FOIA Turns 50 July 4; Can It Be Fixed?

The federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), a key tool for journalists trying to pry information out of the government, was signed into law July 4, 1966. Open government groups have started a 50-day countdown to the law's 50th anniversary. It remains to be seen whether Congress can send President Obama a fix-FOIA bill by that date.

The#FixFOIAby50 campaign, a coalition spearheaded by OpenTheGovernment.org and the Sunshine in Government Initiative, is pushing Congress to finalize legislation already passed overwhelmingly in different versions by both House and Senate. Their portal page includes links to thorough analysis and comparison of the two bills and the reason why FOIA can and should be fixed.

• Previous Story: WatchDog of April 27, 2016.