Sunshine Report for June 2023: another SCOVA ruling; lasting impacts of COVID; aggressive replies; Twitter threads, podcasts and tons of news

Sunshine Report for April 2023: our survey of state agency websites; conference wrap-up; threads and op-eds; lots of open government news

Sunshine Report for February 2023: Busytown lobbyist; eye roll of the month; short-staffed DOE, jails & what that means for FOIA; televised bid opening

Sunshine Report for December 2022: annual conference info, the tipline, frequent filers, digital cities, code names and much more

Registrars deluged; Norfolk ruling; craziness in Spotsylvania; lots of stories based on FOIA'ed documents

VCOG's annual report for 2022

Sunshine Report for July 2022: new laws; citizen+VCOG=superhero; library repository; and tumultuous times in several places

Sunshine Report for May 2022: A litigation month like no other; our conference - register or be a donor; open government news

Sunshine Report for March 2022: wrong on working papers; opposed to roll-back; not a quorum; minimal disclosure on I-95 back-up; and more open government news

New bill charts; NFOIC announcement; apathetic, not lazy; the Kamikazie option; and many more open government news bites

Sunshine Report for November 2021: considering electronic means; intra-board sniping; what FOIA'ed emails can show

Sunshine Report for September 2021: we must behave better; our annual report; Bloody Mary garnishes; lots of open government news

Forrest M. "Frosty" Landon
Sept. 24, 1937 - July 19, 2021

Sunshine Report for June 2021: fees website and study, open government news, how many can talk

Sunshine Report for April 2021: it started with a redacted report; states of denial; FOIA litigation; conviction review unit; and more open government news

Sunshine Report for March 2021: criminal investigative file legislation; courts on public bodies and personnel records; the OIG report; open government news from the Eastern Shore to Abingdon

Sunshine Report for January 2021: how-to video; legislative preview; deep thought tweets, COVID's impact, and more

Sunshine Report for October 2020: Protest letters; special session; our conference; schools & COVID; and lots more...

Sunshine Report for August 2020: annual report; awards deadline extended; redacted reports; litigation; and "s" versus "ed"

The volunteers who make up Transparency Virginia have released their 2020 report on legislative transparency, again authored by VCOG's Megan Rhyne.

Sunshine Report for June 2020: FOIA win at Supreme Court; COVID-19 and open government; the limitations of virtual meetings 

Sunshine Report for April 2020: Coronavirus, what else?

click here for details and registration or click here to donate

Sunshine Report for January 2020: Bills to watch this session; GMU ruling; our new intern; a scathing farewell and more

Sunshine Report for November 2019: media awards; FOIA statistics; malfeasance charges dropped; economic development & more

Congratulations to the winners of VCOG's 2019 FOI Media Award winners!

First Place, Broadcast Television Stations, WDBJ7, Tim Saunders.
First Place, Daily Newspapers, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Patrick Wilson.
First Place, Non-Daily Newspapers, Rappahannock News, John McCaslin:
First Place, Online News Outlets, Virginia Mercury, Mechelle Hankerson 
Runner-up, Broadcast Television Stations, NBC29, Henry Graff
Runner-up, Daily Newspapers, The Roanoke Times, Jeff Sturgeon
Runner-up, Non-Daily Newspapers, The Tidewater News, Stephen Feleski

Sunshine Report for August 2019: TVa legislative transparency review; FOIA & phishing; Va. Beach transparency & more

VCOG's annual report, June 2019

Sunshine Report for May 2019: Transparent GMU; Supreme Court rules; our annual conference and lots of open government news

Sunshine Report for March 2019: General Assembly recap; Richmond schools' budget; thoughts on lobbying; news

VCOG Sunshine Report for February 2019: General Assembly at the halfway point; FOIA & the AG's office; open government news

Sunshine Report for December 2018: Amazon; court records/rules; on the road; open government news on missed meetings, defamation & contradiction

VCOG's monthly newsletter for October 2018: A new look; why you need us after the elections; government websites; closed meeting on vice mayor's title

Sunshine Report, August 2018: open government news; OES/FOIA lawsuits; FOIA Council training; foundations/universities

Sunshine Report for June 2018: SCOVA FOIA case; records sealed because of second-guessing citizen; open government news

Sunshine Week 2018
March 11 -17
VCOG's Free events

THIS IS THE HOME OF VCOG'S ANNUAL BILL CHART FOR THE 2017 GENERAL ASSEMBLY SESSION. BILLS WILL BE ADDED AS THEY ARE FILED.

The conference on Nov. 12 was a big success. Check out the program and our sponsors from the links below.

Thank you to our sponsors

VCOG filed an amicus brief in the Virginia Supreme Court case Department of Corrections v. Surovell.

Transparency Virginia, of which VCOG is a member, released a report that discusses some of the less-than-transparent practices at the General Assembly. The report takes note of the number of times bills were killed without a recorded vote, as well as instances where meetings were scheduled with little to no notice and some bills were never considered. The report's conclusion is that transparency takes collective will and collective action. Every member of the General Assembly can contribute to a more open, more citizen-friendly legislative process.

PLEASE NOTE: THE LINK FOR THE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE BELOW IS FAULTY. THIS IS THE CORRECT LINK: http://www.opengovva.org/2015-legislative-wrap

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In this issue

Please join the Virginia Coalition for Open Government's in celebrating the legacy of Clifton A. "Chip" Woodrum by being a part of our effort to endow a student internship for each General Assembly session, where the recipient would learn about and participate in the legislative process.

VCOG Board of Directors member Mark Caramanica talks to On the Media about the ramifications of the Supreme Court's ruling on state citizenship & the Freedom of Information Act.

Op-Ed piece: "Those governing us find the unrestricted flow of information a bitter pill to swallow. When questioned about their actions, they say that it's for our own safety. Does this argument stand? Is openness detrimental to security? I think not.... Secrecy chokes democracy and mitigates our ability to respond to outside threats.