by Morgan Smith, FOG member Back on November 7, 1972 Colorado’s voters passed Colorado Initiative 9, better known as the Colorado Sunshine Law, a citizen approved statute that requires that any state or local governmental body that meets to discuss public business or to take formal action do so in meetings that are open to Read More …
ALBUQUERQUE — The New Mexico Foundation for Open Government (NMFOG) today released the results of its audit to determine compliance by municipalities with public records requests. The Inspection of Public Records Act requests (IPRAs) were sent by a third party to New Mexico’s 49 largest cities. The requester sought copies of any IPRA logs kept Read More …
This afternoon, the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government issued the following statement in regard to the proposed special legislative session to address the budget shortfall: July 29, 2016 The New Mexico Foundation for Open Government urges New Mexico legislators to open all meetings in connection with the budgetary shortfall to the public, whether such Read More …
FOG, The Santa Fe New Mexican and the Albuquerque Journal today filed a Writ of Mandamus against Corizon Health asking the court to make public certain settlement documents between Corizon and inmates in the state’s prison system. Filed in the state district court in Santa Fe, the transparency lawsuit alleges that the documents are public Read More …
Article from the Society of Professional Journalists: INDIANAPOLIS – The Society of Professional Journalists is thrilled that the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016 has been signed by President Barack Obama as the 50th anniversary of the original FOIA law approaches. “We have a little something extra to celebrate this Fourth of July,” said SPJ National Read More …
Today FOG sent each member of the New Mexico Legislature the following letter, insisting that the state budget be discussed in public, allowing citizens to hear the debate and weigh in on critical decisions affecting our state. We encourage you to contact your representatives and tell them you support an open budget process in accordance Read More …
The New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, NMFOG, has released the results of its audit to determine compliance by state agencies and counties with public records requests. The Inspection of Public Records Act requests (IPRAs) were sent by a third party to 122 New Mexico agencies and boards and all of the state’s 33 counties. Read More …
FOLLOWING THE MONEY 2016: NEW REPORT RANKS ALL FIFTY STATES ON GOVERNMENT SPENDING TRANSPARENCY A new report by the United States Public Interest Research Group found that New Mexico falls in the middle of states for online disclosure of government spending. This seventh annual evaluation of state transparency websites finds that states continue to make Read More …
In a decision filed Thursday, the New Mexico Court of Appeals held that committees appointed by public bodies must comply with the Open Meetings Act (OMA), and even when meetings are closed due to the attorney-client privilege, substantial OMA requirements still must be met. The New Mexico Foundation for Open Government and the New Mexico Read More …
Enforcement of Sunshine Laws Under AG Balderas, During Sunshine Week FOG assesses AG responses to complaints, by Susan Boe, FOG Executive Director. After a bumpy start by his open government division, Attorney General Hector Balderas and his staff have issued almost three dozen opinion letters in the last three months in response to complaints about Read More …