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Thursday, April 20, 2006

Ind. Law - "Info-hungry citizens making a difference in government openness"

"Info-hungry citizens making a difference in government openness" is the headline to a brief item by the AP on the WISH-TV website. Some quotes:

Reporters aren't the only ones who want to know what the government's doing.
More public records requests are coming from ordinary citizens.

The annual report from Indiana's public access counselor shows that more than 800 of the 16-hundred inquiries came from the public, compared with about 200 from the news media. The rest came from government agencies.

Public access complaints filed by the Indiana public over the past year include an activist seeking enforcement records from the state's Department of Environmental Management, an Elwood man challenging closed meetings on the redistricting of elementary schools and a LaPorte woman fighting to open private meetings of that city's Board of Public Works.

Here is the PAC Annual Report referenced, covering July 1, 2004 through June 30, 2005. (Looks like a new one will be due out in a few months.)

Be sure to check out one of the newest features of the PAC site, the FAQ section. Here is an example from the FAQ:
Do I have to file a formal complaint to get assistance from the Public Access Counselor?

No. The Public Access Counselor can advise you about your rights over the telephone or by e-mail (www.in.gov/pac/contact). In addition, you can send a letter asking for an "informal inquiry response." Often, the Public Access Counselor can resolve a dispute by calling the agency directly. You should provide the name of the agency, the name of a person you have been dealing with, and a telephone number for informal dispute resolution.

The PAC is probably one of the most "user friendly" agencies in state government.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on April 20, 2006 08:55 PM
Posted to Indiana Law