Congratulations on your election to the board of education and thank you for volunteering your time to your community. As you begin to embark on your board journey you will unfortunately, find that way too much of your time...more
As the summer (and your vacation) becomes a distant memory, and the days get shorter and colder, I’ll bet you have had passing thoughts about changes to Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Act’s (“FOIA”), especially in light...more
11/7/2023
/ Administrative Exemption ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
FOIA ,
Notice Requirements ,
Open Records ,
Public Access Laws ,
Public Comment ,
Public Employees ,
Public Meetings ,
Public Records ,
Request For Information ,
School Boards ,
School Districts
On April 28, 2022, Governor Lamont signed Public Act 22-3, which makes permanent changes to Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) so as to preserve the ability of public agencies (such as school boards) to conduct...more
In my last column, The FOIA and the Pandemic: New (temporary?) Provisions on “Remote” and “Hybrid” Meetings for Public Agencies, I provided a summary of the “budget implementer” bill that amended Connecticut’s Freedom of...more
The “budget implementer” bill that was passed in June amends Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”), preserving, at least temporarily, elements of pandemic-era Executive Orders concerning “remote” and “hybrid”...more
Shortly after declaring a State of Emergency with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in light of the desire to avoid large in-person gatherings, Governor Lamont issued Executive Order 7B, which provides that the in-person...more
While there are more urgent public health issues to consider, the outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) has caused practical concerns regarding how public agencies can comply with Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Act...more
3/18/2020
/ China ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Crisis Management ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Executive Orders ,
FOIA ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Open Meetings Act ,
Public Access Laws ,
Public Meetings ,
State and Local Government
Dropping thermometers did not diminish the heated action occurring before Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Commission [“FOIC”]. It should also go without saying that the accompanying snow, ice and other perils of winter...more
Generally, Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Act [“FOIA”] requires that a public agency preparing an agenda/posting for a meeting ensure that each agenda item is specific enough to apprise the public of the action...more
Although it is known as the “Sunshine Law,” the idea of summer fun is usually not synonymous with the Freedom of Information Act [“FOIA”]. Nevertheless, as we lament the passing of time (and loss of daylight), Connecticut’s...more
On Thursday, March 19, 2015, the General Assembly’s Education Committee will conduct a public hearing on the following proposed bills...more
As promised previously, we will be keeping you up to date with developments in the General Assembly.
A. On Tuesday, March 3, 2015, the General Assembly’s Labor and Public Employees Committee will conduct a public...more
Public agencies often secure opinions from legal counsel to guide their actions. However, these agencies should be aware that what they say in public about the advice given may jeopardize the confidentiality of the legal...more
On June 7th, 2014, I had the good fortune of being the guest on Focus on Connecticut, which is a weekly, half-hour public affairs show on “News 12 Connecticut.” The show is hosted by Tom Appleby, a veteran news journalist in...more