We are thrilled to announce the appointment of our next executive director, Pate McMichael. Please join us in welcoming Pate to the NC freedom of information community. We can’t wait to see the great work he’ll do
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I'm speechless: Charlie Carter, an EMC member, just criticized my public records request for commissioners' emails about #PFAS as "irregular wants to quickly change the bylaws to make EMC emails off limits under the public records act. @NCOpenGov@NCDEQ@selc_org@CleanCapeFear
A massive & infuriating public records/transparency loophole -- 🧵
In light of the foot-dragging to set #PFAS standards in #NC drinking water supplies, on 5/8 I filed a request w the Environmental Management Commission for all correspondence between & among its members plus
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NEWS: NC lawmakers are scheduled to vote on a bill this morning that would kill off public access to autopsy reports and overhaul the makeup of a commission that works to ensure low-income criminal defendants get adequate representation. #ncpol
STORY--> https://t.co/JiKdej168P
“The public records and public information compiled by the agencies of North Carolina government or its subdivisions are the property of the people…. the people may obtain copies of their public records [] free or at minimal cost unless otherwise specifically provided by law.”
Huntersville commissioners are considering cracking down on complicated records requests by charging a $18/hour fee for record production when the request takes more than 4 hours. Discussion tonight @wsoctv
The public records office processes and responds to all requests. By suspending operations in the public records office for a week, NC State’s making it near impossible to receive public records “as promptly as possible” as required by state law. @NCOpenGov
Last year, NC lawmakers gave themselves the power to sell or destroy any of their records. #ncpol#ncga
Today Sen. @GraigMeyer proposed undoing that, but he was quickly shot down.
My story: https://t.co/kmwOY3kfkH
Check out what some of our sustaining members are doing in Asheville. Get involved and organize in your communities for better transparency for your elected leaders!
Add @SawreyforNC to the “Nice List” nine months ahead of schedule. More lawmakers from across the political spectrum should be more transparent about their public business.
Kudos to @SawreyforNC. He becomes the first Republican state lawmaker in NC to provide records to me, responding within 15 minutes of my request today with 42 pages of communications and vowing to share more. #ncpol
Out with an important story that's been months in the works: "Transparency to the max."
In it, I dive into the origins of NC's latest erosion of public records, why one lawmaker released 142,675 emails and what was learned along the way. #ncpol
Story--> https://t.co/ci0Bmkx2DE
Contrast this recognition with the work of all of our Sunshine Award winners and you’ll quickly see some ways we can make North Carolinians more informed, engaged and prosperous.
For @SunshineWeek, SPJ is giving its annual Black Hole Award to the North Carolina General Assembly @NCLeg. Last year, they passed a change to the state's public records law. This award highlights the most heinous violations of the public’s right to know. https://t.co/Wjj4rZjEGr
North Carolina lawmakers should be doing everything they can to improve the public's access to information, not cutting them out of the loop. That's why #SunshineWeek is so important in the Old North State and across the country.
This #SunshineWeek, state sunshine laws are under attack in states across the country. American Oversight is dedicated to the fight for open government transparency but this fight for accountability is facing increasingly aggressive obstacles. #FoiaFriday