Filing reversed roles for deputy county attorney
February 9, 2009: "This was something new in the career of James McCubbin.
As a deputy attorney for Missoula County, McCubbin and others in his office are regularly on the receiving end of public records requests.
Someone wants the minutes of an open meeting. A Realtor wants a copy of a deed. A reporter wants the transcript of an e-mail exchange between public officials.
But there was McCubbin last spring, filing a records request of his own on behalf of the county - to an agency in the federal government.
And here he is, nearly a year later, still alive to talk about it." Read the full article here.
County to retract Plum Creek FOIA request
February 8, 2009: "Missoula County won't hold the Forest Service's feet to the FOIA fire any longer.
Last spring, the county requested, through the Freedom of Information Act, hundreds of thousands of files documenting private negotiations between the U.S. Forest Service and Plum Creek Timber Co. over forest road easements.
For months, the county sparred with Agriculture Undersecretary Mark Rey to obtain the records it needed to determine the legality of the easement agreements. Citing strong public opposition, Plum Creek pulled out of the negotiations in January, mere weeks before Rey left his job.
And now the county is ready to honor the Forest Service's request to withdraw its demand, Deputy County Attorney James McCubbin said." Read the full article here.
Does Public Information in Montana Need Better Enforcement?
December 8, 2008: "Has the time come to remove the onus for enforcing public information and open meeting laws from the citizen or media complainant and put the burden on government?
The question was raised by the executive director of the Montana Newspaper Association in the organization’s most recent newsletter.
The organization sponsored Freedom of Information (FOI) Hot Line is getting an increasing number of calls from media, citizens and even government officials, and usually the questions are “straightforward.” And, the answers are “clear as a bell.”" Read the full article here.
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