The Iowa Freedom of Information Council joins with Iowa court officials, lawyers and others in mourning the death of one of the towering figures in the history of Iowa’s judicial system, W. Ward Reynoldson. The retired chief justice of the Iowa Supreme Court died … Continue Reading
This column is appearing in several Iowa newspapers. The author is the executive director of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council. By Randy Evans On Friday when most Iowans were celebrating this team’s or that team’s victory in the NCAA … Continue Reading
This column was written by a retired editorial writer for The Des Moines Register and longtime official of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council. By Rox Laird After a half century of refusing to allow cameras in their courtrooms, federal … Continue Reading
The following editorial appeared in the March 18, 2016, edition of the Muscatine Journal. You wouldn’t expect to see issues locally like legislative bodies blocking an executive branch’s nominations akin to the antics in Washington, D.C. And you wouldn’t … Continue Reading
By Emily Wenger Muscatine Journal, March 18, 2016 Muscatine City Council members exchanged a series of emails beginning Feb. 29, which may be a violation of Iowa Code. According to Iowa Public Information Board Deputy Director Margaret Johnson, in a … Continue Reading
This editorial appeared in the March 18, 2016, editions of the Cedar Rapids Gazette. The Iowa Utilities Board’s decision last week green-lighting construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline marked the end of a long and very public consideration of the … Continue Reading
This editorial appeared in the Feb. 21, 2016, edition of the Quad-City Times. There’s no longer any question: Deliberations at Davenport City Hall are intentionally obfuscated exercises in secrecy. And the lack of accountability shielding each and every member of … Continue Reading
Randy Evans, executive director of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council, issued the following statement today following an important Iowa Supreme Court decision in a lawsuit against the Warren County Board of Supervisors. The Iowa FOI Council and Iowa Newspaper … Continue Reading
By Erin Jordan Cedar Rapids Gazette In a victory for open government advocates, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled Friday [March 18, 2016] that elected officials can’t skip public meetings by communicating through a government employee as a proxy. The court … Continue Reading
The following editorial appeared in Friday’s edition of the Storm Lake Times. The editorial was written by the newspaper’s editor, Art Cullen. The editorial makes an excellent case why county officials are mistaken for failing to keep the public informed … Continue Reading