Indiana transparency headlines
From Sunshine Review
This article is a list of transparency related news from Indiana.
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| Report It • | The Good • | The Bad • | The Ugly | |
Huntington Indiana passes Transparency Resolution
ICOG (Indiana Coaltion For Open Government) likes to highlight examples of government officials acting to improve access. Last month in Huntington, a split decision by the Common Council are granting access to local government information, including financial transactions, on that city's new Web site.
Council member Steve McIntyre led the effort. The council in May had passed McIntyre's resolution requiring the city to post much more information on the Web site than it previously had made available online. Because the vote was so close – 4-3 – McIntyre felt the need for more public discussion of the issue.
The resolution requires posting a record of every payment by the city, including the amount and, except where prohibited by law, the identity of the recipient. It also mandates posting of a roster of all “government personnel” – city employees, officers, elected officials and members of boards and commissions. McIntyre said the identities of employees requiring confidentiality, such as undercover police officers, would not be made public.
Ind. public access penalty bill likely dead
"A key supporter of a bill that would allow fines against government workers who blatantly violate Indiana's public access laws says the legislation is dead for the year.
The state Senate unanimously approved the bill, which supporters say would put teeth into Indiana's open door and public records laws. But the bill didn't advance in the House."
Official: East Chicago violated records law
"Indiana's public access counselor has found that East Chicago officials violated the state's open records law by failing to promptly respond to a newspaper's requests for city spending documents.
Public Access Counselor Heather Willis Neal said in a two-page opinion that the city's "pattern of unresponsiveness and nondisclosure" violated the spirit and letter of the state law designed to require public officials to disclose how public money is spent."
Indiana bill to impose access penalties in jeopardy
"A bill that would allow fines against government workers who blatantly violate Indiana's public access laws is in jeopardy.
The state Senate unanimously approved the bill, which supporters say would put much-needed teeth into Indiana's open door and public records laws. But a House committee chairman said Tuesday that he doesn't plan to give the bill a hearing before a key deadline this week."
Open records law needs changes
"Indiana citizens have no legal right to know with whom state employees meet.
The state public access counselor issued an informal opinion to the Post-Tribune last week, reaffirming that state law.
The newspaper had sought the meeting schedules of employees of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management."
Indiana must play catch-up in online records action
"Two bills before the 2009 legislature would make it a little easier for Hoosiers to fulfill their roles as watchdogs of state government. The measures are welcome in light of the embarrassing Sunshine Week report that ranked Indiana next to last in availability of government records online.
The report found that many important public documents -- political campaign contributions, disciplinary actions against doctors and lawyers and environmental citations, for example -- are posted on government Web sites in most states but not here."
Sunshine Week: Muncie Police Department lowers fee for copies
"After being found in violation of the Access to Public Records Act (APRA), the Muncie Police Department has lowered the copying fee charged to the public for case reports like burglaries, thefts and vandalism.
More than a year ago, Franklin attorney John Emry, whose practice includes civil rights, filed a complaint with the police and with the Indiana Public Access Counselor after being charged $5 for case reports, each of which contained only a couple of pages."
A little push to open door to public
"From the standpoint of power to the people, one of the most encouraging developments of the current Indiana General Assembly session has been the easy Senate passage of Bill 232.
As expected, the measure to put teeth into enforcement of open-records and open-meetings laws had its fangs filed down considerably in committee. Yet it still meets its essential purpose of imposing consequences on public servants who refuse to carry out their legal duty to let citizens know what their government is up to."
Senate passes public records, animal-cruelty bills
"The state Legislature today is voting on dozens of bills, struggling to meet tonight's midnight deadline to amend bills and Wednesday night's deadline to pass bills out of the House and Senate and send them on to the other chamber."
State Senate OKs tougher public records bill
"The Indiana Senate voted 49-0 today for a bill that seeks to put more teeth into Indiana’s public records laws. Senate Bill 232, sponsored by Sen. Bev Gard, R-Greenfield, now goes to the House for consideration. The bill would allow for people who blatantly violate open records laws to be fined."
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