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Mar 13 • 6 tweets • 3 min read
It’s #SunshineWeek! Throughout the week, we will talk about #FOIA and transparency.

We’re also highlighting how other transparency organizations are celebrating this week. Here are a few events we’re excited about:
.@NARA is live-streaming a panel discussion on “Making Access Happen: FOIA at the National Archives.” Watch on their YouTube channel TODAY at 1 p.m. ET.
On Wednesday, High Country News is hosting a live virtual event and Q&A on the power of open records laws and how you can use them to hold the government accountable.
sunshineweek.org/event/how-to-u…
Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET, we’re hosting a one-hour, virtual discussion and networking session. Participants will gain a broad understanding of careers in government transparency and have networking opportunities. Register here:
eventbrite.com/e/sunshine-wee…
The D.C. Open Government Coalition is hosting an in-person event to discuss the state of open government in D.C.

The event is in downtown D.C. on Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m.

Register here: dcopengovsummit23.eventbrite.com
Finally, we’re hosting a virtual seminar to highlight FOIA procedures, practices, and pitfalls. Learn more about government transparency, accountability, and our state-based requests.

The event is Friday at 11 a.m. ET. Register here:
us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regist…

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More from @weareoversight

American Oversight Profile picture
Mar 14
It’s #SunshineWeek, a week that celebrates & promotes access to information and open government nationwide.

Today, we’re highlighting the power of #FOIA with a thread about its past, present, and future. Image
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed FOIA into law on July 4, 1966. Records show LBJ personally removed strong language supporting open government from the press statement. He only agreed to sign it after DOJ suggested he include a signing statement.
nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/… Image
In his signing statement, LBJ praised the importance of openness for democracy and said the legislation affirmed American principles. But he also wrote that he felt some documents shouldn’t be available to the public.
nsarchive2.gwu.edu//nsa/foia/FOIA…
Read 13 tweets
American Oversight Profile picture
Mar 14
This #SunshineWeek, American Oversight is celebrating our sixth anniversary of fighting to bring government records to light.

Here are six of our biggest wins for public accountability and transparency.
americanoversight.org/this-sunshine-…
1. Reaffirming proper records retainment practices to combat election denial in Arizona and Wisconsin.

Our public records litigation in Arizona and Wisconsin reaffirmed the importance of document preservation and public accountability.
americanoversight.org/american-overs…
Our investigation revealed that leaders of the Wisconsin Assembly’s election review failed to properly maintain documents.

Multiple court decisions affirmed the public’s right to those records and the importance of preservation.
apnews.com/article/2022-m…
Read 19 tweets
American Oversight Profile picture
Mar 13
Today is the first day of #SunshineWeek, a week that celebrates & promotes access to information and open government nationwide.

To kick things off, we’ll explain exactly what the Freedom of Information Act is and why it’s such a powerful tool.
The Freedom of Information Act was signed into law by President Johnson in 1966, giving anyone the right to request federal records from executive branch agencies.
Yes, anyone can file a FOIA request! Journalists, scholars, and watchdog organizations use FOIA requests to find out what goes on behind the scenes in government. You can request records like emails, text messages, paper documents, videos, and more. es, anyone can file a FOIA ...
Read 16 tweets
American Oversight Profile picture
Mar 10
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has unleashed a series of measures harmful to students of color and gay and transgender students in his home state.

We’re using public records requests to investigate these right-wing attacks on education and student expression. #FoiaFriday Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis h...
In 2022, DeSantis signed the Stop WOKE Act, which prohibited the teaching of certain concepts that could make students feel “guilt, anguish, or any other forms of psychological distress” because of their race or national origin.
americanoversight.org/in-the-documen…
He also signed the Parental Rights in Education Act — also known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill — which banned teaching children about gender or sexual identity.
npr.org/2022/03/28/108…
Read 7 tweets
American Oversight Profile picture
Mar 10
NEW: We reached a settlement agreement in a suit against the CDC over its illegal practice of rejecting valid FOIAs. The settlement requires that the CDC send an instructional email to FOIA staff regarding the improper rejection of FOIAs as “overly broad.”
americanoversight.org/public-records…
The CDC used the claim that FOIAs were “overly broad” to deny several of American Oversight’s requests related to the pandemic in 2020. We sued in May 2020.
americanoversight.org/document/compl…
Following negotiations, the CDC agreed to send an email to its FOIA staff instructing them to find requests overly broad “only when appropriate,” with American Oversight providing significant input on the content of the email.
Read 5 tweets
American Oversight Profile picture
Mar 8
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is attempting to transform New College — a small, progressive public college — to be more conservative. We’re using public records requests to investigate.
In January, DeSantis removed six of New College’s 13 trustees and replaced them with conservative allies. The new board then replaced the college’s president with Richard Corcoran, DeSantis’ former education commissioner.
nytimes.com/2023/02/14/us/…
Records we previously obtained shed light on Corcoran’s time in DeSantis’ administration. In April 2021, DeSantis’ chief of staff emailed his external affairs director what appears to be an agenda. On the list: “Direct Corcoran on Critical Race Theory.”
Read 5 tweets

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