Search Results For: "rhode island"

NEFAC Seeks Nominations for 2024 Michael Donoghue Freedom of Information Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefac.org The New England First Amendment Coalition is seeking nominations for its 2024 Michael Donoghue Freedom of Information Award. The FOI Award is given each year to a New England journalist or team of journalists for a body of work from the previous calendar year that […]

NEFAC, N.H. Open Government Advocates Support Recent Public Records Proposal

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefac.org The New England First Amendment Coalition joined a group of New Hampshire open government advocates to support the most recent proposal to change the state’s public records fee structure. HB 1002 originally allowed agencies to charge record requesters up to $25 an hour for any […]

Police Misconduct Records in Connecticut

FOI Guide Home Connecticut | Maine | Massachusetts | New Hampshire | Rhode Island | Vermont | Federal FOIA (Last updated April 4, 2024) ​Police misconduct records are rarely covered by exemptions in the Connection Freedom of Information Act. These records typically do not involve documents compiled during the detection or investigation of crime, which […]

NEFAC, Mass. Open Government Advocates Call for Permanent Reform with Virtual Access to Public Meetings Set to Expire in One Year

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefac.org With virtual access to public meetings set to end a year from today, the New England First Amendment Coalition and a group of Massachusetts disability rights, free press, open government, and other advocates renewed their call for permanent reforms to guarantee hybrid access to open […]

NEFAC, Mass. Open Government Groups Call on Worcester to Continue Fiscal Transparency Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefac.org The New England First Amendment Coalition and several Massachusetts open government groups recently called on Worcester city officials to continue the Open Checkbook program, an online portal showing municipal expenditures. The city recently announced that it will discontinue the service. “Fiscal transparency is a hallmark […]

NEFAC to Present Journalism, Misinformation Lesson to Indo-Pacific Diplomats

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefac.org The New England First Amendment Coalition will present to a delegation of Indo-Pacific diplomats today as part of a U.S. Department of State-funded civics program. The State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program supports short-term visits to the United States for foreign leaders to learn about […]

Don’t Think Open Government Matters to You? This Sunshine Week, Think Again.

By Justin Silverman Open government mattered to all of us during the height of the COVID pandemic. Government played an outsized role in our day-to-day lives then. Schools closed, storefronts shuttered and the officials making decisions about quarantines, mask mandates and vaccines often met in secret or exclusively online. We demanded access to their Zoom […]

Sunshine Week 2024

The goal of Sunshine Week — March 10-16 this year with related events occurring throughout the month — is to promote a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information. Participants include news media, civic groups, libraries, nonprofits, schools and others interested in the public’s right to know. Here’s a look at how […]

Keeping the Light On and Holding Government Accountable in New Hampshire

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefac.org The goal of Sunshine Week — March 10-16 this year with related events occurring throughout the month — is to promote a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information. Participants include news media, civic groups, libraries, nonprofits, schools and others interested in […]

NEFAC, Mass. Open Government Advocates Criticize Municipal Empowerment Act’s Approach to Public Meeting Reforms

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefac.org The Massachusetts Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government is scheduled to hold a public hearing today on parts of Governor Maura Healey’s Municipal Empowerment Act S.2571. A coalition of democracy, disability access, and open government advocates — including the New England First Amendment Coalition — […]