FOI Blog

Working the edges

Posted 3/18/10 by Megan Rhyne
Working the edges By Megan Rhyne

 

1. Prior to a city council meeting, Councilman A huddles with Councilman B, talking, nodding and gesturing. Councilman B then goes over to Councilman C, again talking earnestly. Councilman B, then goes to Councilman D, then Councilman E, then Councilman F, where similar conversations take place. The meeting starts, and when it comes time for a contentious issue to be discussed, the council surprises everyone by foregoing discussion and immediately voting on the matter.

 

Legislators' voting records

Posted 3/4/10 by Megan Rhyne
UPDATE: The bill was effectively defeated in committee this morning. Lawmakers voted to "continue" the bill until 2011. Sens. Houck and Quayle voted against the motion. HB 778 is up for consideration by the Senate Rules Committee on Friday, March 4, at 9 a.m.

On the General Assembly's Web site, you can currently find out which legislators voted for or against a particular bill. Unfortunately, there's no manageable way to find out how one particular legislator voted on any number of bills.

Threat Assessment Team bills -- campus confusion

Posted 2/24/10 by Megan Rhyne
Following the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007, the Virginia General Assembly mandated that public universities set up Threat Assessment Teams (TATs) to identify and evaluate students, staff or faculty who might pose a threat to the campus communities.

The teams are made up of representatives from student affairs, law enforcement, human resources, counseling services, residence life and others as may be needed.

Three cheers for Wise County Clerk of Court

Posted 2/23/10 by Megan Rhyne
Note: Wise County Clerk of Court, Jack Kennedy, served on the VCOG board of directors for several years.

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 245
Offered February 4, 2010
Commending the Wise County and City of Norton Bar Association and the Clerk of Circuit Court for Wise County and the City of Norton for their leadership and innovation in information technology in judicial administration.
----------
Patrons-- Kilgore and Phillips
----------

Crossover at the 2010 General Assembly

Posted 2/15/10 by Megan Rhyne
At Crossover:

Despite the huge number of access-related bills that were on the table as the 2010 General Assembly session started, through consolidation, referrals to study commissions and, of course, the axe, that number has been cut nearly in half.

Why we're concerned about closing access to CHPs

Posted 1/20/10 by Megan Rhyne
Del. Lee Ware (R-Powhatan) has proposed a bill to prohibit clerks of court from releasing concealed handgun permit applications filed in that locality. The bill is HB79, and VCOG is opposed to it. Here's why.

 

As long as the permits are required in Virginia, there should be some public access to them. it is important for the public to be able to monitor:

 

(1) how the permits are processed (that is, whether the applications are being completed or accepted satisfactorily)

 

AND

 

Federal FOIA in Virginia courts w/ Virginia firms

Posted 1/6/10 by Megan Rhyne
With the advent of the iPhone, the Droid and any number of other so-called smart phones, it seems almost quaint that the world teetered on the edge of chaos in 2006 when a patent case threatened to darken the screens of the then-revolutionary BlackBerry.

NTP, a Virginia-based company, told BlackBerry's maker, Research in Motion, that the BlackBerry's technology infringed on an NTP patent. A federal district court judge in Richmond agreed and imposed millions of dollars in fines against RIM and told them to stop selling BlackBerrys that infringed NTP's patent.

FOI Advisory Council annual report for 2009

Posted 12/30/09 by Megan Rhyne
The FOI Advisory Council is required by statute to file an annual report of its activities. It's 2009 report is now online.

The report contains statistics breaking down who has used the council's services this year (government - 913, citizens - 628, media as well as every year since the council opened its doors.

The report includes minutes of all council meetings, lists training sessions performed by council staff, previews upcoming legislation and summarizes the work of the council's subcommittees.

Pages