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The Blog

Reports, victories, setbacks, and plain talk about open government in New York.

New York State Capitol
LATEST
September 22, 2026

Reinvent Albany asks the Council to put Signal messages on the record

ALL POSTS
Seal of the Town of Berne, Albany County, New York
September 14, 2026

A town said its records weren’t covered by FOIL. One email fixed that.

NYPD parking placard on a car dashboard
September 14, 2026

NYPD says it can’t find the records it also says are exempt

Sign reading No audio or video recording without express permission on a door in Leeds, Alabama
September 10, 2026

Alabama’s no-recording sign met its open meetings law

Niskayuna Town Hall
September 8, 2026

Niskayuna meeting livestreams end, and the Gazette objects

Pencil sketch of a padlock being opened by a key, surrounded by hexadecimal code
September 7, 2026

You won the records request. Now the video won’t open.

Signal messaging app icon on a smartphone screen
September 5, 2026

City Hall said Signal was allowed. Its own memo said otherwise.

Gov. Kathy Hochul walking with staff
September 1, 2026

Hochul’s public schedules, 14 months behind

rcfp-foia-request-tips
August 25, 2026

FOIL request tips worth stealing from the Reporters Committee

johnstown-council-vacancy-interviews
August 19, 2026

Filling a council seat behind closed doors in Johnstown

New York State Capitol in Albany
August 7, 2026

Two rulings on public comment limits and vague agendas

rcfp-foia-reform-wishlist
August 5, 2026

A FOIA reform wish list New York should borrow from

wskg-broome-county-legislature
July 27, 2026

Broome County livestreams its meetings, then the record disappears