April 2009 Newsletter, vol. 13, no. 2
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It was mostly sunny for FOI in ’09
Bad FOIA bills were few; other bills were pro-accessThis year’s General Assembly session forwarded at least 20 bills affecting records and meetings under the Freedom of Information Act to the governor, with the majority containing either positive, neutral or procedural changes for open government, and only three critically limiting public information. Five “good” FOIA fixes…
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The highs and lows of the legislative session
Impressions on the sausage-making factory from a "newbie"by Megan RhyneExecutive DirectorVirginia Coalition for Open GovernmentThough I’ve attended legislative committee meetings for the past several years as VCOG’s associate director, this was the first year — as executive director — that I immersed myself in the session. Everyone knows the comparison between making laws and making…
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One citizen’s FOIA requests lead to legislative action
(scroll down for a chart of bills that will amend the Freedom of Information Act)It started with curiosity, and ended with a new law.Prince William County resident Mark Hjelm was curious about the new Visitor Identification System the PWC school system started using in October 2007.The system requires visitors to at least three Prince William…
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Five bills referred to FOIA Council
(scroll down for a chart of bills referred to the FOIA Council)Five bills will be considered by the FOI Advisory Council this summer. The fate of bills referred to the council for study can range from a decision not to act at all, to a full-fledged examination by all interested stakeholders and proposed legislation for…
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Also of note
While many other states, most notably Tennessee, are currently embroiled in the controversy over access to names of concealed weapon permit holders, Virginia disposed of the issue (for now at least) pretty easily and pretty quietly in 2009.Angered over the Roanoke Times’ 2007 publication of the State Police database of permittees, Del. Dave Nutter, R-Christiansburg,…
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Access legislation came in many shapes and sizes
Access legislation came in many shapes and sizes(scroll down for a chart of access-related bills)The 2009 General Assembly was especially interesting for the number of bills filed that promoted access to information in general, or that promoted e-government services to the public. The highest-profile of these bills were advanced by Del. Ben Cline, R-Amherst, and…
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Legislation RIP
Legislation RIP: Public notice bills among axed legislation(scroll down for a chart of bills that did not pass)Several bills did not make it out of committee, not even to see the light of day in a further study or commission.Some of those bills were bad, from VCOG’s perspective, and we will not mourn their passing.Two…
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What about SSNs?
A joint study of the FOI Advisory Council and the Joint Commission on Science and Technology has been analyzing access to Social Security numbers. The two organizations surveyed state and local government asking when and why they collected SSNs. When survey results showed just how widespread government collection of SSNs was, the joint committee agreed…
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VCOG annual conference
The 2009 Virginia Coalition for Open Government Annual Conference returns to the fall.Join us Oct. 15 and 16 at the historic Stonewall Jackson Hotel in Staunton, Va., for topical panels, notable keynoters and the camaraderie of others who share an interest in open and transparent government.VCOG will present its annual awards honoring individual, media and…