This editorial appeared in the Des Moines Sunday Register on March 13, 2016. In courthouses across Iowa, there are hundreds of search warrants that remain sealed from public view years after they were approved by judges. Most, if not all, … Continue Reading
This column was written for Iowa’s newspapers by Rox Laird, a retired Des Moines Register editorial writer and longtime member of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council’s executive committee. Iowans will see a lot of discussion in the news media … Continue Reading
This editorial appeared in the Des Moines Register on March 15, 2016. Des Moines Police Chief Dana Wingert appears to have settled on a new policy regarding public access to body-camera videos, but he says he’ll reveal the policy only when … Continue Reading
By Erin Jordan Cedar Rapids Gazette, March 14, 2016 As with CEOs, school superintendents manage multimillion-dollar budgets, work long hours, answer to boards and employ hundreds to thousands of people. But unlike top corporate officers, school district leaders make decisions … Continue Reading
The Iowa Center for Public Affairs Journalism, an Iowa City nonprofit organization that operates the IowaWatch.org investigative journalism website, has joined the Iowa Freedom of Information Council. “For 39 years, the Iowa Freedom of Information Council has educated Iowans about … Continue Reading
The Crawford County Memorial Hospital in Denison is considering a reduction in public information it makes available. Officials said they were considering the policy change because of concerns that private hospitals that are competitors are not required to make available … Continue Reading
This editorial appeared in the Cedar Rapids Gazette on Feb. 6, 2016. Sadly, the University of Iowa again is circling its wagons in the face of a call for transparency. This time, the university is refusing to release documents pertaining … Continue Reading
Ryan Foley, the Associated Press’ ace investigative reporter in Iowa City, has obtained a copy of the 2014 opinion poll that the University of Iowa is trying to keep secret, claiming it has no public interest. You can read Foley’s … Continue Reading
This column by the executive director of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council was made available to every newspaper in Iowa. By Randy Evans The philosophy behind Iowa’s public records and public meetings laws is quite simple: Government in Iowa … Continue Reading
Dave Busiek, the news director of KCCI-TV in Des Moines, has been named president of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council. Busiek replaces Jim Boyd, who has stepped down as president as he prepares to retire this month as news … Continue Reading