The New England First Amendment Coalition's James H. Smith provided testimony earlier this month to the Conn. General Assembly Government, Administration and Elections Committee, which is considering three bills of First Amendment and right-to-know interest. He testified on behalf of the Conn. Council on Freedom of Information. The bills involve the release of information related to criminal investigations, the extension of term limits for commissioners of the state's FOI Commission, and the online publication of voter registration data. [More]

At first I was confused when Judge Jeffrey Moskowitz issued his order banning news reporters from reporting anything witnesses said in the criminal case against a well-known Maine attorney. But the judge said it again when I stood in the courtroom and asked him to clarify. Did he mean to restrict the use of cameras? Or did he mean to restrict me as a staff writer for the Portland Press Herald and a member of the public? [More]

Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy, Lieutenant Gov. Nancy Wyman and state Comptroller Kevin Lembo - a card-carrying FOI advocate - have signed the Freedom of Information Pledge proffered by the non-profit advocacy group Connecticut Council on Freedom of Information. It took several weeks for Malloy to decide to sign on. Lembo asked immediately, "where do I sign?" But too few have. [More]