Maine Freedom of Information Coalition

  • MFOIC now accepting nominations for Mal Leary Sunshine Award

    The Maine Freedom of Information Coalition (MFOIC) is now accepting nominations for the 2025 Mal Leary Sunshine Award. This prestigious award recognizes individuals, journalists, media organizations, or community groups that have championed, protected, and promoted public access to government meetings, records, and court proceedings or defended the public’s right to know, publish, broadcast, and speak freely about issues…

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  • Legislative Candidates Open Government Pledge 2018

    MFOIC Once Again Challenges Legislative Candidates to Support Open Government The Maine Freedom of Information Coalition sent a letter to every candidate for the Maine Legislature in 2018 seeking a pledge of support for open government. Now more than ever, freedom of speech, open meetings of government, and access to public records are fundamental to…

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  • MFOIC 2017: Year in Review for Sunshine Week 2018

    2017 was a busy year for those who are concerned about open access to government documents and information on a national level, and certainly on a state level here in Maine. Several of the most important freedom of access issues in 2017 (and continuing into 2018) involved proposed changes to practices in the judicial system…

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  • Candidate’s Open Government Pledge 2016

    MFOIC Challenges Legislative Candidates to Support Open Government The Maine Freedom of Information Coalition sent a letter to every candidate for the Maine Legislature in 2016 seeking a pledge of support for open government. Fundamental to democracy is freedom of speech, open meetings of government, and access to public records. Mainers have a long history…

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  • Attorney General Schneider Announces Hiring of Public Access Ombudsman

    September 7, 2012 [AUGUSTA] — Attorney General William Schneider announced today that attorney Brenda Kielty has been selected to serve as Maine’s first Public Access Ombudsman. The responsibilities of the Public Access Ombudsman include responding to informal inquiries about Maine’s Freedom of Access Act, working to resolve complaints, preparing educational materials about the law in…

    Read more here.