Minnesota Data Practices Act
From Sunshine Review
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The Minnesota Data Practices Act is a series of laws designed to guarantee that the public has access to public records of government bodies at all levels in Minnesota.
The Minnesota Open Meeting Law legislates the methods by which public meetings are conducted.
[edit] Minnesota's transparency report card
A 2008 study, BGA - Alper Integrity Index, conducted by the Better Government Association and sponsored by Alper Services, ranked Minnesota #15 in the nation with an overall percentage of 57.30%. [1]
A 2007 study, Graded state responsiveness to FOI requests, conducted by BGA and the NFOIC, gave Minnesota 53 points out of a possible 100, a letter grade of "F", and a ranking of 21 out of the 50 states.[2]
A 2002 study, Freedom of Information in the USA, conducted by IRE and BGA, ranked Minnesota's law as the 40th worst in the country, giving it a letter grade of "D".[3]
[edit] Public Records
The Minnesota Data Practices Act "establishes a presumption that government data are public and are accessible by the public for both inspection and copying unless there is federal law, a state statute, or a temporary classification of data that provides that certain data are not public."[4]
[edit] Open Meetings
"All meetings, including executive sessions, must be open to the public"[5]
[edit] Proposed changes
- Main article: Proposed reforms in state sunshine laws, 2009
Senate Bill 94 [6] (and companion House Bill 100 [7]) would make "certain records pertaining to the I-35W bridge collapse compensation program" exempt from public disclosure. Sen. Limmer (R-Maple Grove) questioned the proposed bill, saying that "the public has a right to know ... how the compensation board makes its decisions. That record should be as open to the public as possible." [8]
[edit] Who May Request Minnesota Records?
Anyone may request public records in Minnesota. They are also entitled to have the data explained to them if they don't understand it. A "person shall be permitted to inspect and copy public government data". [9]
For requester residency requirements in other states, see the list of who can make public record requests by state.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Minnesota Statutes Minnesota Government Data Practices Act
- Advisory opinions regarding the Data Practices Act
- Minnesota Statutes Open Meeting Law
- Open Government Guide to Minnesota
- Minnesota on WikiFOIA
[edit] References
- ↑ Integrity Index available for download here
- ↑ Graded state responsiveness to FOI requests, 2007
- ↑ Freedom of Information in the USA, 2002
- ↑ Minnesota Statutes, 13.01
- ↑ Minnesota Statutes, 13D.01
- ↑ Text of SF94
- ↑ Text of HF100
- ↑ Friday opinuendo: On scrutiny, apostrophes, Blagoheads and more, Twin Cities.com, February 6, 2009
- ↑ Minnesota Statutes, 13.03(a)
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