DonaldMeyers | 1 Comments
Friday, October 26, 2007 10:59 PM

Voting locations withheld in Pennsylvania for "security" purposes

Pennsylvania officials are refusing to publicize the location of polling places around the state on the grounds that terrorists may disrupt the election. Department of State spokeswoman Leslie Amoros said the decision was made in consultation with the
posted by DonaldMeyers | 1 Comments
Friday, October 26, 2007 3:54 PM

Tennessee proposal would make it easier for public bodies to meet secretly

A legislative committee decided Tuesday to allow members of state and local boards to meet in secret more often. Currently, Tennessee (and Florida) has one of the best open meeting law provisions in the nation by requiring a governing body to
posted by DavidCuillier | 2 Comments
Friday, October 26, 2007 3:36 PM

NY Times Editorial: NASA suppresses air traffic safety data

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, which has a mandate to enhance the safety of air travel, has been suppressing huge quantities of data that apparently show the risks for civilian aircraft are much higher than commonly estimated. The
posted by JoelCampbell | 1 Comments
Friday, October 26, 2007 3:30 PM

FEMA workers masquerade as reporters

This is an outrage!See entire AP story here.WASHINGTON -- One way to get decent coverage in this rough-and-tumble city is to arrange to have your own employees interrogate you at your news conference. That would seem to be the strategy of the Federal
posted by JoelCampbell | 1 Comments
Thursday, October 25, 2007 5:27 PM

New BGA/NFOIC study ranks states for openness: 38 receive an "F"

Today the Better Government Association and the National Freedom of Information Coalition released its ratings of open records laws, giving 38 out of 50 states an "F" grade. The study rated how well each state law addresses response time, appeals, expedited
posted by DavidCuillier | 3 Comments
Thursday, October 25, 2007 3:10 PM

Alabama journalists struggle with secrecy over victim names

Alabama Sunshine Chair Paul Cloos reports that journalists are struggling with new state legislation that moves victim name and other identifying information off the front page of police incident reports. While police are given authority to release the
posted by DavidCuillier | 4 Comments
Tuesday, October 23, 2007 5:15 PM

Cow directory information secret under proposed 2007 Farm Bill

A livestock directory listing the location of cows in the United States, their species, and the farmer's address and phone number would be kept secret under a proposed exemption to the Freedom of Information Act in the Senate's 2007 Farm Bill. The bill,
posted by DavidCuillier | 1 Comments
Tuesday, October 23, 2007 12:36 PM

Study: Minnesota ranks dead last for online disclosure of state contracts

A national study by Good Jobs First found that Minnesota is the worst state in the country for providing information about government contracts online. The study results won't be released by Good Jobs First until November, but the organization Growth
posted by DavidCuillier | 1 Comments
Tuesday, October 23, 2007 11:49 AM

SPJ urges Utah judge to back down on publish-or-perish order

A local SPJ chapter in Utah is urging a judge to back down on his demand that a TV reporter produce a public-service story or face jail as a consequence for unknowingly violating his order to not speak with potential jurors in the rape trial of a
posted by DavidCuillier | 0 Comments
Tuesday, October 23, 2007 11:37 AM

NASA hides air-safety study to protect airline profits

In one of the most disturbing examples of government secrecy for the wrong reasons, NASA refused to release an $8.5 million study of 24,000 commercial pilots that allegedly suggests that we are in far more danger on airplanes than previously known. The
posted by DavidCuillier | 2 Comments
Monday, October 22, 2007 10:00 PM

Pennsylvania open-records bill gutted with last-minute amendments

On Wednesday in the dark of night a Pennsylvania House committee slipped some amendments onto the open-records bill (HB 443) before moving it on to a potential full vote this week, perhaps Wednesday, Oct. 24. Common Cause, the press association and
posted by DavidCuillier | 3 Comments
Saturday, October 20, 2007 2:44 AM

Wisconsin continues open government seminars

The Wisconsin AG's still has three open meeting and records seminars left in its statewide series.See schedule.See guides to Wisconsin records and meetings laws.
posted by JoelCampbell | 0 Comments
Saturday, October 20, 2007 2:38 AM

