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  SIDEBAR    The News Media & The Law Winter 2004 (Vol. 28, No. 1), Page 35. Freedom of Information  

Recent State FOI Audits

Alabama: March 2003. Sought records from local schools and universities, and city councils and county commissions; 44 percent of school superintendents or their employees denied access to latest superintendent evaluation, while 11 percent of cities would not disclose city council minutes.

Maryland: August 2003. Sought records from various public agencies, including the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration and Maryland Occupational Safety and Health. MVA and MOSH denied two out of three requests.

Montana: Spring 2003. Surveyed police, school, city council and municipal record-keepers; more than one-third of requests to police were denied.

Texas: November 2003. Surveyed city halls, school districts and police stations in Hidalgo, Starr, Cameron and Willacy counties; one denial resulted in the suspension and ultimate resignation of Keller Independent School District Superintendent Charles Bradberry.

Wisconsin: October 2003. Surveyed four county governments and made 20 requests in various areas of government for information about the 10 highest-paid employees; some responded within a week, others took about a month.

© 2004 The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.