Request denied: States try to block access to public records
Source: AP
By ANDREW DeMILLO and RYAN J. FOLEY
Today
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) In February, Arkansas lawmakers marked the 50-year anniversary of the Freedom of Information Act with a resolution calling it a shining example of open government that had ensured access to vital public records for generations.
They spent the following weeks debating and, in many cases approving, new exemptions to the law in what critics called an unprecedented attack on the publics right to know.
When they were finished, universities could keep secret all information related to their police forces, including their size and the names and salaries of officers. Public schools could shield a host of facts related to security, including the identities of teachers carrying concealed weapons and emergency response plans. And state Capitol police could withhold anything they believed could be detrimental to public safety if made public.
While hailed by lawmakers as commonsense steps to thwart would-be terrorists or mass shooters, the new laws left grandmother Annie Bryant worried that she and other parents could now be kept in the dark about how schools protect kids.
...........................
Lawmakers across the country introduced and debated dozens of bills during this years legislative sessions that would close or limit public access to a wide range of government records and meetings, according to a review by The Associated Press and numerous state press associations........................
Read more: https://apnews.com/f85d54cc952d4dc58ed0eff7eadb3bbd
Fairly long article. Has some examples from several states.
Also see this DU post:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=9603457