Ongoing Stories
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Federal suit challenges Va. FOIA residency rule
A former Virginia citizen challenged the exclusionary nature of Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in Richmond’s federal court January 19. Virginia’s statute denies FOIA rights to anyone not a citizen of Virginia. Mark McBurney twice sought FOIA documents after Virginia’s Department of Child Support Enforcement (DCSE) admitted mishandling his child support case. DCSE denied…
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Researching their roots has become a passion for many Americans
A bit of online detective work can yield a significant amount of information for little or nothing. But for extensive or difficult searches, the cost in money and time can mount.
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Concealed gun permit database debate
The General Assembly needs to strike a delicate balance in dealing with whether a list of concealed-carry holders should be public
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Times-Dispatch editorial
If money is indeed the mother’s milk of politics, VPAP stands as an important instrument to show voters which wet nurses keep elected officials fat and happy.
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David Poole
VPAP provides transparency for “anything goes” fund-raising
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MWAA: Disclosure laws don’t apply
MWAA’s assertion runs counter to the opinion of the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council
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Transparency is a fundamental
Public reaction to The Washington Post stories highlighting the close personal ties of a small circle of Loudoun County’s political, development and business leaders needs to be treated as something more than a political “gotcha”
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Progress on the FOIA front
Senate sends FOI bills to the FOIA Council to mull the deeper ramifications of the laws
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Virginia local governments have mixed record on latest FOIA requests
Virginia journalists (without revealing they were journalists) asked for two weeks of e-mails from each county chairman or city mayor to their boards or city councils; the previous weekend’s crime logs or reports from police or sheriff departments, and the fire inspection reports for two schools in each locality. Only 13 localities were in full…
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Kaine, Bolling, McDonnell, Howell give us their views on open government
Top state officials join in our 10th anniversary observance
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Open government for everyone
Virginia’s governments interest more than just Virginians
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Officials thumb nose at your right to know
Fairfax, Va. and Montgomery, Md. play games when asked for documents
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General Assembly salutes us
FOIA Council presents commending resolution for VCOG’s right-to-know work
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Kaine signs ‘3P’ compromise
VDOT rules relaxed for a year
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Sunshine needed for interim appointments
Keeping the supervisor interview process closed is a bad way to get 100-percent ‘voter’ turnout.
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Va. Supreme Court Privacy Task Force
Special committee of court to weigh access and privacy
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Public-comment sessions
Amusing, aggravating, informative
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Albright v DGIF – a look back
Virginia’s FOIA helps two retired professionals spur changes at DGIF