State Coalition Receives Funds to Promote Access

Advocates for open access to public information, representing journalists, librarians, lawyers, educators and good government groups, have worked together for over a decade to support the public’s right to open and reliable information by and about their government. Now, the Minnesota Coalition on Government Information (MnCOGI) has received a grant from the National Freedom of Information Coalition to support the process of formalizing what has been until now an informal network. Focus of the MnCOGI is to foster and protect the public’s right to access state and local government data, records, and information.

In awarding the grant NFOIC directors indicated that they “were impressed with [the coalition’s] progress to date” and invited the MnCOGI to re-apply for additional funds for operating expenses. Current funding will be used specifically for start up activities including incorporation, promotional publications, and other upfront costs of creating a sustainable nonprofit organization.

For nearly two decades MnCOGI, operating as an ad hoc coalition, has sponsored annual commemoration of Freedom of Information Day. Freedom of Information Day, March 16 of each year, is observed all over the country and commemorates the birthday of President James Madison, a renowned leader in the nation’s commitment to an informed citizenry as critical to the existence of a democracy.

Each year the Coalition presents the John R. Finnegan Freedom of Information Award to a Minnesota individual or organization that has demonstrated significant commitment to and support of the people’s right to know. In 2005 the Minnesota Coalition was recognized at the national level with the Eileen Cooke James Madison Award for Local and State Government Information.

The Coalition will also sponsor Freedom of Information Day 2007 on Friday, March 16, with a public program and awards ceremony at the Minneapolis Central Library. MnCOGI currently is soliciting nominations for the 2007 John R. Finnegan Freedom of Information Award. In collaboration with a host of other state and national organizations MnCOGI actively participate in Sunshine Week, a national advocacy effort focused on freedom of access and a free press. On Tuesday, March 12, MnCOGI will sponsor a local site for a national dialogue on open government and secrecy, featuring a national webcast titled “Closed Doors; Open Democracies.” The local site at Metro State University in St. Paul will feature an active participation seminar on state and local information issues and practices featuring attorneys Donald A. Gemberling and Katherine A. Engler.

For additional information on the Minnesota Coalition on Government Information, Sunshine Week, Freedom of Information Day or for guidelines for the John R. Finnegan Freedom of Information Award check the MnCOGI website (www.mncogi.org) or contact Mary Treacy, mtreacy@onvoy.com or 612 781 4234.

Federal funds for public libraries & e-democracy

Public library types -- celebrate Sunshine Week and Freedom of Information Day by taking a few minutes to read this recent article about potential federal funding for public libraries involved in e-democracy and access to federal goverment information. http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6417238.html

FOI Rapid Response Team

Brechner gift will aid FOI From a story in University of Florida News GAINESVILLE, FL -- Marion Brechner recently gave $100,000 to the University of Florida for a joint project with the National Freedom of Information Coalition. The Joseph L. Brechner Center for Freedom of Information and the Marion Brechner Citizen Access Project will receive $50,000 each to hold a 30th annniversary celebration and to work with NFOIC in developing a response apparatus to proposed anti-access legislation, respectively. The response project is creating FOI 911—a Rapid Response Team designed to provide information to FOI activists fighting legislation that would limit access to records and meetings that should be public. Graduate students at the University of Florida and NFOIC headquarters in Columbia, Missouri, will field calls and emails about state laws relevant to proposed anti-access legislation. "We've long lacked a responsive mechanism for proposed legislative exemptions, and this gift allows us to begin the process of building such a system," said Professor Charles Davis, Executive Director of NFOIC. "This gives us the resources we need to level the playing field a bit in the interest of openness." When a new exemption is proposed, the students will look at all the other state laws for model legislative language, and will look for examples of how the records in question have served the public interest. "Talking points" memos on the proposals will then be distributed to state FOI groups for their use. "When citizens fighting to protect access to public documents are facing well-financed lobby groups wanting to keep specific records from the public, the pro-access interests usually have limited places to find the information they need for the legislative fight ahead," said Bill Chamberlin, the project's director. "This initiative will enable anyone with a major interest in protecting public access to have a chance to get the information they need about what other states are doing."

NFOIC News Archives 2007 Sunshine Week ICOG awarded national grant Heroes of the 50 states Knight Foundation grants fund a variety of projects Knight grants inspire journalistic excellence Brechner gift will aid freedom of information Indiana Supreme Court asked to review serial meetings abuse case Defense spending proposal would expand secrecy Taylor University accident in Indiana focuses on death, coroner records

• National Freedom of Information Coalition
• Missouri School of Journalism
• 133 Neff Annex
• University of Missouri-Columbia
• Columbia, MO 65211
• Phone -- 573.882.5736
• Fax -- 573.884.6204
• cdavis@nfoic.org

FOIA Report Issued, Hearing Scheduled

AAN Staff

The Congressional Research Service issued a new report (PDF) last week on the history of the Freedom of Information Act and related legislative reform efforts. Meanwhile, the newly formed House Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives has scheduled a hearing for Thursday, Feb. 15, on a FOIA reform bill that is supported by AAN and the other members of the Sunshine in Government Initiative, a Washington-based coalition of media organizations committed to promoting open-government policies.

