Michigan Open Records

Michigan laws and court cases

Michigan Open Records Statute

Open Government Guide to Michigan's Open Records legislation by The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

Letter Generator

Generate an open records request that conforms to Michigan requirements

Exemptions

Document types exempted from public access.

Contacts (where to file your request)

Michigan City Clerks

Michigan County Clerks

Michigan School Contacts

State Salary Database

LSJ.com, a Michigan newspaper, offers this resource for searching public payrolls: State of Michigan salary search.

Another Michigan news source, MLive.com, has done an extensive series of articles about public school instructor's pay with includes salary databases. See the whole Teacher Pay series here.

The University of Michigan publishes their salary database online, in excel format.

To see what other states have salary databases, click here.

State Public Sector Arbitration Awards and Collective Bargaining Information

This site provides actual arbitration awards and defines that different types of arbitration practiced in Michigan. The site also provides

pertinent information about collective bargaining in the public sector in Michigan. http://www.gvsu.edu/arbitrations/

Blogs, websites and resources that use open records

(add yours!)

Michigan Freedom of Information Committee

Power, Politics and Money

The Mackinac Center for Public Policy

Outside Lansing

Sunshine Troublemaker of the Week

Michigan residents Christine Barry and Ben Hansen have received the coveted STOTW. Read all about them, and see what other states have citizens that have earned the award, here.

Sunshine Activist Interview

Michigan citizens Chetly Zarko and Ben Hansen have been interviewed for their work with open records. Read those interviews, and those from Sunshine Activists in other states here.

Press

Head to Sunshine Review for the most recent open record updates in Michigan.

2008

October 31, 2008: Use public funds, expect public disclosure

October 27, 2008: Schools' use of parents' e-mail addresses causes concern

October 14, 2008: Bloomfield Hills school closing panel opts to go public

October 8, 2008: Bloomfield Hills district cites privacy in school closing case

September 26, 2008: Memo shows city e-mails, texts were public records, lawyer testifies

September 25, 2008: No need to reinvent wheel in considering FOIA policy

September 24, 2008: Editorial: GT board stumbles again

September 10, 2008: Why the trouble with agendas?

September 5, 2008: 'Withhold nothing from the public'

September 3, 2008: Beatty takes Fifth Amendment in records lawsuit

August 28, 2008: FBI probes Ecorse deal that outsourced public works

August 27, 2008: Kilpatrick's aide: I shredded SkyTel file

August 25, 2008: FOIA denial called into question

August 25, 2008: State police still working on \"time-consuming\" Buena Vista Township finances investigation

August 22, 2008: Kilpatrick, Beatty to answer newspapers' questions in FOIA lawsuit

August 16, 2008: How much? Confusion over DPS deficit, lay-offs, cuts

August 15, 2008: Free Press files motion to force Kilpatrick to testify in FOIA suit

August 1, 2008: Pols lay siege to FOIA, transparency

July 24, 2008: Greenville is being sued over water well

July 21, 2008: Former official alleges 'miniature coups'

July 21, 2008: From the Daily: FOIA failing

July 17, 2008: Reporters don't have to name texts source

July 16, 2008: Michigan Supreme Court rules in pair of FOIA cases

July 16, 2008: State Supreme Court rules that home addresses, phone numbers for University of Michigan employees are private

July 13, 2008: VICTORY! Groups win DPS community audit

July 11, 2008: Newspapers fight search for text leak

July 4, 2008: Judge dismisses FOIA lawsuit in DHS case

June 17, 2008: County Refuses To Talk About Sexual Harassment Case

May 29, 2008: Former Arenac County deputy claims Sheriff Ron Bouldin is handcuffing his career

May 28, 2008: Shut out

May 25, 2008: Editorial: Fewins' failure to comply with FOIA costs county

May 17, 2008: Mayor's policy on text messaging ridiculous

May 17, 2008: Beatty refuses to reply to suit

May 16, 2008: City edict now says all text messaging is private

May 14, 2008: Unearthing the 'N-word'

May 12, 2008: A technical difficulty?

May 9, 2008: Kilpatrick drops appeal of judge's ruling in public records battle

May 2, 2008: Records show gas charged to the county

April 28, 2008: Editorial: Our dollars at work

April 24, 2008: Officials' text messages can pose FOI dilemma

April 23, 2008: County won't say what lawsuit cost

April 23, 2008: Saginaw County leaders won't say how much money former inmates are getting

April 21, 2008: Judge won't toss FOIA suit

April 17, 2008: Secretary of State denies FOIA request

April 15, 2008: FOIA requests create fire board tension

April 12, 2008: State cops end suit against Oakland sheriff

April 4, 2008: Judge lets mayor, Beatty join suit

April 3, 2008: Gladwin fire board director hits roadblocks in examining gas receipts

