Alabama

September 10, 2008: Jackson County Commission Chairman James Tidmore announced Monday that he will provide the public with a balance of all of the county's funds, as well as the amounts owed on debts, during the next commission meeting. Read the full article here.

Trial in Barksdale suit set Aug. 11
July 26, 2008: Mary Barksdale’s Open Records Act suit against the state Department of Corrections is set for trial August 11, according to Sarah Geraghty, an attorney for Southern Center for Human Rights in Atlanta.

Barksdale, mother of the late Farron Barksdale, who died after being incarcerated at Kilby Correctional Facility a year ago, is seeking access to her son’s prison records, which DOC officials contend do not fall under the Open Records Act. Read the full article here.

Sheriff Chris Curry is wrong about trying to keep the public out of the Shelby County Commission's budget-writing process for his department
July 17, 2008: Shelby County Sheriff Chris Curry is raising enough red flags to supply a May Day parade in Moscow.

Curry is asking county commissioners to meet privately, one or two at a time, with the department's operations commander, Capt. Ken Burchfield, to discuss the sheriff's 2008-09 budget request. Read the full editorial here.

New open records policy still unwritten
July 10, 2008: From February through May, the city lowered the cost of obtaining public records; made City Council agenda packets available to the public prior to council meetings; and put the city’s Code of Ordinances online.

However, five months after the overall public records policy was changed verbally by Mayor Tim Kant in early February, that new policy has not been put in any formal writing, such as an ordinance or resolution. Read the full article here.

Transparency & Government

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• Government corruption
• Alabama Transparency Legislation

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• Alabama Department of Education
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FOIA Laws

• Alabama Public Records Law
• FOIA procedures
• Notable FOIA requests in Alabama

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