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July 21, 2008 By News Report
The Freedom of Information Acts (FOI) allowing public access to government records is described as a "haphazard construction" among the states according to a recent study undertaken by the Better Government Association (BGA) and the National Freedom of Information Coalition (NFOIC).
The study went on to report that 38 of the 50 states have a grade of "F" in overall responses to FOI requests. The results of the study were published by Todayscandidates.com.
"This national study shows that in the vast majority of states, citizens have little to no recourse when faced with unlawful denial of access under their state's FOI laws," said Charles N. Davis, executive director of the National Freedom of Information Coalition based at the University of Missouri's School of Journalism. "It's a cry for reform of the FOI laws nationwide," he said.
"Although several States posted respectable numbers in our survey of their Freedom of Information Acts, it is clear that most states still have a lot of work to do in making their governments more accessible and transparent," said Jay Stewart, executive director of the BGA.
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