Press Survey
The Providence Journal-Bulletin
January 1, 2000 - September 10, 2001

Open Records
Stories of broader (generally state-wide) significance

• Supreme Court rules ProJo can get final contracts between RI Convention Center Authority and clients (ruling cuts edge off Superior Court ruling of 1999 that dismissed ProJo's request for all CCA records)

"High court hears plea for agency records," Jonathan D. Rockoff, Mar 13, 2001
"High court sets rules for access to records of Convention Center, " Jonathan D. Rockoff, Jun 2, 2001

• Supreme Court, limiting public access to government records, barred City of Newport from releasing personnel file of police officer who resigned after being accused of sexual assault

"Request for police record denied," Jonathan D. Rockoff, May 15, 2001

• Quonset Point: controversy over release to public of EDC "White Paper"

"Agency balking at releasing its report on Quonset costs," Edward Fitzpatrick, Feb 6, 2001
"Agency ordered to disclose port plan," Edward Fitzpatrick, May 31, 2001
"Agency continues to balk at releasing its papers on port," Edward Fitzpatrick, Jun 8, 2001
"Whitehouse tells governor to release port paper," Daren Lee Ziner, Jun 19, 2001
"AG threat pries open document on port," Edward Fitzpatrick, Jul 6, 2001

• Patricia Lynch Harwood: controversy over release to public of records of job selection process

"Group seeks list of applicants," Jonathan D. Rockoff, Jan 5, 2001
"A little sunshine, please," Jonathan D. Rockoff, Jan 5, 2001

• Brown study says Superior Court judges erase criminal records too readily

"Superior Court judges erasing criminal records too readily, study says," Jonathan D. Rockoff, Oct 31, 2000

• Bristol Police Department changes policy of withholding names and addresses of all crime victims following ACCESS/RI forum

"Policy shift allows police to release crime victims' names," Sam Nitze, Feb 24, 2000

• Proposed bill to overhaul public records law will be changed to reflect compromise between open government and privacy concerns--tentative pact reached, underscores confidentiality of medical records

"Bills would tighten access to records," Bruce Landis, Mar 15, 2000
"Disabled seek protection of their records," Jennifer Levitz, Mar 16, 2000
"Open Records Law kept intact under compromise bill," Jonathan Saltzman, Mar 31, 2000

• Activists troubled by effort to hinder pension-data access

"Activists troubled by effort hinder pension-data access," Katharine Gregg, Jan 28, 2000

• AG rules public entitled to Johnston internal police report (Ruling may set new precedent)

"AG rules public entitled to internal police report," Celeste Katz, Jan 24, 2000

• Witness-Protection Bill assailed by open-government critics

"Witness-protection bill assailed by critics," Katherine Gregg, Apr 10, 2001

• ACLU Challenges Providence Police Department's refusal to disclose camera surveillance policies

"ACLU sues police over access," Marion Davis, Aug 8, 2000

• Superior Court to rule on whether judge's attendance records public

"Judge to rule on releasing records," Brian C. Jones, Aug 1, 2001

• Federal FOI item: RI AG files FOI request with US EPA for records on Brayton Point Station's environmental impact and permit compliance

"Brayton Point plant environmental records sought by RI," Marisa Katz, Jun 22, 2000