January 2011 newsletter

Recommendation is inefficient and undermines government transparency and accountability A subcommittee of Governor McDonnell’s Government Reform Commission has proposed eliminating or consolidating several different state boards and commissions. Among those suggested for elimination is the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council. It’s unclear how much enthusiasm there is for cutting the Council or any of…

We’re becoming more tech-centric, but it’s still too early to take public notices out of the newspapers. The Roanoke Times wrote an editorial in late December saying that governments should post notices of special public meetings in the newspapers, not just on government websites, libraries or text alerts. First, a clarification. We’re talking here about…

Bob O'Neil, a founding father of VCOG, and the organization's first president, stepped down from the board of directors in early October. O'Neil, who is the director of the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression, pointed out that since his move to Washington, D.C., he is not a resident of Virginia anymore,…

Del. Bob Marshall (R-Prince William) has introduced a measure that would allow public bodies to terminate or otherwise discipline an employee who willfully and knowingly violated FOIA. The law currently allows for fines to be imposed, but judges have almost never used it. Del. Jim Scott (D-Merrifield) wants to bring transparency to campaign finance after…

Freshman legislators vow to revisit measure to make lawmakers' votes more accessible. At the Virginia Coalition for Open Government's annual conference on Oct. 22, Dels. Mark Keam (D-Vienna) and Jim LeMunyon (R-Oak Hill) announced they would again be bringing forth a bill to make the voting histories of General Assembly members searchable online. Currently a…

Ask any legislator who is the most effective spokesperson on a particular bill and you're likely to get the same response: a constituent! Lawmakers rely on staffers, lobbyists and activists to provide them with the information they'll need to help them decide how to vote. But what really gets their attention is a citizen who…

VCOG conference highlights Va. open government issues   More than 75 people attended VCOG’s annual conference, Oct. 21 and 22, in Richmond. Attendees gathered for a cocktail reception Thursday the 21st at the Downtown Richmond Crowne Plaza. Dinner followed, where VCOG’s annual FOI award winners were recognized, including the Richmond Public School Board, Steven Vegh…

Students' FOIA rights violated, student paper editor says By Talisha Williams Virginia Commonwealth University   Colleges and universities sometimes deny student journalists access to information that by law should be open to all, a campus newspaper editor told the Virginia Coalition for Open Government 11th annual conference, held Oct. 22 at the state Capitol. Katie…

Experts: Use Technology to Open Government   By Brenda Acevedo Virginia Commonwealth University Thanks to the Internet, citizens have greater access to government records and other public information, representatives of government agencies said this fall at a panel discussion at the state Capitol. "The whole idea is that you should be able to go online…

[Julian Assange] sees himself as a moral crusader, exposing “injustice” and bringing down “administrations which rely on concealing reality.” Rubbish. He’s a renegade, a brilliant and reckless rebel who wields cyber-power without accountability. His leaks tear down civilization, his “truth” endangers rather than reforms. His little power trip should be brought to a halt by…

AUGUSTA COUNTY – A judge ruled Sept. 7 that the Augusta County Board of Equalization violated FOIA's meeting provisions in 2008 when it posted a note on the door to the main meeting room instructing citizens to "please wait here until your case is called." The judge also instructed the county to lower Thomas Cline's…

Dear Friend of VCOG: In 2011, VCOG will celebrate its 15th anniversary. For 15 years, VCOG has been the go-to resource for issues affecting transparency in the Commonwealth. We pushed for the creation of the Virginia FOIA Council and we've lobbied every year for and against bills affecting access. We've put on a dozen annual…