public records

CHESTER COUNTY, Penn. – The growing use of chat apps like Google Chat by school districts across the U.S. is raising concerns about transparency and public access to government meetings and records.  First reported by the Delaware Valley Journal, concern is rapidly emerging in Pennsylvania as school districts, including the…

The Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications is training hundreds of journalists during the summer of 2024 on how to more effectively acquire government records for helping their communities better self-govern. On June 29, Director David Cuillier spoke at…

David Cuillier, director of the Brechner Freedom of Information Project, is quoted in “Would Direct Payments to College Athletes be Public Records?” posted on deseret.com on May 31. The article focuses on direct payments that college athletes will be able to receive from Name Image Likeness endorsements (NIL). Under question is…

The University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (UFCJC)  and Democracy Fund today announced a $225,000 grant to support a multi-university research project that will aid government agencies in handling unduly burdensome public records requests without restricting the flow of civic information. In recent years, some state and local government agencies have been deluged with…

David Cuillier, director of the Brechner Freedom of Information Project, is quoted in “Out-of-State Public Records Experts Weigh in on a Louisiana Bill that is Drawing Lots of Criticism” published on fox8live.com on April 19. The story focuses on a bill that would exempt Louisiana’s public records law of “any records…

Journalists, average Americans, and others seeking government records in the public interest are more likely to be denied information than for-profit requesters, according to a new study titled “Tale of two requesters: How public records law experiences differ by requester types,” co-authored by David Cuillier, director of the Joseph L. Brechner Freedom…

The Miami Herald is the winner of the 2024 Brechner Freedom of Information Award for “Shakedown City,” an investigation into government corruption within the city of Miami that spawned a series of investigations by the FBI, Internal Revenue Service, Securities and Exchange Commission and state ethics commission. The award is administered by the Joseph…

David Cuillier, director of the Brechner Freedom of Information Project, is quoted in “Sunny State Turned Cloudy: A Boca Raton Lawsuit Illustrates ‘Erosion’ of Florida’s Public Records Law” published in the South Florida Sun Sentinel on March 10. The article focuses on Florida’s Sunshine Law requiring government meetings and documents to…

David Cuillier, director of the Brechner Freedom of Information Project, is quoted in “Patchwork of ‘Broken’ Systems for Resolving Open Records Disputes Exists Across U.S. States” published on The Huntsville (Alabama) Item’s website on March 7. The article focuses on nurse Dana Holladay-Hollified’s quest to find out the salaries of hospital…

David Cuillier, director of the Brechner Freedom of Information Project, is quoted in “’I Like Mexicans’ Omitted from San Fran State Crime Announcement” published in The College Fix on Feb. 14. The article focuses on the actions of officials at San Francisco State University who won’t explain why they redacted a…

David Cuillier, director of the Brechner Freedom of Information Project, is quoted in “Locked Out of Local Government: Residents Decry Increased Secrecy AmongTowns, Counties, Schools,” published by The Associated Press on Dec. 18. The article focuses on the lack of disclosure regarding a major property-tax hike in a small Pennsylvania town.…

David Cuillier, director of the Brechner Freedom of Information Project, is quoted in “Washington Tax Agency Pressured to End Controversial Secrecy Policy” published on crosscut.com on Dec. 13. The article focuses on a recently revealed policy from the State of Washington Department of Revenue that supposedly allowed it to black out…