The following is an excerpt from a blog post originally published by the New England First Amendment Center. The center is a joint undertaking of the New England First Amendment Coalition and Northeastern University’s School of Journalism. By Colman Herman As someone who has filed many Massachusetts public records requests, I have developed certain narratives that […]
By Steven Brown PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Unfortunately, it’s now official. The public’s right to know is not “basic to the maintenance or well-being of the Union.” That is the essence of an April 29 U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding the constitutionality of a provision in Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act which guarantees access to public records to in-state residents […]
By Anne Galloway MONTPELIER, Vt. – The press corps and the Vermont chapter of the ACLU scored a major victory in the Vermont Legislature last week. Lawmakers approved a change in the public records law that gives citizens access to records associated with police investigations of criminal activity. Gov. Peter Shumlin supported opening police records to public […]
By Joseph W. McQuaid MANCHESTER, N.H. – When Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced nationally that it had arrested and was holding many illegal immigrants, New Hampshire’s statewide newspaper naturally wanted to know the identities of those arrested and details of the arrests made in the Granite State. We were nonplussed by the government’s response: No. We don’t like to sue our government, especially for information […]
By Judith Meyer On April 25, Maine joined at least 25 other states in making concealed carry permits confidential governmental records. The very next day, Gov. Paul LePage signed the controversial Freedom of Access Act exception into law. Concealed carry permits are now the only state-required, state-issued, state-managed and state-enforced permit issued for personal use in Maine. […]
By Joseph G. Cote NASHUA, N.H. – We know a lot about Steven Spader, but unless a motion to unseal new court documents succeeds, some of the most vital information to understanding Spader’s gruesome crimes may never see the light of day.It’s been more than three years since the now 21-year-old Spader led a group of small-town teenagers into […]
By Mike Donoghue BURLINGTON, Vt. – The federal courts in Vermont have taken the first step toward easing restrictions on journalists carrying computers, iPhones and other electronic newsgathering tools past security checkpoints at federal buildings.The new rule, which took effect in mid-April, allows electronic devices in common areas outside a courtroom but still prohibits them from being used […]
By Rosanna Cavanagh I was born in 1975 so I don’t have memories of the Watergate era, but my parents do. My Dad was a professor at Princeton at the time and had recently been featured in Vogue magazine for his efforts to organize “Movement for a New Congress,” a reaction to the Cambodia invasion crisis. A […]
By Judith Meyer On April 3, Maine’s Judiciary Committee voted 10-3 to create a new public access exception to shield personal identifying information of state-issued concealed carry permits, yielding to the overwhelming testimony of the gun lobby and gun owners to protect their privacy. This, after the full legislature passed an “emergency” 60-day shield in February to allow time for tempers […]
By David DesRoches Parents of special needs children in Darien became concerned about their children’s legal right to a free and appropriate education, what’s known as FAPE, when a new special education director was hired in June of 2012. The new director, Deidre Osypuk, came to one of the best performing districts in the state, if not […]