April 3, 2008: County must pay man for withholding info

April 1, 2008: Mayoral staffers urge citizens: Push back against unfair media

March 28, 2008: Colombo seeks answers before more messages are released

March 24, 2008: 'Sunshine' laws exist for citizens to check officials

March 21, 2008: Freedom of Information ruling in south Oakland shooting on hold

March 18, 2008: Editorial: Citizens need to protect the acts that protect them

March 18, 2008: Donnelly faces questions over FOIA actions

March 15, 2008: E-mails requested from attorney general, secretary of state

March 15, 2008: Let sun shine on government, public records

March 15, 2008: Information on the Michigan Freedom of Information Act

March 12, 2008: Ellis v. Lansing

March 11, 2008: Judge orders more parts of Mike Olson e-mails be released

March 11, 2008: County looks into new FOIA policy

March 8, 2008: Council seeks to join suit for texts

March 4, 2008: Attorneys for MSU, State News argue FOIA suit before state Supreme Court

March 2, 2008: MSU secrecy: Legal position on police report strikes at public's right to know

February 28, 2008: Ruling may put brakes on secret settlements

February 27, 2008: Inside the courtroom battles: 'Withhold nothing from the public'

February 27, 2008: Officials' dispute heads back to court

February 27, 2008: Attorneys fail to agree on terms of chief's dismissal

February 26, 2008: Clayton Township, Michigan clerk-supervisor dispute could be headed back to court

February 26, 2008: Kilpatrick's memo set policy: Electronic messages are public

February 22, 2008: Cox joins fight for Kilpatrick's secret records

February 22, 2008: Dennis and Gary Who?

February 15, 2008: Censure hearing again called off

February 15, 2008: Judge to be asked to reconsider Clayton Township ruling

February 13, 2008: Appeals Court: Kilpatrick documents are public record

February 9, 2008: Newspaper Says Sheriff Withholding Info

February 8, 2008: Contracts: As schools chase private dollars, transparency must reign

February 8, 2008: Mayor Kilpatrick signed agreement to keep text messages secret

February 6, 2008: What happened since the verdict

February 6, 2008: Mayor's secrets unraveling as text message scandal grows

February 5, 2008: Kilpatrick will appeal judge's order to release documents

February 2, 2008: Chamber calls for probe

January 30, 2008: Schools paid mystery company $320,279, records show

January 30, 2008: Details of Sprint, schools contract still not revealed

January 27, 2008: Trustee must file FOI, wait for copy of lawsuit

January 26, 2008: City funds helped pay for mayor's rendezvous

January 25, 2008: Family files suit against GT sheriff

January 22, 2008: Secrecy does not become usually respected Sea Grant

January 22, 2008: E-mail release vexes judge

January 20, 2008: FOIA requests in the McCollum special report

January 19, 2008: Livingston County looks into e-mail regulations

January 17, 2008: Livingston probes employee's e-mail conduct

January 8, 2008: Property-rights group files lawsuit against U-M

2007

December 19, 2007: Info squeeze

December 14, 2007: Lawyer asking for records tied to SMOC suit

December 12, 2007: At CMU, a Candid Dispute Over Turning a Video Camera on Others

December 11, 2007: Key to finding what's funny with money is in public records

November 23, 2007: Dilemma for MSU: What Price Hate Speech on Campus?

November 5, 2007: Officials won't release arrest records of MSU football players

October 21, 2007: CEO: Privatize mental health facility

October 18, 2007: Improved FOIA policy just one good first step

October 16, 2007: Dueling claims of assault at CMU

October 16, 2007: City's responses to Gazette's public-records requests

October 16, 2007: Attorney's probe finds city needs clearer FOIA guidelines

October 11, 2007: State Police file suit against Oakland sheriff

August 29, 2007: Top officials keep public in dark on some spending (Opinion column)

August 21, 2007: What investigation has found

August 15, 2007: Time to take a stand on public information

August 12, 2007: Privacy vs. openness: A delicate balance

August 10, 2007: Files detail teacher's temper

August 1, 2007: What documents reveal

August 1, 2007: Kalamazoo Gazette public records disclosures timeline update

July 31, 2007: Chairwoman won't comply with order

July 29, 2007: Kalamazoo Gazette public-records disclosures timeline

July 28, 2007: Granholm refuses to disclose staff names, pay

July 18, 2007: City officials explain rift

July 17, 2007: Officials ordered to comply on records probe

July 16, 2007: Michigan State newspaper expects Eastern Michigan situation to help lawsuit

July 3, 2007: Attorney to probe records handling

June 26, 2007: Incinerator report withheld

June 21, 2007: Bill would provide more access to school salaries

June 20, 2007: Policy would allow secrecy for city officials

June 19, 2007: Mayor calls for probe of FOIA practices Kalamazoo to seek outside check of city response to citizens' records requests

June 17, 2007: `Public' information sometimes tough to get

June 8, 2007: FOIA foes: State Supreme Court majority again displays secrecy bent (Opinion column)

June 7, 2007: If they absolutely must have it, state offices try to Buy Michigan First

May 31, 2007: If taxpayers pay for it, they should see it

May 27, 2007: LCC: Board and its chairman best rediscover the word 'public' (Opinion column)

May 26, 2007: Documents detail views on Ypsilanti principal's performance

May 24, 2007: Gregory T. Taylor: LCC's trustees need to wise up on public records (Opinion column)

April 2007 article from the Bay City Times: provides a statistical analysis of the 350 FOIA requests received by Bay County, Michigan in 2006

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