Open Government News Roundup, 2025-04-05
Transparency and Civic News from around Indiana and the Nation
Hello everyone! Sorry about the dust. Here are some highlights in recent weeks.
Have an open government or civics story we should include in a future edition? Send us a message and let us know.
Around Indiana
IU McKinney Alumna Jennifer Ruby Named Indiana Public Access Counselor [Indiana University]
In addition to her legal experience as an attorney and mediator, Ruby is also an entrepreneur who built her legal practice in Indianapolis over 20 years. She has almost 15 years of experience in state and local government, serving the State of Indiana, the State of New Mexico and the Consolidated City of Indianapolis and Marion County. She holds a Master of Planning from IU O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, and a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry from Purdue University. She is admitted to practice law in Indiana and New Mexico and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.
Shining a light on public records and open access [Niki Kelly, Indiana Capitol Chronicle]
It’s Sunshine Week, which isn’t just about journalists. The nonpartisan collaboration of civic, media, education, government and private sectors shines a light on the importance of public records and open government.
And all citizens have a right to both.
SCHEDULING SILENCE: Lt. Gov. Beckwith not making official calendar public, his office says [Juliann Ventura, The Indiana Citizen]
In a move that veers from tradition, Republican Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith’s office is not planning to publicize the new officeholder’s official schedule on his state government website page, Beckwith’s press chief told The Indiana Citizen last week.
Answers sought on planned data center: Franklin Twp. residents flock to town meeting [Ryan Murphy, The Indy Star]
According to public records, Deep Meadow Ventures LLC was formed in Delaware in July 2024. Its registered agent, Delaware-based Corporation Service Company, is linked to more than 50,000 companies in Indiana in Indiana's business database.
Nation Wide
Sunshine Week: Sunshine Fest 2025
As we recognize the 20th anniversary of national Sunshine Week, we’re organizing an in-person conference to find solutions to pressing problems in freedom of information across all disciplinary and geographic boundaries.
We are bringing together journalists, record custodians, policy makers, historians, state FOI coalitions, librarians, academics, civil society nonprofit groups, commercial data providers, and all other constituencies who care about transparency at the local, state, federal and global levels of government.
Transparency advocates frustrated over limited access to government records consider ballot measure
Almost a year after Colorado lawmakers frustrated transparency advocates by exempting themselves from parts of the open meetings law, a coalition of residents seeking more access to government records and meetings says it’s drafting a potential ballot initiative to strengthen “the public’s right to know.”
The group is calling itself “Team Transparency,” and it’s been meeting monthly in Denver to talk through proposals to send to voters in 2026.
Councilmember Allen on Council’s Changes to Open Meetings Act on an Emergency and Temporary Basis
The debate largely centered on whether the Council should take a broad or narrow approach to amending the Open Meetings Act, which facilitates public access to government meetings Councilmember Allen moved an amendment creating new, limited situations in which the Council could close its otherwise open meetings to discuss sensitive matters, rather than taking the approach of the introduced version of the emergency bill of almost entirely exempting the legislative branch from the OMA. The amendment failed 4-8. The underlying emergency bill then passed 10-2, with Councilmembers Allen and Lewis George opposing.
Thanks for reading. Do you have a an open government or civics story we should highlight? Let us know.