Sign In
Free Newsletter
Supreme Court judge says he has done nothing to make him unable to fairly judge Planned Parenthood lawsuit
Supreme Court Justice William Montgomery said he has done or said nothing that would make him unable to fairly judge a pending lawsuit brought by Planned Parenthood Arizona over whether abortion remains legal in Arizona.
Public records access is ‘stacked against the citizen’
Arizona public records law allows individuals to submit a public records request through any means, but public records experts point out that many agencies often require additional steps that can slow a request being fulfilled.
Police redact, blur body cam footage – backlog grows
Police records custodians spend hours combing through and blurring body camera footage to comply with privacy concerns under records law, while requestors, ranging from attorneys to journalists to civilians, can wait weeks, if not months on end to see the footage they seek.
Legislature chips away at government transparency
The Arizona Legislature has often been hostile to transparency by introducing bills to limit access to public records and carving out exceptions in sunshine laws in the name of privacy.
Agencies use delays to thwart public records requests
Arizona’s public bodies often use delay tactics and loose interpretations of the state’s public records laws to avoid transparency, First Amendment lawyers say.
Neutral ombudsman demystifies public records requests
Joanne MacDonnell, the current Arizona ombudsman, described the office as a “giant flashlight,” and “an umpire calling balls and strikes.” Its public access attorney called the office, “the canary in the coal mine,” and the “eyes and ears” of the Legislature and governor.
Judge makes clear Lake’s case is about whether records should be made public to anyone
The bench trial in failed gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake’s case to secure ballot affidavit envelopes from Maricopa County got underway today.
Petersen and Toma in court filing aim to quash Prop 211
With efforts by one set of foes already rebuffed, the state's top Republican lawmakers are making their own bid to quash a new state law designed to shine a light on "dark money.''
Arizona court to weigh if media can see secret records
The ultimate outcome of the case could determine whether government agencies can use laws designed to protect the privacy of some individuals to create exceptions from broad state statutes that generally make government records a matter of public concern.
Senate settles public records lawsuit filed by watchdog American Oversight
The state Senate settled a longstanding public records lawsuit filed by left-leaning watchdog American Oversight, but The Arizona Republic is still pursing records in the case.
Public records reform bills advance in House, Senate
After Republican lawmakers recently established rules to reduce public records retention, they are now proposing more changes that opponents say would further obstruct access to information.
Arizona ethics take another step backward
Recently, many in Arizona rightfully took issue when the state’s Republican-controlled Legislature voted to exempt itself from the state’s public records law. The change also allows members to delete their emails after 90 days. This move was universally condemned by state Democrats, yet few Republicans offered any explanation for the change.
