Brechner FOI Project

A proposed change to Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has hit a roadblock after concerns raised by Fairfax County officials prompted state lawmakers to reconsider the bill. According to reporting from FFX Now, the measure, which aims to enhance transparency in local government decision-making, passed the Virginia Senate unanimously…

The Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications (UFCJC) has awarded the 2025 Brechner Freedom of Information Award to St. Louis Public Radio, APM Reports and The Marshall Project for their collaborative investigative project, “Unsolved.” This groundbreaking project has been…

A recent study in Indonesia highlights frustrations like those reported by public records requesters in the United States. The researcher of the study, “Citizens’ subjective experiences of public information disclosure: A human rights and transparency perspective,” conducted 10 in depth-interviews with individuals seeking government records to learn that people were…

After more than three decades of resolving disputes over public access to records, the Utah Legislature may soon consider a bill that would dismantle the State Records Committee.  According to reporting from the Salt Lake Tribune, Utah Senate Majority Assistant Whip Mike McKell is working on a proposal that could…

A recent survey of 2,500 U.S. city department heads suggests that there are varying attitudes toward public data transparency nationally.   Published in the latest issue of the Government Information Quarterly, the survey, led by Mary Feeney of Arizona State University, found that city department heads were generally in favor of releasing…

A new bill is making its way through the Wisconsin State Legislature that could bring the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) under the state’s public records and open meetings laws.  According to reporting from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, State Rep. Cindi Duchow and Sen. Cory Tomczyk are co-sponsoring the legislation,…

The seventh annual Freedom of Information Research Competition, sponsored by the National Freedom of Information Coalition and University of Florida Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project, welcomes one-page proposals for papers that shed light on freedom of information.  The top three papers will earn cash prizes and will be…

The Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (UFCJC) launched today a national Secrecy Tracker to help identify legislation that threatens the public’s access to government records and meetings.  The tool allows anyone for free to see what bills are…

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, has signaled that expanding the state’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to include top government offices is not a priority for him.   Michigan is one of only two states that fully exempts the governor and lawmakers from public records requests. …

A recent study published in Regulation & Governance found that German states that require government agencies to be proactive and helpful in providing records to the public are more likely to respond better to public record requests.  The study looked at over 100,000 public records requests submitted to more than…

In a recent article in the Emory Law Journal, law student Maranda Johnston critiques the growing use of trade secret exemptions by private companies to withhold vital information from the public. These exemptions, she argues, allow companies to avoid transparency and scrutiny, even when the information they possess could be…

House Bill 100 proposed in the Montana Legislature sounds good on the surface, touted as streamlining the process. But the details indicate otherwise.  The legislative sponsors say the legislation will help set deadlines and fees. However, based on our research, several key provisions of the bill would make access to…