NC Open Government

North Carolina legislators today filed bills aimed at amending the state constitution to protect the public's right to know.

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (2/10/11): Some North Carolina legislators want to make public access to government records, documents and meetings part of the state constitution.

From the Greensboro News and Record (2/9/11): Mid-afternoon last Friday, Scoop got word of a meeting between city and county officials on the tax collection hubbub.

From MyFox8.com (2/10/11): North Carolina's House speaker is defending a closed-door meeting by the chamber's Republican caucus in which GOP members heard from lobbyists about the pros and cons of legalizing video poker.

From the Wilmington StarNews (1/29/11): Given a loophole, most elected officials can be counted on to opt for secrecy over openness. It happened again this week, when three New Hanover County mayors and the chairman of the county commissioners met in private to talk about tourism.

From DavidsonNews.net (1/24/11): The editor of The Charlotte Observer is now saying the paper may decide against sending e-mail to citizens whose addresses it obtains the rough a public-records request of local governments. But the paper is defending its request for the records, which comes as a lobbying group for the state’s cities and towns is proposing limits on public access to citizen e-mail lists.

From WFAE 90.7 FM (1/24/11): As the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County and several other cities in the region prepare to hand over tens of thousands of private citizen e-mail addresses to the Charlotte Observer, the state's League of Municipalities is gearing up to prevent such disclosure in the future. Last week the group made it a top legislative priority to limit access to government e-mail lists.

From WSOCTV.com (1/24/11): Officials in Durham want North Carolina lawmakers to give police permission to alter 911 calls before they are released to the public.

From DavidsonNews.net (1/22/11): Town officials in Davidson are trying to figure out how to respond to a public records request from The Charlotte Observer for e-mail addresses and telephone numbers of citizens who subscribe to the town's e-mail and telephone alert services.