Eritrea and North Korea have worst press freedom, U.S. ranks 48th

Eritrea has replaced North Korea in last place in an index measuring the level of press freedom in 169 countries throughout the world that is published by Reporters Without Borders for the sixth year running. The new report shows that bloggers are
posted by JoelCampbell | 2 Comments
Saturday, October 20, 2007 2:34 AM

New Calif. law opens university executive pay decisions

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) signed into law Oct. 12 a bill designed to open to public scrutiny the way California universities set compensation packages for their top officials. The Higher Education Governance Accountability Act, introduced by Senator
posted by JoelCampbell | 2 Comments
Saturday, October 20, 2007 2:22 AM

Names and salaries of 900,00 federal employees can be withheld

The names, salaries and positions of more than 900,000 federal employees can legally be withheld by the government from the public, Chief U.S. District Judge Norman Mordue ruled Sept. 30. It's a decision that doesn't sit well with representatives
posted by JoelCampbell | 1 Comments
Saturday, October 20, 2007 2:13 AM

Don't weaken shield bill

A New Canaan Advertiser editorial looks at the proposed federal shield law and reminds journalists to be careful of politicians bearing gifts.
posted by JoelCampbell | 0 Comments
Friday, October 19, 2007 11:11 PM

County attorney drops case against New Times, fires special prosecutor

Saying mistakes were made, Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas announced that charges against the NewTimes were being dropped. The paper was the subject of a subpoena for reporters notes as well as information on its online readers after it published
posted by DonaldMeyers | 2 Comments
Friday, October 19, 2007 11:38 AM

Jail birds: Phoenix editors put in pokey for divulging sheriff's grand jury request for newspapers' notes and Web users

On Thursday two editors of the New Times in Phoenix, Ariz., were jailed for divulging information about the grand jury subpoena for their stories, notes, and identities of anyone who visited their newspaper Web site. The Maricopa sheriff is apparently
posted by DavidCuillier | 1 Comments
Thursday, October 18, 2007 2:46 PM

Phoenix sheriff wants New Times notes and identities of people who viewed paper's Web site

The Maricopa County sheriff in Phoenix, Ariz., got a grand jury to subpoena the New Times for all stories, notes and tapes about him going back to 2004, and the identity of anyone who looked at the New Times Web site since 2004, including anyone who looked
posted by DavidCuillier | 0 Comments
Thursday, October 18, 2007 1:16 PM

Journalist's contempt penalty is to produce a community service story

ST. GEORGE, Utah — A Salt Lake television news reporter was found in contempt of court Wednesday for violating a decorum order issued in the Warren Jeffs rape-polygamy trial. KUTV reporter Katie Baker appeared in 5th District Court on Wednesday before
posted by JoelCampbell | 1 Comments
Wednesday, October 17, 2007 8:20 PM

Nevada rolls dice with new five-day response time limit for records requests - what do you think?

Nevada enacted a law requiring government agencies to respond to a written public records request within five days. See story at Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. Many states have such requirements, but some, such as Montana, Arizona
posted by DavidCuillier | 0 Comments
Tuesday, October 16, 2007 12:29 PM

Judge cans 12 Tennessee officials because of secret meetings

A judge in Tennessee kicked 12 county officials out of office because they were hand-picked illegally behind closed doors. The judge determined that Knox County commissioners filled vacant positions, including the sheriff, with "relatives, cronies and
posted by DavidCuillier | 0 Comments
Monday, October 15, 2007 3:02 PM

Wisconsin AG tells residents to not talk to reporters

The Associated Press reports that Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen urged residents of Crandon, Wis., to not talk to journalists covering a mass killing in the town. Dozens of reporters came to Crandon after investigators said Tyler Peterson,
posted by DonaldMeyers | 0 Comments
Saturday, October 13, 2007 12:26 PM

Mine safety a public concern

Read the editorial in the Charleston GazetteTHE SALT Lake Tribune and several other news organizations, including SPJ, are trying to persuade a federal judge to allow public observation of the government’s investigation of the Crandall Canyon Mine disaster
posted by JoelCampbell | 0 Comments
Thursday, October 11, 2007 12:42 AM

