Freedom of
Information/National Freedom of Information Coalition
2007
Bills in the 2007
Legislature
2006
Legislation
introduced in 2006 Legislature: House Judiciary Committee defers
action on bill that would create a task force to study procedures
of the Office of Information Practices. The task force would have
had a majority of government boards, including two that have
longstanding beefs with OIP. (Updated: 3/27/06)
Mark Cooper
talks about a "Digital Democracy" at the annual FOI Day
luncheon March 14 at the East-West Center (Posted: 3/6/06)
Details on
Sunshine Week March 12-18: OIP conducts Sunshine workshop for
reporters (Updated: 3/1/06)
10 organizations
release firstever Hawaii FOI audit of government records (Posted:
3/14/06)
Former New York Times columnist
Tony Lewis tells what he
thinks about protecting the
names of confidential sources.
What's New:
Freedom of Information forum touches on military access, prior
restraints and sources, Feb. 24-25 at the University of Hawaii
law school (Updated: 2/26/06)
Order is issued
by Judge Eden Hifo in ruling against City Council one-on-one
serial meetings (Posted: 2/18/06)
2005
Lawsuit against City Council to stop
serial, one-on-one meetings
This just in: No
sooner than the City Council loses a lawsuit over openness urged
by the Office of Information Practices, top legislators introduce
a bill to create a board to oversee OIP without giving it the
usual requisite power to fine or enforce the open meetings and
open records laws (1/27/06)
Eight groups win
in lawsuit against City Council on serial one-on-one
communications (Updated: 1/25/06)
Lawsuit filed
against City Council, and Council answers Hawaii Chapter SPJ's
lawsuit over secret meetings (Updated: 10/27/05)
The dispute between the
Office of Information Practices and the City Council over serial
one-on-one vote gathering; OIP opinion to be posted soon (8/6/05)
Other FOI business
President Bush
issues executive order designed to improve federal agency
response on Freedom of Information requests (Posted: 12/16/05)
Journalists
coalition cites increased use of exemptions by federal government
in refusing to release information under the Freedom of
Information Act (Posted: 12/16/05)
The judiciary
backs off proposed restrictions on the rule governing cameras in
the courtroom (Posted: 12/7/05)
Chapter submits
testimony against proposed changes in cameras in the courtroom
changes (Posted: 11/18/05)
State courts
propose to restrict rules on cameras in the courtroom. Deadline
is today (Posted: 11/21/05)
Kondo and Keever
talk about open meetings and records at workshop Jan. 25 (Posted:
1/26/05)
Bill Dedman of the
Boston Globe tells the FOI Day Luncheon why government records
are so important. Here is the second corrected list of Hawaii
Freedom of Information Project Activities -- Week of March 13 to
April 1; IRE and BGA give Hawaii FOI law a dismal grade; Sunshine
Week Web site goes live; Advertiser, Pacific Business News and
Star-Bulletin agree to participate in Sunshine Week; SPJ joins
various media organizations in Sunshine Week 2005 (Updated:
3/16/05)
Acting governor
signs two Office of Information Practices bills; updated
legislative report; House Finance Committee revises bill that
would have stripped funding from Akaku public access television
on Maui; Groups urge House Judiciary Committee to hold
hearing on Senate Bill 1551; Open records and meetings measures
so far in the 2005 Legislature (Updated: 8/5/05)
2004: Governor vetoes
convention center disclosure bill but notes that Hawaii law
allows withholding of confidential information if disclosure
"frustrates a legitimate government function." What
bills are alive and dead at the state Capitol (Updated: 12/17/04)
2003: Office of
Information Practices opinion on how detailed agendas should be;
Differing legal opinions on Sunshine Law; Medical privacy restrictions; Sen. Leahy introduces bill
to replace broad exemption for homeland security on
infrastructure plans; Bills affecting government access
1. SPJ says new medical
privacy rules issued by Bush will hamper news reporting; Hawaii
gets a D+ for its Freedom of Information Law in nationwide audit;
FOI 2002 bills dead (Posted: 8/19/02)
2. Judge rules that UH Board of Regents
didn't violate Sunshine Law; May 17 hearing scheduled for
chapter's motion for temporary restraining order to force Board
of Regents to hold a public vote on the UH president's salary;
chapter's, students' lawsuit against University of Hawaii Board
of Regents for violating the Sunshine Law in setting the new
president's salary (5/9/01)
3. Bush
administration issues guidelines on medical privacy;
Pending bills in the 2001 Legislature: Acting governor signs bill
to repeal medical privacy bill because of of superceding federal
regulations (Updated: 7/09/01)
4. 2000 legislative developments: SEN.
IHARA says conference committee chairman's powers negates reforms
of last year; IHARA gets opinion that conference committees have
to vote in public; after Kamemoto inquires about administration
bill, governor pulls backing for it; bill seeking constitutional
amendment establishing a right of access (4/26/01)
5. Office of Information Practices
rules/comments; Director approves and sends to governor (3/10/98)
6. Open Government Coalition of Hawaii:
Notes from 2002 Conference; Tips from 2001 Conference, Minutes;
FOI Roundup of the states 2000, 2001; Minutes of annual NFOIC
meeting; FOI-L official on developments across the nation; State
of FOI by Ian Lind (5/9/02)
7. Hawaii FOI issues 1999: Chapter fails
to get amendment to allow hospitals to continue to give medical
conditions of victims of crimes and accidents; Governor vetoes
Tourism Authority secrecy bill (7/14/99)
8. New FOI Alerts (7/23/99)
9. Hawaii FOI issues 1998 (5/25/98)
10. Supreme Court rules in SHOPO case
(11/20/97)
Hawaii SPJ