Access to Gov't Information

Copyright Challenge in New Push for Open Government Data

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Carl Malamud, a hero in providing access to information, has posted online the 38-volume California Code of Regulations, over which the state claims copyright ownership. He's been doing things like this for a while, but the California code is a big deal in every respect.

The Santa Rosa (Calif.) Press Democrat has the story.

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Ohio Takes a Page from the Sunshine Review

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In an effort to goad Ohio officials into making more state records available online, the Buckeye Institute for Public Policy Solutions, a private policy think tank, created the Center for Transparent and Accountable Government earlier this week.

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New York Legislature Passes Open Records and Open Meetings Reforms

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The New York Legislature recently passed several open records and open meetings reforms, adding New York to the long list of states that have taken steps to revamp their open government laws this year.

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Watchdog Group Counters Attorney General’s View of Improved FOIA Picture

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A recent report by the U.S. Attorney General paints a mixed but generally positive picture of progress by the federal executive agencies in improving their responsiveness to Freedom of Information Act requests.

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Holding Government Accountable One Click at a Time

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“Laws are like sausages. You should never watch them being made.” This adage, generally attributed to Otto von Bismarck, rings true to anyone who has had the opportunity to watch Congress make public policy. Just tune into C-SPAN sometime for a taste.

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RI Bill Will Strengthen Citizens' FOI Rights

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After passing state bill H7422 last week, Rhode Island is set to join the growing list of states – including Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Oregon – that have strengthened their

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Supreme Court Rejects FOIA Restrictions

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In a rare Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) decision, the Supreme Court recently held in Taylor v. Sturgell that an individual's failed FOIA request does not preclude similar requests from related individuals.

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Bill Will Revamp Tennessee Open Records Law

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Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen is expected to sign into law a recently passed bill that would provide a much-needed overhaul of the state's open records practices.

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Highlights from the Legal Guide: Access to Courts and Court Records

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This is the eighth in a series of posts calling attention to topics we cover in the Citizen Media Legal Guide. In this post, we highlight the section on Access to Courts and Court Records, which provides an overview of federal and state laws that grant you the right to access federal and state court records and court proceedings.

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Pennsylvania's Upcoming Right-To-Know Law

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Here at the Citizen Media Law Project we recently finished the fourth major section of our Legal Guide on Access to Government Information.

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