LEXINGTON — How did one man’s request for records about a local fish hatchery lead to massive resignations and criminal investigations of a prominent state agency? What can be done when agencies refuse to follow advice from the Freedom of Information Advisory Council? And what is the role of the Attorney General’s office when state agencies stonewall a citizen request for records?
Those are just some of the issues on the agenda for Access 2005, the annual conference of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government.
The VCOG conference will be Nov. 17-18 at Lexingtonps Hampton Inn Col Alto, Washington and Lee University and Virginia Military Institute.
Conference speakers also will discuss journalist shield laws, FOI exemptions for quasi-public boards, the importance of public records for genealogical research and day-to-day access to military personnel and the stateps military bases.
On hand to discuss reforms at the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries will be Col. Gerald Massengill, former State Police superintendent and DGIFps acting director.
Joining him will be Maria Everett, executive director, Freedom of Information Advisory Committee; Tom Moncure, senior counsel to the Attorney General; and Tim Sadler of the stateps Internal Auditor Division.
The ACCESS 2005 conference opens on the evening of the 17th with a reception and dinner, followed by an 8 p.m. public forum on the pros and cons of a federal shield law to keep reporters out of jail when protecting confidential sources.
The Q&L forum, in Elrod Commons Auditorium, is open to everyone.
Conference sessions on Friday, Nov, 18, will be held at the Col Alto Inn, beginning with a continental breakfast at 8:30 a.m.
Dinner/reception tickets will be available for $40 until noon Monday, November 14. Registration fees for Nov. 18 sessions also will be accepted until Nov. 14 ($50 for members; $60 for non-members). Registration rates will be waived for students, with meal tickets available at cost.
For more information, contact Frosty Landon, executive director, at 540-353-8264 or vcog@opengovva.org .
The Virginia Coalition, formed in 1996, defends and promotes easy citizen access to public records and government meetings. Members include librarians, citizen activists, educators, journalists, government officials and a number of statewide organizations.
PROGRAM:
9:00 – 9:15 opening remarks & VCOG Web site redesign unveiling (VCOG staff)
9:15-10:15 Access to military information
Jim Crawley, Media General News Service
Marvine Howe, former reporter
[Lt. Col. Stewart MacInnis, Media Relations Officer, Virginia Military Institute]
Moderator: Mark Grunewald, Professor, Washington & Lee University School
of Law
10:15-10:30 break
10:30-11:40 DGIF wrap up
Maria Everett, Executive Director, Freedom of Information Advisory Committee
Tom Moncure, Office of the Attorney General
Col. Gerald Massengill, Acting Director, Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
Tim Sadler, Division of State Internal Auditor
Moderator: Frosty Landon
11:40 -11:45 Annual meeting
11:45-1:00 Lunch
1:00-1:45 Genealogy
Rosanna Bencoach, State Board of Elections
Tom Crew, Senior Research Archivist, Library of Virginia
D’Ann Stoddard, Southern Virginia University
1:45-2:00 VDOT FOIA tracker demonstration
2:00-3:00 Quasi-public bodies
Matt Paxton, Publisher, Lexington News-Gazette
Bill Farrar, Spokesman for Mayor Doug Wilder’s administration
Doug Harwood, Publisher, Rockbridge AdvocateTerrie Conrad, Director of Planned
Giving, VMI
Moderator: Pam Luecke, Reynolds Professor of Business Journalism, Washington & Lee
University
3:00 Closing remarks and adjournment