ICOG News - Indiana Coalition for Open Government

IndyStar: Media orgs threaten legal action over delays in Indiana’s public access office

Grace Randolph. 2026-08-05. Indianapolis Star. You can read the letter from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press here. Update: Gov. Mike Braun released the following statement after the initial publication of the story: "Gov. Braun has long been an advocate for transparency. That is...

IndyStar: Under Braun’s watchdog, government secrecy grows harder to challenge

Cate Charron & Grace Randolph. 2026-07-24. Indianapolis Star Indiana’s public access counselor is supposed to ensure transparency in government. But under Gov. Mike Braun’s appointee, Jennifer Ruby, it has become far more difficult for Hoosiers to challenge government secrecy, an IndyStar...

Indiana Public Access Counselor, Jennifer Ruby, Publishes First Two Opinions

You can read the first two (and more in the future) 2025 Advisory Opinions from Indiana's new Public Access Counselor, Jennifer Ruby: 25-FC-00B: Alleged Violation of the Access to Public Records Act by the New Carlisle Town Council 25-FC-003: Alleged Violation of the Open Door Law by the Green...

Who you gonna call? 260-ASK-ICOG!

We are excited to launch our public access (ODL, APRA, and civics phone help line), 260-ASK-ICOG. Staffed by ICOG volunteers, we'll do our best to assist you with your questions related to open government in the Hoosier state. Currently being explored as a pilot project, we will re-evaluate the...

The Indiana Capital Chronicle: Indiana public access office goes quiet amid turnover

Leslie Bonilla Muñiz. 2025-05-30. Indiana Capital Chronicle. Tippecanoe County resident Pamela Frazee just wants to know if her messages went through. Phone calls to Indiana’s Office of the Public Access Counselor (PAC) route directly to a voicemail box and aren’t returned. Emails — including...

News from Indiana

Court rules that Fairfield Township must hand over documents to J&C, effective immediately

Apr 30, 2022

Padilla, Noe. 2022. Court rules that Fairfield Township must hand over documents to J&C, effective immediately. Journal and Courier, Apr 30, 2022. (accessed April 30, 2022). LAFAYETTE, Ind. — After eight months of the Journal & Courier requesting documents...

‘Profiteering, cold-hearted’ nursing home owners should be investigated, congressman says

Apr 24, 2022

Fraser, Jayme, and Nick Penzenstadler. 2022. Lawmaker urges nursing home probe: Rush calls out 'profiteering, cold-hearted' owners and asks congress to act. Star Press, Apr 09, 2022. (accessed April 24, 2022). "If (REITs) own the real estate, then they should not be...

Hamilton Co. mayors’ travel, costs in 2021: Fishers spent most with Fadness’ trip to Italy

Apr 24, 2022

Carloni, Brittany. 2022. Hamilton co. mayors' travel, costs in 2021: Fishers spent most with fadness' trip to italy. Indianapolis Star, Mar 27, 2022. (accessed April 24, 2022). The same month Westfield Mayor Andy Cook spent $16 on parking at a west Ohio Street garage...

News from ICOG

Welcome to our website!

Jun 1, 2013

Thanks for stopping by for a visit to ICOG's online home. The website gives you access to information specific to Indiana's public records and meetings laws. But it also connects you to a national network of open government coalitions under the umbrella of the...

Dispatch from New Orleans: A report from the annual FOI Summit

Jun 1, 2013

New ICOG board member Kimberly Brown-Harden attended the recent FOI Summit in New Orleans. The annual gathering, hosted by the National Freedom of Information Coalition, brings together advocates from around the country to discuss the latest developments in open...

ICOG, SPJ host Sunshine Week Program

Mar 11, 2013

The Indiana Coalition for Open Government and the Indiana Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional journalists hosted a public program to discuss the problems and possibilities of freedom of information laws. The discussion, held March 16 at the Nora branch...

All the News

Indy Star: AG Todd Rokita’s office requires an NDA. It might threaten free speech

Jul 19, 2023

Magdaleno, Johnny. 2023. AG Todd Rokita's office requires an NDA. It might threaten free speech. The Indianapolis Star, July 19th, 2023. Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita’s employees are signing nondisclosure agreements that could cost them $25,000 if they share...

The Indiana Citizen: OPINIONATED DELAY: Staffing change in public access counselor’s office creates backlog of open record decisions

Jul 15, 2023

Odendahl. Marilyn. 2023. OPINIONATED DELAY: Staffing change in public access counselor’s office creates backlog of open record decisions. The Indiana Citizen, July 10, 2023. In recent years, the Indiana public access counselor had kept a steady pace of posting...

2023 National FOI Summit, Save the Date: October 3rd-5th

Jun 26, 2023

Save the date for the 2023 FOI Summit! The National FOI Summit returns this October, bringing together journalists, attorneys, government transparency advocates and others focused on state open records laws. The Summit, to be held online using the Whova...