ICOG News - Indiana Coalition for Open Government

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...

Indiana Debate Commission: Governor candidates to participate in televised debate on October 24, 2024

Archived Debate The Republican, Democratic, and Libertarian candidates for Indiana governor have agreed to meet Oct. 24 in a televised debate organized by the Indiana Debate Commission. The debate among Mike Braun (R), Jennifer McCormick (D), and Donald Rainwater (L) will be broadcast live at 7-8...

WRTV Indianapolis: School board member aims to boost transparency after filing her own complaint

Kenney, Kara. 2023. School board member aims to boost transparency after filing her own complaint. WRTV. June 16, 2023. A West Lafayette mother and school board member is aiming to improve transparency and the public’s access to information. Click on the image to play the video.

News from Indiana

Companies line up to bid on Grand Park: 18, some in central Indiana, want to own or operate sports campus

May 1, 2022

Carloni, Brittany. 2022. Companies line up to bid on grand park: 18, some in Central Indiana, want to own or operate sports campus. Indianapolis Star, Apr 27, 2022. (accessed May 1, 2022). Eighteen companies have informed Westfield they are interested in either...

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...

News from ICOG

Please join us: ICOG, SPJ host Sunshine Week panel on open data

Mar 2, 2015

The Indiana Coalition for Open Government is pleased to join with the Indiana Professional Chapter of Society of Professional Journalists to host a symposium devoted to the issues surrounding open government data. The March 24 panel discussion draws from the ranks of...

ICOG joins death certificate lawsuit; Supreme Court hears arguments in May

Mar 17, 2014

The state Supreme Court will hear arguments in Evansville Courier & Press vs. Vanderburgh County Health Department, a lawsuit over public access to death certificates in Indiana. ICOG joined the effort to bring the case to the Supreme Court last year after a trial...

ICOG signs on to Indiana free speech case

Jul 3, 2013

Can you strongly disparage a judge without fear of being arrested for your words? The answer is yes under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. But that didn't stop a Cincinnati blogger from being convicted of intimidation two years ago after strenuously...

All the News

Bloomberg: Meet the Man (Jason Leopold) Who Sues the Government for Information

Jul 20, 2023

Jason Leopold is an investigative journalist at Bloomberg News who aggressively uses the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to push for greater transparency and hold power to account. His document-based reporting has led to countless scoops, federal investigations and...

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...