By Brett G. Johnson Citizen participation at town council meetings increased during the last few years as debates raged over COVID-19 policies and school curricula. Individuals often use highly charged rhetoric or make personal accusations during public comment sessions. To maintain order, towns across the region are now considering so-called “civility ordinances” that would proscribe […]

By Tim White A new public-records decision by Attorney General Peter Neronha’s office highlights the constant tug of war the public faces in accessing information they have a right to see, while also sending a clear message to government agencies: it pays to be opaque. Last year my colleague Eli Sherman asked Gov. Daniel McKee’s office for […]

By Lucas Uhl With protests against police brutality erupting across the nation, Massachusetts passed a law in 2020 to help prevent law enforcement misconduct in the state. The new law, among other things, established the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission. The nine-member commission is tasked with recertifying police officers to ensure that they […]

By Jon Cubetus As New England states continue to remove the COVID-19 restrictions in place since early 2020, legislators are now wrestling with a byproduct of the pandemic that many argue should remain: remote access to public meetings. With government proceedings online and the opportunity for the public to participate remotely, citizen engagement, at least […]

Have a public records story you would like to share? Email justin@nefac.org with your experience trying to obtain information through a state public records law. By Colman M. Herman As I have documented in CommonWealth magazine, the Massachusetts public records law that went into effect in 2017 is no better than the old one. Here’s a […]

Have a public records story you would like to share? Email justin@nefac.org with your experience trying to obtain information through a state public records law. By Colman M. Herman During Charlie Baker’s successful 2014 campaign for Massachusetts governor, I asked a top aide whether Baker would support legislation that would subject the governor’s office to […]

By Jim Condos COVID-19 has strained so many of our institutions over the last year. As our Vermont government agencies work to support our state through this crisis, we must always work to maintain the public’s right to know. Fortunately, in Vermont we have made great strides. Confidence in our public institutions is needed now […]

Have a public records story you would like to share? Email justin@nefac.org with your experience trying to obtain information through a state public records law. By Colman M. Herman Clark Ziegler’s experience in trying to access public records typifies much of what is still wrong with the Massachusetts Public Records Law, even though it was […]

This essay originally appeared in F1rst Things F1rst, a publication by the Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications. Click here to learn more. By Gregory V. Sullivan We the people of the United States enjoy a system of government wherein our three branches, executive, legislative and judicial are intended to provide checks and balances upon […]

This essay originally appeared in F1rst Things F1rst, a publication by the Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications. Click here to learn more. By Justin Silverman About 50 years ago a Chicago attorney received a phone call from a man being prevented from demonstrating in a small town northwest of the city. Town officials, the […]