Register Now for New Round of FOI Lessons
The New England First Amendment Coalition is continuing its freedom of information lessons with new classes on remote and hybrid access to government meetings.
The lessons build on the information provided in NEFAC’s growing library of open meeting law classes which can be viewed here. They will be taught by local experts who will provide an overview of their respective state’s law and what changes are being considered.
This latest round of classes will be provided by NEFAC with support from the Estate of Gloria Negri, the Rhode Island Foundation and the New England Society of News Editors.
Previous lessons can be viewed on NEFAC’s YouTube channel or through its multimedia FOI Guide. Registration for these remote classes is free. Classes are open to all members of the public.
Each class will be moderated by Emily Sweeney, a journalist at The Boston Globe and author of the books “Boston Organized Crime” and “Gangland Boston.” Sweeney currently writes the Blotter Tales column which appears in the Globe every Sunday. In addition to serving on the NEFAC Board of Directors, she’s also president of the New England Society of News Editors.
NEW HAMPSHIRE | June 6 | 5:30 p.m. ET
Gilles Bissonnette is the Legal Director at the ACLU of New Hampshire. He has litigated cases on police and government accountability, public records and the First Amendment. Bissonnette has testified before the New Hampshire legislature on more than 100 bills impacting civil liberties.
Recommended Viewing Prior to Class: (1) Introduction to Open Meeting Law (2) How Newsrooms Respond to Executive Session Secrecy and (3) Open Meetings and Public Comment
MASSACHUSETTS | June 10 | 2 p.m. ET
Geoff Foster is the executive director of Common Cause Massachusetts, a 50-year-old organization working to make democracy more equitable and accessible. Foster is a community organizer and youth worker with more than 15 years of experience in Massachusetts state policy, advocacy, and civic engagement.
Recommended Viewing Prior to Class: (1) Introduction to Open Meeting Law (2) How Newsrooms Respond to Executive Session Secrecy and (3) Open Meetings and Public Comment
MAINE | June 24 | 2 p.m. ET
Brenda Kielty is the first and current Public Access Ombudsman for Maine, a position she began in 2012. As ombudsman, Kielty receives complaints from the public and to serve as an impartial intermediary to provide information, informally resolves disputes and encourage full compliance with the spirit and the letter of the law.
Recommended Viewing Prior to Class: (1) Introduction to Open Meeting Law (2) How Newsrooms Respond to Executive Session Secrecy and (3) Open Meetings and Public Comment
RHODE ISLAND | June 28 | 2:30 p.m. ET
John Marion has served as executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island since 2008. He directs all aspects of Common Cause Rhode Island’s operations, from legislative advocacy and media relations to grassroots organizing and coalition building. He led successful efforts to enact enhanced disclosure for independent expenditures, restore the jurisdiction of the state’s Ethics Commission over legislators, and require risk-limiting election audits, among others.
Recommended Viewing Prior to Class: (1) Introduction to Open Meeting Law (2) How Newsrooms Respond to Executive Session Secrecy and (3) Open Meetings and Public Comment
CONNECTICUT | July 12 | 2 p.m. ET
William S. Fish, Jr. is a partner at Hinckley Allen. His practice spans across a range of legal disciplines including commercial litigation and the First Amendment. He has tried complex matters in state and federal court and has represented the media for 40 years.
Recommended Viewing Prior to Class: (1) Introduction to Open Meeting Law (2) How Newsrooms Respond to Executive Session Secrecy and (3) Open Meetings and Public Comment
VERMONT | July 19 | 2 p.m. ET
Harrison Stark is a staff attorney at the Vermont ACLU affiliate, where he litigates a range of civil rights and civil liberties matters in state and federal court, including cases addressing free speech, anti-discrimination, border surveillance, and government transparency.
Recommended Viewing Prior to Class: (1) Introduction to Open Meeting Law (2) How Newsrooms Respond to Executive Session Secrecy and (3) Open Meetings and Public Comment
NEFAC was formed in 2006 to advance and protect the Five Freedoms of the First Amendment, including the principle of the public’s right to know. We’re a broad-based organization of people who believe in the power of an informed democratic society. Our members include lawyers, journalists, historians, academics and private citizens.
Our coalition is funded through contributions made by those who value the First Amendment and who strive to keep government accountable. Please make a donation here.
NEFAC is supported by the Estate of Gloria Negri. Additional funding is provided by Leadership Circle donors including the Rhode Island Foundation, The Boston Globe, Paul and Ann Sagan, and the Robertson Foundation. Major Supporters of NEFAC’s work are Hearst Connecticut Media Group, Boston University, the Academy of New England Journalists, Connecticut Public, WCVB-Boston and WBUR-Boston.