Post by Meh on Feb 23, 2016 9:08:22 GMT -5
Snyder Exempt From Freedom Of Information Act Requests; Won’t Release Pertinent Records From 2013
From ACLU: But this story began even before Flint emergency manager Darnell Earley signed a 2014 order forcing the city to drink harsh river water. In truth, the decision to use the Flint River was made in 2013, which is why those are the emails a worried public really need to see.
…While Flint residents now know that their water is no good, they still don’t know how exactly their water was contaminated— because exemptions to Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) allow the governor and state legislators to keep that truth hidden.
During his State of the State address, Gov. Snyder announced that he would release his emails from 2014 and 2015 as a show of good faith and transparency.
But this story began even before Flint emergency manager Darnell Earley signed a 2014 order forcing the city to drink harsh river water.
In truth, the decision to use the Flint River was made in 2013, which is why those are the emails a worried public really need to see.
But so far, Gov. Snyder has refused to release those 2013 emails — and we cannot use the FOIA law to obtain them.
The state’s FOIA law, which recognizes the citizen’s right to access most public records, is one of the few tools citizens have to hold our elected officials accountable and to bring truth to light.
But under Michigan’s current exemptions, the governor’s office and legislature — the most powerful leaders in our state — are absolved from these requests.
This state of affairs has at least two foreseeable results: Flint residents will remain in the dark when it comes to who is truly responsible for the city’s water poisoning, and other government misdeeds will remain secret.
Neither of these outcomes is acceptable.
This is why the ACLU of Michigan has issued two major calls as the Flint water crisis has unfolded:
Gov. Snyder must waive his FOIA exemption immediately and release all emails relating to the decision to use the Flint River as the city’s water source, including emails written prior to 2014.
State lawmakers must reform the Michigan FOIA law to eliminate exemptions to the governor’s office and state legislature…’
