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FIRST AMENDMENT
OF U.S. CONSTITUTION
Congress shall make
no law respecting an establishment of religion,
or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof; or
abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press;
or the right of the people peaceably to assemble,
and to petition the
Government for a
redress of grievances.
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2016 MAJOR SUPPORTERS
 
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LEARN ABOUT OUR ANNUAL NEW ENGLAND FIRST AMENDMENT INSTITUTE
NEFAC'S ANNUAL NEW ENGLAND FIRST AMENDMENT AWARDS
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We welcome contributions
to the NEFAC Report from journalists, lawyers, academics
or other advocates of
government transparency. If
you have something to add
to the conversation, please let
us know. Your stories, experiences and commentaries have broad appeal and value.
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NEFAC REPORT | March 2016
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NEFAC Partners with Loeb School,
Details Regional Transparency Efforts
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The New England First Amendment
 Coalition recently joined open government advocates to celebrate the 11th annual Sunshine Week. The national campaign, from March 13-19, was an initiative to promote a dialogue about the importance of transparency and freedom of information. In honor of Sunshine Week, NEFAC partnered with the Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications in Manchester, N.H., to discuss that state's Right to Know Law. NEFAC also provided op/eds and daily blog posts addressing transparency concerns throughout the region. These reports were written by some of the area's leading advocates for open government and collectively provided a sense of the progress being made - and the challenges that still exist - throughout all six New England states. [More]
Op/Ed by NEFAC Executive Director Justin Silverman
It's Sunshine Week, an annual celebration of transparency in government. Freedom of information advocates throughout the country will spend the next several days reminding communities about their right to obtain public records and the need to make those records more accessible. In Massachusetts, the timing is especially appropriate. [More]
State Reports
James Smith | NEFAC and Connecticut Council on Freedom of Information
Linda Lotridge Levin | Access/RI Jim Campbell | Maine Freedom of Information Coalition Jim Condos | Vermont Secretary of State Shawn Musgrave | New England Center for Investigative Reporting David Saad | Right to Know New Hampshire
Coverage of NEFAC, Loeb School Event
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NEFAC Defends Access to Government Records During Maine Court Proceedings
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The New England First Amendment Coalition and the Maine Freedom of Information Coalition filed an amicus brief last month arguing that Maine's Freedom of Access Act should not prevent parties in judicial proceedings from obtaining evidence. "We're participating in this case to make sure that government records aren't kept secret from judges and juries without a compelling reason," said NEFAC's Sigmund Schutz, an attorney for Preti Flaherty in Portland and a member of MFOIC. Schutz drafted the brief, which was filed on Feb. 16. [More]
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Scholars Gather for NEFAC-Sponsored 'First Amendment Bubble' Discussion
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Amy Gajda, author of the "The First Amendment Bubble: How Privacy and Paparazzi Threaten a Free Press," was the keynote speaker at a symposium last month that centered on her book and how the desire of courts to protect privacy rights has affected First Amendment protections of media. The New England First Amendment Coalition sponsored the event. Gajda was joined by Clay Calvert of University of Florida's College of Journalism and Communications, and Sonja West of Georgia School of Law. [More]
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Conjecture, Speculation, Inference: It's All
a Matter of Opinion for Mass. Journalists
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The right to publish speculative opinions on sensitive matters - even if they portray an individual in a negative light - is now stronger in Massachusetts thanks to a recent ruling by the state's high court. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court dismissed in November a lawsuit against the Boston Herald, which could have changed the practice of journalism and limited the First Amendment rights of media. [More]
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Other FOI and First Amendment News
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National
Encryption, Apple v. DOJ
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Connecticut
FOI Legislation, Reform
Watchdog Budget Cuts
UConn Foundation, Transparency
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Maine
Protest Restrictions
Inmate Rights, First Amendment
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Public Records Reform
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New Hampshire
Ballot Inspection, Right to Know
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Rhode Island
Cyberstalking Bill, Speech
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