Biden unveils new open government website
Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden has announced that his office has launched a new interactive web portal to increase Delawareans’ access to information about the state’s open government laws.
The site, at http://opinions.attorneygeneral.delaware.gov, contains opinions issued by the Attorney General’s Office since 1995 in response to complaints that state and local governmental bodies may have violated Delaware’s Freedom of Information Act. While these opinions were previously posted to the attorney general’s website, they were not posted in a searchable format. The new user-friendly portal may be searched by date, statutory reference or keywords.
Biden’s office regularly receives inquiries about past FOIA opinions from the news media, advocates, and other members of the public.
“We are committed to ensuring that Delawareans have access to the information they are guaranteed under the law,” said Biden, whose office enforces FOIA. “Our new website allows members of the news media and the general public to search FOIA opinions and find answers to their Freedom of Information Act questions quickly and easily.”
The new FOIA opinions portal is the latest effort by Biden and his office to support transparency, access to public information, and open government. In 2011, Biden successfully sued the Camden-Wyoming Sewer and Water Authority to force it to comply with the Freedom of Information Act after it denied citizens’ attempts to obtain public information about its operations. In addition, in 2010, Biden championed legislation that permits citizens to petition the Attorney General’s Office to address FOIA-related complaints against state agencies. Under prior law, citizens with open government complaints against state agencies were required to appeal to the courts at their own expense.
