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A Constitutional Right to Public Information
by Sabrina I. Pacifici on Nov 6, 2019
Marzen, Chad G., A Constitutional Right to Public Information (October 19, 2019). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3472464
"In the wake of the 2013 United States Supreme Court decision of McBurney v. Young (569 U.S. 221), this Article calls for policymakers at the federal and state levels to ensure governmental records remain open and accessible to the public. It urges policymakers to call not only for strengthening of the Freedom of Information Act and the various state public records law, but to pursue an amendment to the United States Constitution providing a right to public information.This Article proposes a draft of such an amendment: The right to public information, being a necessary and vital part of democracy, shall be a fundamental right of the people. The right of the people to inspect and/or copy records of government, and to be provided notice of and attend public meetings of government, shall not unreasonably be restricted.
This Article analyzes the benefits of the amendment and concludes the enshrining of the right to public information in both the United States Constitution as well as various state constitutions will ensure greater access of public records and documents to the general public, consistent with the democratic value of open, transparent government.
Subjects: E-Government, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Legal Research
The thing women struggle with most at work isn't sexism, it's ageism
Quartz: "…per a survey conducted by The Riveter, a gender-equal coworking space now in seven cities across the US. According to the whitepaper published today, the organization, along with partners Xerox and YouGov, surveyed 1,550 women "across racial groups, professions and caregiving roles," and followed up with about 100 interviews. One key statistic: 58% of… Continue Reading
Subjects: Uncategorized
Leaked documents show Facebook leveraged user data to fight rivals and help friends
NBCNews: "A cache of leaked Facebook documents shows how the company's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, oversaw plans to consolidate the social network's power and control competitors by treating its users' data as a bargaining chip. The documents were obtained and are being published by NBC News. This trove comprises approximately 7,000 pages in total, of which… Continue Reading
Subjects: E-Commerce, E-Records, Internet, Privacy, Social Media
Steps to Take Now to Get a Jump on Next Year's Taxes
IRS – Tax planning is for everyone. Get ready today to file your federal income tax return next year. Adjust your withholding or make a tax payment Get ready for your refund Renew your Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) Organize your tax records Get help Continue Reading
Subjects: Economy, Financial System, Government Documents
401(k) contribution limit increases to $19,500 for 2020; catch-up limit rises to $6,500
"The Internal Revenue Service today announced that employees in 401(k) plans will be able to contribute up to $19,500 next year. The IRS announced this and other changes in Notice 2019-59 (PDF), posted today on IRS.gov. This guidance provides cost‑of‑living adjustments affecting dollar limitations for pension plans and other retirement-related items for tax year 2020.… Continue Reading
Italy Is Making Climate Change Lessons Compulsory In Schools
HuffPost – All public school students will have 33 hours of mandatory climate change education. "Children studying in Italy's public schools will soon have climate change lessons on their weekly schedules. Italy's education minister, Lorenzo Fioramonti, announced on Tuesday that climate change and sustainability will be a mandatory part of education for students ages 6… Continue Reading
Subjects: Climate Change, Education, Environmental Law
This Is How the U.S. Military's Massive Facial Recognition System Works
Medium OneZero: Documents obtained by OneZero show how the military captures biometric data around the world. "Over the last 15 years, the United States military has developed a new addition to its arsenal. The weapon is deployed around the world, largely invisible, and grows more powerful by the day. That weapon is a vast database,… Continue Reading
Subjects: Civil Liberties, Defense, E-Government, E-Records, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Privacy
GPO has digitized more than 1,300 historical Congressional Hearings dating back to 1958
"The U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) has digitized more than 1,300 historical Congressional Hearings dating back to 1958 and made them available on govinfo, GPO's one-stop site to authentic, published Government information. Through these digitization efforts, the public can access records of Congressional Hearings for free. These include the transcripts from meetings or sessions of… Continue Reading
Subjects: E-Government, Government Documents, Legal Research, Legislation
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