It's time to revisit how long we keep public records and why.
Continue readingWatching out for the future of California’s public records
A vote next month in California could impact the future of public records, open meetings, and even open data across all levels of government there.
Continue readingHow good records management helps open data
Since public records are the foundation for open data, the custodians of public records should be included in the open data process.
Continue readingWhy the DATA Act will be good for local transparency, too
Sunlight has long been a supporter of the DATA Act, which will help open federal spending data. The DATA Act could help improve local financial transparency, too.
Continue readingAsking for top-level changes to help boost local financial transparency
There's a clear path forward for opening up data about local finances, and we've written a letter in support of taking steps in that direction.
Continue readingBeyond business — the impacts of open data
Our new “Impacts of Open Data” resource provides a concrete overview of the kinds of non-business benefits enjoyed by localities with open data.
Continue readingWhat the feds can learn from state and local e-filing
We already know the federal government has plenty of room for improvement in how it collects information. What about states and municipalities? We wondered whether local governments are doing any better with allowing for electronic filing of information.
Continue readingThe state of state and local campaign finance: D.C. primary edition
While not yet perfect, D.C.’s campaign finance website has a number of features that allow reporters and other researchers to access many aspects of campaign finance data in bulk form.
Continue readingDon’t attribute open data — cite it!
In discussions about access to government data, we should distinguish between attribution and citation: government-imposed attribution requirements are inappropriate restrictions on reuse and unnecessary barriers to access, while citation guidelines can help add reliable value to data.
Continue readingUsing federal levers to open municipal financial data
Could a federal agency play a role in opening up local financial data?
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