Secrecy Tracker

The Illinois Legislature has an astonishing 22 bills in its current session revolving around the topic of burdensome public records requests. That is far more than most states, which typically have a few such bills, according to research by Samantha Sunne of the Brechner FOI Project. Six of the bills…

A group of public information advocates is proposing an easier alternative to resolve denied public records requests in Idaho. Earlier this month, the Idaho Press Club proposed a bill that would create a new process akin to a “small claims” court, the Idaho Statesman reports. Under current law, requesters’ only…

Leading data journalist, educator and trainer Samantha Sunne will coordinate the Brechner FOI Project’s national Secrecy Tracker, monitoring legislation across the nation related to public records and open meetings, synthesizing trends, and educating advocates and policy makers. Sunne (pronounced “Sunny”) is co-author of the textbook “Data + Journalism: A Story-Driven…

Washington state House lawmakers have reinstated a controversial email auto-deletion policy, allowing most legislative emails, including those about bills and communications with lobbyists, to be permanently erased after 30 days. The move has drawn criticism from transparency advocates who say it weakens the public’s ability to scrutinize how laws are…

The Iowa Legislature has passed House File 706, a bill that would add a new exemption to keep Capitol security camera footage confidential. On the plus side, the bill raises fines for open meetings violations — from $100–$500 to $500–$2,500 — and increases penalties for knowing violations to $5,000–$12,500. It also requires…

A bill clarifying aspects of Arkansas’ public meetings law has passed the Senate and is now heading to the governor’s desk. Senate Bill 227 specifies what city councils, quorum courts, and school boards can discuss outside of a public meeting. It also allows courts to nullify decisions made by a…

In Oklahoma, House Bill 2163, proposes the creation of a Public Access Counselor within the Office of the Attorney General to handle complaints related to denied public records.  According to reporting from the Oklahoma Voice, Republican House Rep. John Pfeiffer, R-Orlando, who authored the bill, said he hopes this will…

Iowa House representatives are moving forward with legislation that aims to increase training for local officials on open meetings and public record laws, and to raise penalties for open meeting violations According to a report from Iowa Capital Dispatch, the passing of House File 706 marks the second year that…

The Utah Legislature has received the Society of Professional Journalists’ Black Hole Award, a dubious honor that highlights significant violations of the public’s right to know. The award was presented for two new laws, Senate Bill 277 and House Bill 69, passed in the 2025 General Session that alter how…

A new bill could bring public access back to the selection process for Florida’s public university and college presidents.  According to reporting from The Daytona Beach News- Journal, Republican state Sen. Alexis Calatayud and state rep. Michelle Salzman filed identical bills, SB 1726 and HB 1321, to remove the public…

A bill that could impose new fees and limitations on public records requests has advanced through its first committee in the New Mexico House. Orginially reported by the New Mexico Political Report, the bill, which was sponsored by democratic State Rep. Christine Chandler, passed with nearly unanimous support but has…

A Utah Senate committee narrowly approved a bill that would dismantle the citizen-led committee responsible for resolving disputes over access to government records. The proposal would replace the State Records Committee with an administrative law judge appointed by the governor.  Following continued reporting from the Salt Lake Tribune, Senate Majority…