ICOG News - Indiana Coalition for Open Government

Governor Braun appoints Brittney Long as the new Public Access Counselor

In a press release from October 2nd, Governor Mike Braun announced that Brittney Long will be the new Public Access Counselor. “Brittney has the legal credentials and passion for public service that makes her an excellent fit for the job,” said Gov. Braun. “As our next PAC, Brittney will bring...

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...

News from Indiana

New Beta Version of Indiana General Assembly Website

Feb 8, 2023

The Indiana General Assembly website is receiving an update in 2023: We have some improvements in the works that we're excited for you to experience. Click here to try our new, faster beta site. We will be maintaining our current version of the site until the middle...

IndyStar: Hoosiers fear losing benefits, rights: A woman sued to save her Medicaid. HHC agency wants to bar such cases.

Nov 9, 2022

Magdaleno, Johnny, and Tony Cook. 2022. Hoosiers fear losing benefits, rights: A woman sued to save her medicaid. HHC agency wants to bar such cases. Indianapolis Star, Nov 04, 2022. (accessed January 9, 2023). Indiana and other states often try to cut or deny...

IndyStar sues 8 hospitals for records violations: Claim: Public spending on nursing homes obscured

Aug 11, 2022

Magdaleno, Johnny. 2022. IndyStar sues 8 hospitals for records violations: Claim: Public spending on nursing homes obscured. Indianapolis Star, Aug 10, 2022. (accessed August 11, 2022). Eight Indiana hospitals are violating state records laws by withholding...

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

Shading Sunshine: The Proliferation of Exemptions to State Open Records Laws

Nov 11, 2023

Cat Reid. 2023. Shading Sunshine: The Proliferation of Exemptions to State Open Records Laws. Duke Law Journal, Volume 73, Number 2. November 2023. Abstract State and local open records laws play a vital role in our democracy. They shed light on the darkest places,...

Route Fifty: Access to public records is ‘deteriorating terribly’

Oct 31, 2023

Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene. 2023. Access to public records is 'deteriorating terribly'. Route Fifty, October 31st, 2023. Back in May, at the recommendation of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the state legislature made a change to its public records laws,...

CFOIC report: Colorado should bar public officials’ use of disappearing messaging apps for official business

Jul 20, 2023

Colorado should enact legislation like a 2021 Michigan statute that outlaws the use of disappearing messaging apps in state government, but the language should be broadened to affect all state and local officials, a law student’s report prepared for the Colorado...