Government Information Access Council Report

At recent COGI meetings a few people mentioned the work of the Government Information Access Council, a group created by the Legislature in 1994 (and repealed in 1997). I thought that many would be interested in the report of the group, so I had it scanned from the Legislative Reference Library's (LRL) print copy, linked it to our catalog record, and sent out an e-mail about its availability. (report) Julie Wallace replied that it used to be on the Department of Administration Web site, along with minutes of the group and other materials, all of which are now gone. At the Legislative Reference Library, we've noted this on many occasions - state documents that were once online are no longer on the agencies' servers. But it is particularly ironic in this case; a report about government information access is no longer accessible online.

Just a bit of background: The Legislative Reference Library has the statutory authority to obtain state documents. Minnesota Statute 3.302 For many years (1981-2003) we obtained and cataloged state documents that were then put on microfiche by the Department of Administration through the State Document Depository Program. That program dissolved. To fill the void, the Legislative Reference Library began a program of keeping digital copies of state documents in 2004, our e-docs grogram. (More state document information) LRL staff work hard to identify important state documents and ensure they are available long into the future. And as I mentioned, we know of many documents that were once on agency web sites, but are no longer, and we have scanned many documents that we have only been able to obtain in print. But we realize the shortcomings of the present system

Feb 26 Access Advocates meet with Senator Don Betzold

Senator Don Betzold, chief author of pending legislation related to the format for all state government information (SF131), will meet with access advocates on Monday, February 26, 5:00 p.m. at the offices of the Minnesota Council on Nonprofits, 2314 University Avenue West in St. Paul. The meeting is sponsored by the Minnesota Coalition on Government Information (MnCOGI), the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, and the Telecommunications and Information Policy Roundtable (TIPR), SLA-MN and ASIST.

The proposed legislation, though specifically related to preservation, opens the door to a broader discussion of the state “information chain”, a chain that reaches from collection to end-user access, from open access to protection of privacy – and all the links along the way.

This is an opportunity for stakeholders to learn more about the current bill, to discuss the need for comprehensive strategic planning, and to share perspectives on information/telecommunications policy and practice.

Senator Betzold, a DFLer from the Northwest suburbs, chairs the Senate Finance Committee-State Government Budget Division. He also serves on the Judiciary and State and Local Government Operations and Oversight Committees.

In 2006 Senator Betzold received the Peter S. Popovich Freedom of Information Award presented by the Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists. The award cited Senator Betzold’s “long and consistent work to foster open government during his legislative career in the Minnesota Senate

This meeting is free and open to the public. The office building at 2314 University is just a block East of Raymond on the South side of University. The #16 bus goes by the door; the #50 bus stops at Raymond and University. Parking is readily accessible east of the office building. Enter through the east door and watch for signs.

CIA Proposed Rule on FOIA Fees Would Burden Requesters and the Agency National Security Archive Warns that Fee Disputes Obstruct Open Government

National Security Archive Comments on Proposed CIA FOIA Fee Regulations(PDF - 135 KB) National Security Archive FOIA page Washington DC, February 7, 2007 - The CIA's proposed new rule on Freedom of Information Act processing fees is likely to discourage FOIA requesters while imposing new administrative burdens both on the Agency and the public, according to formal comments filed with the CIA today by the National Security Archive of George Washington University. The Archive's general counsel, Meredith Fuchs, commented that, "Significant time, money, and other resources were spent by the CIA on fee disputes last year. One of those disputes involved the CIA's refusal to abide by a D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals judicial decision about the Archive's fee status. Given that the Agency recouped only $4,732.80 in fees in FY 2006, those disputes served mainly to delay and obstruct FOIA requests." The Archive recommended that the Agency change its proposed rule to: (1) eliminate the unnecessary and improper definitions of FOIA requester categories; (2) eliminate the requirement that all requesters make open-ended, written fee commitments because many FOIA requests can be processed without the requester incurring any fees and the CIA proposal would discourage requesters and add to the Agency's administrative processing time; (3) eliminate the illegal provision mandating prepayment of fees before the CIA will honor form or format requests; (4) revise the proposed duplication fees provisions so that requesters pay only those "direct costs" actually incurred in the processing of the individual request, whether for paper or electronic duplication; and (5) revise the public interest fee waiver provisions to follow the letter and intent of the FOIA to promote dissemination of information in the public interest. The Archive has had to sue the CIA twice over FOIA fee issues, despite the D.C. Circuit's definitive 1989 ruling in the Archive's favor. The most recent case, filed in 2006, covered 42 FOIA requests that the CIA deemed not to be "newsworthy"; only after the Archive filed its legal complaint and a motion for summary judgment in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia did the CIA reverse course on the 42 requests, but even then fell short of committing to abide by the judicial precedents. Click here for more