City council told to stop e-mailing during meetings

A new rule will prohibit Missoula City Council members from emailing one another during meetings, but Wednesday's decision is probably not going to put the issue to rest. At least two council members say their constituents are now asking for
posted by JoelCampbell | 0 Comments
Thursday, October 11, 2007 12:39 AM

Schwarzenegger vetoes "serial meetings" bill

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed a bill that attempted to prevent city councils and other local government boards from using a series of private meetings or communications to skirt open-meeting requirements. The Republican governor said the bill
posted by JoelCampbell | 0 Comments
Wednesday, October 10, 2007 1:17 AM

Wisconsin lawmaker wants to restrict access to online court records

    The First Amendment Center reports that Wisconsin state Rep. Marlin Schneider wants to limit who can view court records online. A.B. 418 would limit access to the online court records to police, judges, prosecutors and reporters. Members
posted by DonaldMeyers | 0 Comments
Wednesday, October 10, 2007 1:09 AM

Federal judge rebuffs Utah media's attempt to open mine disaster hearing

    U.S. District Court Judge Dee Benson denied a request by Utah media to open up the investigation into the Crandall Canyon mine collapse to the public. Benson claimed that there were no constitutional grounds to allow reporters to observe
posted by DonaldMeyers | 0 Comments
Tuesday, October 09, 2007 8:03 AM

Tennessean: Recent case shows reason for sunshine law reform

Members of the legislature looking at open government laws in Tennessee should bolster those laws, and a jury verdict in Knoxville last week is an example of why the issue is so important.A Knox County jury of 12 people found that members of the Knox
posted by JoelCampbell | 0 Comments
Tuesday, October 09, 2007 7:56 AM

Va. panel: Make gun permit holder info "private"

A subcommittee of the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council is recommending personal identifiable information of concealed carry holders be kept private.  Under their proposal, folks could request statistical information, like what
posted by JoelCampbell | 0 Comments
Tuesday, October 09, 2007 7:52 AM

N.Y. Times: The Public's Right to Know

The New York Times editorializes about efforts to pass a new federal shield law.Efforts to enact a federal shield law for journalists have passed a critical milestone in the Senate. By a 15-to-2 vote, the Judiciary Committee approved legislation sponsored
posted by JoelCampbell | 0 Comments
Friday, October 05, 2007 11:23 PM

Hawaii FOI activities 2007

By Stirling MoritaHawaii Chapter president and Sunshine chairman On March 16, the Hawaii Chapter SPJ joined with seven other organizations in doing a second records audit in which we could get state and county agency minutes from
posted by JoelCampbell | 0 Comments
Friday, October 05, 2007 11:16 PM

Calif. Free Speech and Open Government Assembly, Oct. 25-26

REGISTER NOW FOR FREE SPEECH & OPEN GOVERNMENT ASSEMBLY, USC ANNENBERG SCHOOL, OCT. 25 & 26  CFAC's 12th Annual Free Speech and Open Government Assembly brings together the best and brightest of law, journalism and public policy. 
posted by JoelCampbell | 5 Comments
Wednesday, October 03, 2007 5:49 PM

Ga. Supreme Court to review access to cold case files

From  Johnny Edwards, SPJ Sunshine Chair for Georgia An interesting open records battle is about to go before the Georgia Supreme Court. It involves the issue of police withholding cold case files by calling the cases “pending investigations.”
posted by JoelCampbell | 0 Comments
Tuesday, October 02, 2007 10:25 AM

Federal FOIA reform and reporter shield bill up in Congress

Update on the 110th Congress from the Coalition of Journalists for Open GovernmentBy Pete Weitzel  After whirlwind negotiations between the staffs of Sens. Leahy and Kyl just ahead of the summer recess, an amended OPEN Government
posted by JoelCampbell | 0 Comments
Tuesday, October 02, 2007 10:15 AM

Utah news media sue for access to mine disaster hearings

The Utah news media has jointly filed a suit in federal court asking for access to federal mine safety hearings involving the Crandall Canyon Mine Disaster.See story at The Salt Lake Tribuneand Deseret Morning News
posted by JoelCampbell | 0 Comments